A Model Approach to Public Engagement Training for Students in Developing Countries †

A model for the development and implementation of scientific outreach activities. This model focuses on five principles: initiation, development, implementation, evaluation, and sharing. 1) Initiate. In an environment where scientist-community outreach partnerships are uncommon, scientists initiate outreach programs by approaching a potential audience to identify their interest and discuss possible activities. 2) Develop. After confirming support from the intended audience, outreach activities are developed, with special consideration for resources needed, who to collaborate with, source of funding, and outreach instructors. 3) Implement. Activities are delivered in an interactive manner, engaging the audience with relevant discussions around the theme. 4) Evaluate. Feedback from the audience is obtained and analyzed to determine how receptive they were to the activities and to inform the researchers as to whether the outreach aims were achieved. Feedback could be formal (e.g., using purpose-designed questionnaires) or informal (e.g., through unstructured word-of-mouth comments). 5) Share. Share outcomes with the wider public (such as through peer-reviewed publications, blog posts, social media, and online outreach databases) to support others in developing similar activities.

An example outreach activity developed and implemented following the model described in Figure 1 . Our trained student outreach providers followed this scientist-driven, evidence-based model to plan and implement a neuroscience-themed public engagement activity for high school students in Kumasi, Ghana, leading to beneficial impacts that can be built upon to improve scientist-public interactions in similar settings.