Re-Imagining Space OutreachCreating a 100-Year Program Model
©2013 Kathleen D. Toerpe
Kathleen D. Toerpe, PhDStellar Outreach, LLC
Hoberman Sphere
Goldilocks Zone of Space Outreach
1
2
3
4
Apollo 11 turns 40+
Mars Curiosity
Voyager Probes
ISS Popularity
5
6
7
8
Planetary Defense
Science Celebrities
Star Trek/Star Wars
New Stakeholders
Source: Ecklund EH, James SA, Lincoln AE (2012) How Academic Biologists and Physicists View Science Outreach. PLoS ONE 7(5): e36240. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0036240
Scientists Disagree?
• Too little time for outreach• Not supported by university/institute• Proper role of science is research• No training or poor communication skills• Public not interested or knowledgeable• “Sagan Effect”
In scientists’ own words . . .
. . . science outreach is a bleak prospect with limited room for
improvement.
Source: Ecklund EH, James SA, Lincoln AE (2012) How Academic Biologists and Physicists View Science Outreach. PLoS ONE 7(5): e36240. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0036240
In scientists’ own words . . .
. . . science outreach is a bleak prospect with limited room for
improvement.
Source: Ecklund EH, James SA, Lincoln AE (2012) How Academic Biologists and Physicists View Science Outreach. PLoS ONE 7(5): e36240. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0036240
Let’s go back
to the drawing
board and
re-imagine
what space
outreach could
be . . .
Outreach
Teaching
Public Relations Marketing
. . . though it can involve all these skills, techniques and goals
Let’s Start With. . .
• To reach out• To surpass• To go beyond• To engage
Outreach at its core is . . .
• To deliver a message to a targeted audience to reach a desired result
Outreach
Space Outreach
• To deliver a message about space research, exploration, future settlement and the human dimension of all of these to a targeted audience to reach a desired result
• Delivery• Message• Audience• Result
Outreach
Challenges & Opportunities of Delivery
Non-Personal• Objective• Professional• Scheduled
Group• One to Many• Many to Many• Many to One
Remote• Non-
synchronous• Not Real Time• Not Shared
Space• Not Real Space• Virtual Space
Personal• Subjective• Relationship• Availability/
Approachable
Individual• One on One
Local• Synchronous• Share Real Time• Share Real Space
Personal, Individual, Local . . . • In-person• Mentoring• Collaborati
ng• Customize
d • One-shot• Effective
but short reach
www.ucdmc/ucdavis.edu; www.space.com;
Non-personal, Group, Remote . . .
• Hundreds of Programs
• Broad audience
• Ad-driven• Entertainm
ent• Mixed
Messages
• K-14 STEM • Thousands
of Programs
• Resounding Success
• Bureaucratic
• Duplicative
1. Once delivered, a message takes on a life of its own. You never know where your message may end up.
Delivery = Connections
Conversation with a colleague at a convention
Basis for a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) PIL
www.programmedevelopment.com
NGR
Long-term Connections
Greatest impact may be number of views in months and years ahead
NGL
www.engadget.com
NGR
A TED Talk is delivered in real space and real time to real people
Making More Connections
PIL
NIL
NGL
NIR
NGR
PGR
PIR
PGL
STARTING
POINT
DESTINATION
Connections Expansive
PIL
NIL
NGL
NIR
NGR
PGR
PIR
PGL
www.clipartsfree.net
PIL
PGL NIL
PIR NGL
NIRPGR
NGR
Connective
Expansive
Comprehensive
Flexible
www.walmart.com
This is what Space Outreach in the next 100 years needs to be!
• Delivery• Message• Audience• Result
Outreach
2. Effective outreach is specific, content-dynamic and open to change.
What’s the Message?
STARTING
POINT
DESTINATION
Inform Persu
ade
Justify
InspirePrepa
re
Motivate
Interpret
Amaze
www.clipartsfree.net
Connective
Expansive
Comprehensive
Flexible
Inform
Persuade
Justify
Inspire
Prepare
Motivat
e
Amaze
Interpret
www.walmart.com
This is what Space Outreach in the next 100 years needs to be!
• Delivery• Message• Audience• Result
Outreach
2. Effective outreach is learner-centered. Know your audience.
Who’s the Audience?
STARTING
POINT
DESTINATION
Children
Teens
Parents
SeniorsTeach
ers
College
Students
Future
Colleagues
The Audience . . .
Photos: www.nms.ac.uk; www.chabotspace.org; ww.avaaston.wordpress.com; www.cochrane-environment.org; www.centauri-dreams.org; www.nhlbleol.wordpress.com
www.clipartsfree.net
Connective
Expansive
Comprehensive
Flexible
Children
Teens
Parents
Seniors
Teachers
College Studen
ts
Colleagues
Future
www.walmart.com
This is what Space Outreach in the next 100 years needs to be!
