Street Art Poster of ICBO Research Results

ICBO poster by community artist Bennie Guzmán.  

ICBO Results: Authenticity and Motivation

Understanding motivation for forming collaborations and doing ‘outreach’ in underserved communities is important. Authenticity is especially important in the language people use (does it signal superiority?), actions they take (are you genuinely interested in connecting?), and when dealing with conflicts. Taking time to express gratitude is important.

Video edited by Guava Rhee (Engaged Cornell student). Actor: Jose Miguel Hernandez Hurtado, director of La Joven Guardia del Teatro and community researcher member of the ICBOs.

ICBO Results: Third Best Man

Our research also indicates that science institutions will often send someone who has no experience in the community, no authority within the institution, and no decision making-power, to represent their institution at key planning and negotiation meetings.

Video edited by Guava Rhee (Engaged Cornell student). Actor: Jose Miguel Hernandez Hurtado, director of La Joven Guardia del Teatro and community researcher member of the ICBOs.

ICBO Research results: Trust and Transparency

Our research shows that developing genuine trust is one of the most important parts of a successful partnership between a STEM institution and a community-based organization. Because of a long history of inequities, developing trust needs to be a long-term commitment. There has to be continuity, openness, and a real desire to make it happen. Working through challenges successfully and spending time getting to know each other personally (socially outside of the project) increases trust.

"Walking on Eggshells" visually explained

Our research shows that community-based organizations don’t feel like they can be honest with partners when they see institutional racism. They feel like they are “walking on eggshells,” because addressing inequity might harm their organization or community. 

In this video, Jose Miguel Hernandez, actor, artistic director and one of our community researchers, interprets one of the results of our research, "Walking on Eggshells" using body expressions.

Video by Marilu Lopez Fretts, edited by Guava Rhee.

Our Workbooks for Community-based Organizations and Informal Science Institutions

The ICBOs workbooks for Community-based Organizations MEANINGFUL COLLABORATIONS and for Informal Science Educators PARTNERSHIPS FOR IMPACT are now available for download! 

  To download the CBO workbook: Meaningful Collaborations - click HERE!

  To download ISE workbook: Partnerships for Impact - click HERE!

The workbooks are a product of research conducted by the ICBOs and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology over three years, focused on how to create equitable partnerships between community-based organizations in underrepresented communities and informal science institutions.

The objective is to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The research comes from questions asked by community researchers to more than 30 other community organizations. It represents the community perspective.

Inequitable Collaborations-The Need for FULL ACCESS

Check out the wonderful stop-motion video created by one of our students, Isabella Armas-Leon, describing our research results focused on inequitable collaborations between more resourced Science Institutions and Community-based Organizations.