1,2,3,1,2,4- 1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- 2Integrated GroundWater Modeling Center, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- 3Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- 4High Meadows Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
Since 2015, the Integrated GroundWater Modeling Center has engaged diverse audiences in water and climate science through community education and outreach programs including STEM fairs, university courses, teacher workshops, and week-long camps for high school students. Across these varied contexts, science communication has served as a consistent throughline, informing both how participants learn scientific content and how they share it with others.
Over this period of engagement, participant groups took part in parallel learning of hydrology-focused scientific content and science communication principles, applying both to the creation of communication products, and synthesizing new knowledge and tools to engage effectively with peers and public audiences. Participants across this collection of programs created a wide range of science communication products, including hands-on activities, videos, games, audio products, and digital tools. Together, these methods and outcomes supported participants in communicating complex water and climate topics in accessible and meaningful ways.
This presentation will highlight educational approaches refined over a decade of programming, reaching over 10,000 in-person participants and a similarly sized audience through digital tools and lessons. Evaluation metrics collected across program iterations indicate consistent gains in self-reported knowledge and suggest positive participant experiences. It will also share core elements of the instructional framework and key lessons learned from a decade of communication and outreach, including observed impacts and practical insights for designing hands-on science communication experiences. By providing structured opportunities to both learn and practice science communication, these programs support participants in understanding how scientific knowledge is developed and communicated, with the broader goal of building trust in scientists and the scientific process.
How to cite: Gallagher, L., Pinchinat, J., Soriano, M., and Maxwell, R.: Learning, creating, and sharing: A science communication framework for water and climate education, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-15455, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-15455, 2026.