• Delivery• Message• Audience• Result
Outreach
4. Outreach should always elicit a response and have a goal or result that it seeks to produce.
What’s the Take-away?
STARTING
POINT
DESTINATION
Advocate Particip
ate
Engage
PersevereCorrobor
ate
Collaborate
Wonder
Appreciate
www.clipartsfree.net
Connective
Expansive
Comprehensive
Flexible
Advocate
Participate
Engage
Persevere
Corroborate
Collaborate
Appreciate
Wonder
www.walmart.com
This is what Space Outreach in the next 100 years needs to be!
100 Years(maybe more!)
We know what we want . . .
How Do We Get There?
100-Year Space Outreach Model . . . Emerge
sExpand
s
Engages
Embraces
Evolves
• Multi- & Inter-disciplinary Goals
• STEM• Social Sciences• Arts• Humanities
• Current Understanding
• Knowledge• Perceptions• Questions• Search for
Answers
• Problem Solvers• Contributors• Citizen
Scientists• Takeaway Action
Steps
• Collaborates• Audience• Content• Multiple
Stakeholders
• Innovative• Adapts Quickly• Builds
Framework for the Future
Emerges from our Human Experiences
Space Outreac
h
STEM
Social Sciences Arts
Humanities
www.walmart.com
Outreach is not successful
when connections are not
made
• We are more than our STEM selves . . . Our outreach must be more, too.
• History• Philosophy• Sociology• Anthropolo
gy• Literature• Music
• Psychology• Economics• Dance• Fine Art &
Design• Political Science• Theater
• Geography• Journalism• Finance• Theology• Archaeolog
y• Law
Synapses in the Human Brain . . . .
Photo: www.futurity.org
Expands our Current Understanding
Connecting our . . .
• Current Understanding
• Knowledge
• Perceptions
•Questions
• Search for Answers
• Outreach has an organic, cumulative effect which we can never completely anticipate or assess.
• Classroom• Planetarium• Senior Center• Maker-space• Library• Astronomy
Club
• Demonstration• Summer Camp• Launch Site• Citizen Science
Project• Documentary• Mentor Program
• Book/Article• Social Media• Conference• Gaming• Space
Museum• ??
Engages Us to Take Action
Citizen Scientist
Advocate
Get Involve
d
• Every space outreach program needs a take-away.• Plug a related Citizen Scientist or
Maker-space project!• Direct them to a next-level outreach
program!• Invite them to Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube feeds to stay in the loop!• Share “Read More About It”
resources!• Encourage them to create their own
next-steps!• ALWAYS LEAVE THEM ASKING MORE
QUESTIONS! LEAVE THEM WONDERING!!
• Don’t let them walk away without something in their hands and at least one unanswered question in their minds.
Equal Partner
s
.mes
.edus
.govs
.orgs
Embraces Everyone in this Endeavour
.coms
• Outreach is always collaborative and integrative.Audience Content Stakehold
ers• Past Knowledge• Past
Experiences• Perceptions• Beliefs• Aspirations• Fears
• Multi-disciplinary
• Inter-disciplinary
• Peer Reviewed
• Dynamic
• Governments• Scientists• Entrepreneurs• Citizen
Scientists• Onlookers• Future
Generations
Everyone is helped by effective outreach.
Everyone is hurt by poorly designed, delivered or received outreach.
Evolves and Grows with Us• Innovative• Adapts quickly to
- New Research- New
Discoveries- New
Stakeholders- New
Approaches
Framework for the Future
100-Year Space Outreach Model . . . Endur
es• 100+ Years• Grows with
Us• Processes,
not just Programs
Developmental
Organic
LearnerCentered
Content Dynamic
Comprehensive
Expansive
Connective
Flexible
www.walmart.com
This is what Space Outreach in the next 100 years needs to be!
What Might a Program Look Like?
Hello, Out There!
Kathleen D. Toerpe, PhD
NASA Solar System AmbassadorCopyright 2013 by Kathleen D. Toerpe
“Hello, Out There!”
Photos: NASA/JPL-Caltech; nasa.gov
• Send Artwork• Send 3-line Poem
(Haiku)• EVERYONE can vote
on • favorites• to go to Mars!• Launching Nov
2013
What We Did Today!
Developmental
Organic
LearnerCentered
Content Dynamic
Comprehensive
Expansive
Connective
Flexible
www.walmart.com
You’ll never look at this toy the same way again!