The Network for the Public Communication of Science and Technology Conference: Creating Common Ground

April 11, 2023

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

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C2ST’s proposal to showcase our Science Communication Internship at the PCST conference in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, has been accepted!

The main theme of PCST 2023 is ‘Creating Common Ground.’ This theme signifies the role and value of science communication as boundary work that connects scientists, engineers, policymakers, business leaders, and citizens.

Creating common ground entails the idea of a broad perspective on science communication research and its practices. This aligns with the ongoing discovery of the science communication domain. One might view science communication as a social network of connected professionals and the public, collaboration between research and practices, which all together steers science and technology development and vice versa.

The PCST Network has brought together practitioners, educators, and researchers in science communication at its series of conferences, starting in 1989. Previous conferences have occurred in South Korea, Brazil, Australia, and many other countries. PCST-2023 puts into practice what we preach: the hosts are a Dutch consortium of science communication professionals, both practice- and research-based.

C2ST Session Details

The “Finding Common Ground” conference theme fits squarely with C2ST’s experiences of creating a successful Science Communication Internship. C2ST’s new Science Communication Internship is designed to be a sustainable endeavor that provides essential skills in science communication to students from Chicago-area universities. Science communication is an essential skill for science professionals who learn in their degree programs to communicate primarily with other scientists but not with the broader public. Providing science communication skills makes science more accessible for all while increasing the science literacy of our communities through the production of scientific material they can understand.

During this storytelling session, C2ST will share staff and intern experiences, including the joys, struggles, and growth of everyone involved during the first year of the internship via a short reflection video about the Science Communication Internship program. The brief highlight video will overview the training sessions, such as Writing the C2ST Way, Writing for Your Grandma, and Interviewing for Blogs. Interns will share their perspectives on creating 5-8 written pieces of content for C2ST and the process of growth they experienced. This approach allows 18-20 minutes of the remaining time to answer questions from attendees and welcome constructive criticisms and suggestions.

Featured Guests

Dawnne LePretre, Ph.D.

Dawnne began her work at the Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST) in Fall of 2020 as the Development + Program Manager. She has been active in formal and informal science education around Chicagoland for three decades. Her experiences have included working as the Visitors Programs Manager at the Museum of Science and Industry and a Science and Technology Instructional Coach for Perspectives Charter School Network. She taught mathematics and science to learners in grades 6-16 across California, Illinois, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Cochabamba, Bolivia. As an Education Consultant, she has worked with clients such as the Field Museum, The Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago, Six Red Marbles, Pearson, and Youth Connections Charter School.

Dawnne has presented her research at local, national, and international conferences, such as the Conference of the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) in Dublin, Ireland, and the South African Association dedicated to the Advancement of Research in Mathematics, Science, and Technology (SAARMSTE) in Gaborone, Botswana. Dawnne holds a Ph.D. in Science Education from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). She studied nearly 500 secondary students from Chicago classrooms regarding their decision-making on Socioscientific Issues across six topics for her dissertation. She also holds an M.S. in Science Education from IIT, a B.A. in Chemistry from the University of California, Davis, an A.S. in Science from American River College in Sacramento, CA, and a current Professional Educators License in Secondary Science in Illinois. The Association for Women in Science-Chicago Chapter (AWIS-CAC) recently honored Dawnne with their 2022 Motivator Award.

Dawnne is a Chicago native (McKinley Park), loves to travel, and listens to live music, especially at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival each spring! She lives on the South Side with her daughter, two chihuahuas, a siamese cat, and a guinea pig.

Denise Hernandez

Denise Hernandez joined the Chicago Council on Science and Technology in the spring of 2022 as the organization’s Program Manager. They received their B.A in Physics from Claremont McKenna College in the summer of 2021. Prior to joining C2ST, they worked in various physics labs at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University as a research assistant. While earning their undergraduate degree, Denise explored their various interests outside of STEM fields, where they found a passion for learning about and practicing restorative justice/justice education. Through this pursuit, they participated in an Inside-Out Prison Exchange program (the only initiative in the country that provides incarcerated people with a pathway to receiving a Bachelor’s degree). Denise also became an EnviroLab Asia fellow, where they conducted anthropological research on environmental issues in Asia.

Denise enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, finding good vegan restaurants, and attending a variety of concerts!