Impactful engagement through games: Examples and experiences from a successful outreach collaboration

The Integrated GroundWater Modeling Center (IGWMC) is a small research center housed within the High Meadows Environmental Institute at Princeton University. The researchers and students of the IGWMC focus on using field observations, hydrological models, and emerging technologies like machine learning to address important water and climate related issues. The scientists, engineers, and students working in this center also support a mission to develop and promote education and outreach in our community. Much of our outreach focuses on providing fun, social, hands-on activities that are gamified for maximum impact.

The IGWMC has an ongoing partnership with the Watershed Institute, an organization in Pennington, New Jersey, that supports a wealth of community focused education, advocacy, and stewardship initiatives. Through the Watershed Institute’s Watershed Academy program for high school students, researchers and students from IGWMC were given the opportunity to host a week-long educational camp, focused on water and climate. During this week, high school students attending engaged with scientists, engineers, graduate students, and undergraduate students to learn about and engage with water and climate topics. We will discuss a collection of gamified activities that have been developed and used for these events along with the impactful experiences had by all.