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.

The Robin Hood Approach explained

We keep sharing our research findings in a series of creative videos. This time, the ICBOs express the Robin Hood Approach:

Community researchers found that many community organizations will put up with collaborations and partnerships that are untrustworthy, inequitable, frustrating, and lack transparency in order to obtain funds and opportunities that they feel can be channeled directly to their communities - ICBO Research.

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

"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.

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.

ICBOs New Project Showcased at PI Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Bobby Wilson ready to share our wonderful workbooks!

Bobby Wilson and Karen Purcell showcased our new NOISE project's poster during this year's Principal Investigator meeting in Washington, D.C.

This event, organized by the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) is for PI's of projects supported by the NSF Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program and others who take an active interest in broad strategic issues that cut across the informal science education field.

These PI Meetings offer an opportunity to discuss trends and issues in the field and we are excited that this time one of our community researchers who is also a Co-PI attended.

Bobby and Karen also presented at at the NSF PI Panel on Public Participation in Scientific Research/Citizen Science as a Force for Change along with two other researchers committed to community led participatory research.

Monica Ramirez-Andreotta, whose project is focused on building capacity in underserved communities and informing the safe and sustainable production of food sources, and Lucy Robinson who is reaching out to community-based orgs in London to work on bioblitzes as part of their Science Learning + project.

The panel PPSR/ “Citizen science” presents opportunities for authentic science engagement and science learning. Employing this approach in a more than cursory way raises fundamental questions about who determines what science is being done and for what purpose. How can addressing these questions, and engaging communities at the outset, create opportunities for new forms of science learning, and new models of scientific research?

What a nice way to start this year! Keeping it up with the ICBOs.

Bobby and Karen on a selfie ride.

Karen, Bobby and Tina proudly pose in front of our original poster.