Science & Civics: Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute released a report on Science & Civics: A Guide for Collaborative Action.
Today, it is necessary and urgent to defend the vital role of science in a healthy civic life. This report begins with the premise that there is a gap in both civic literacy and scientific literacy in the United States. The Aspen Institute’s Citizenship and American Identity Program (CAI) believes that these two trends are connected – and that addressing them together is vital to cultivating a citizenry capable of informed self-government. Through the Science & Civics Initiative, CAI aims to help scientists become more powerful citizens and enable citizens to make sense of the world and its complex problems more like scientists. The goal of this report is to outline a path of collaborative action for both civic groups and scientists.
I had the pleasure to contribute ideas to this report. Other contributors to the report include:
Shannon Dosemagen, Executive Director of Public Lab New Orleans
Dr. John Falk, Sea Grant Professor of Free Choice Learning at Oregon State University
Leetha Filderman, President and COO of PopTech
Ira Flatow, Host and Executive Producer of Science Friday
Cary Funk, Associate Director of Research on Science and Society at Pew Research Center
Thomas Kalil, Deputy Director for Policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Dr. Leandris Liburd, Associate Director for Minority Health and Health Equity at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Dietram Scheufele, John E. Ross Chair in Science Communication in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
Brooke Smith, Executive Director of Compass