Citizen science enables people from all walks of life to advance scientific research.
We’re excited to introduce SciStarter’s new Citizen Science Champion Training!
Every day, people discover they can contribute to real scientific research through citizen science. As a Citizen Science Champion, you’ll be equipped to help friends and family, and others in your community discover those same opportunities and make an even bigger impact.
The journey begins with our free, self-paced online Foundations of Citizen Science training. In less than one hour, you’ll build a solid understanding of SciStarter and of public participation in research.
Anyone can become a SciStarted Citizen Science Champion. To achieve this, you simply need to complete a free, 1-hour online training course that teaches you how to guide others in participating in real scientific research.
Citizen Science Champion Benefits
- Earn a certificate. Tip: Add your full name to your SciStarter profile if you’d like your certificate to be personalized.
- Build skills in community engagement, facilitation, and science communication
- Connect with others interested in citizen science
- Beta test new citizen science projects and resources
- Receive notifications of new local projects and events near you
- Access professionally designed, field-tested presentation materials with speakers’ notes, outreach materials, planning guides, and other materials to help you introduce citizen science to others
To earn your title and badge, follow these basic steps:
- Create an Account: Make sure you have a registered user profile on the SciStarter Website.
- Complete the Foundations Tutorial: Finish the short Foundations of Citizen Science tutorial, which is a prerequisite for the program.
- Take the Champion Training: Enroll in and complete the free, self-paced Citizen Science Champion Training course.
In the training, you will learn how to:
- Explain what participatory science (publicly contributed research) is.
- Answer common questions about citizen science.
- Help your friends, family, or local community find projects that match their interests.
Once you finish, you will earn your digital Champion badge. From there, you will unlock access to extra resources and can even apply to become a certified SciStarter Ambassador