Encouraging Undergraduate Outreach

Scientific outreach seeks to educate the public about scientific achievements and advances, as well as to communicate the importance of science funding and research. Outreach is not limited to the classroom, though cultivating an interest in science at a young age has proven to be effective in boosting involvement at later stages of life. Holding events where both adults and children can participate allows both groups to come away having learned something. The primary goal of any scientific outreach event is making sure that people leave with a better understanding of science than when they arrive. Over the course of the summer, the Society of Physics Students (SPS) hosted and co-hosted several outreach events, some of which were more effective than others. Preparedness, activity diversity, and interactivity were the most important components of effective outreach. If learning feels like play, people are more likely to participate. In this presentation, I will cover how to conduct outreach as an undergraduate, as well as what tools are available for use in classroom involvement at the elementary school level.