Science Engagement With Faith Perspectives in Informal Science Learning- Symposium at the AAAS Annual Meeting – Boston MA

Who decides how science will shape tomorrow? For scientific and technological advances to truly serve all people, there must be active engagement with society at large by scientists and policymakers, as well as educators and scientific institutions. Given growing concerns around social and political polarization on science topics such as vaccines, climate change, and gene editing, there is a need for broad, inclusive, and impactful public discourse around science-and-society issues. Religion and spirituality are important elements of individual and community identity, and science engagement approaches that exclude or ignore these dimensions of human worldview may be less impactful or contribute to further polarization. This session, organized by the Personal Genetics Engagement & Dialogue (PGED) program, will explore evidence-based approaches for science engagement with faith communities in informal science learning contexts. Case studies will examine programming at science centers, seminaries, and dialogue-focused public events. Presenters and attendees will consider goals, challenges, and opportunities for such engagement as well as their approaches for assessing short- and long-term impacts.