A wealth of resources and educational opportunities are available to help turn your energy and support for science into real actions that make a difference. The links below showcase the many ways you can take action, strengthen your advocacy skills, and potentially organize a Science Rising event yourself.
Links and resources are drawn from the many groups participating in Science Rising, along with a broader network of citizen advocacy groups. (This is a continually expanding list—email us at resources@sciencerising.org with suggestions!)
Come together to engage with policymakers
From meeting with your elected officials to speaking up at town halls, coordinating call-in days to hosting a party that generates personal letters or public comments, teaming up with fellow scientist advocates and partners can significantly increase your influence on policymakers—and help to hold them accountable for how they act on science.
- Speak up at town halls and public meetings
- Host a letter-writing party
- Organize an in-district meeting
- Submit effective public comments
- Submit a public comment (webinar)
- Coordinate a call-in day
- Contact your representatives
- Request a meeting with elected officials
- Plan your Congressional visit
- Craft a killer one-pager for meetings
- Case study: “Take a politician to work day”
Bring science to the public spotlight through local media
Whether it’s joining forces on a group op-ed, meeting with your local editorial board, or getting a group together to craft letters-to-the-editor, you can help make science accessible and set the record straight on misinformation.
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- Getting media to cover your event: the basics
- How to get press to cover your event: in-depth advice
- How to get local media interested in your nonprofit story
- Writing a brilliant press release
- Tips from journalists: how to build great connections with media
- More tips for reaching out to the media
- Writing an op-ed: style recommendations
- Writing op-eds that make a difference
- Writing an op-ed in support of federal investment in science
Organize a training or event
Support your peers and partners’ desire to learn and sharpen their skills in science advocacy, science policy, or other ways to elevate the role of science in our political process. Such events can be in-person or online (e.g. Facebook Live).
- How to organize an event that makes an impact–webinar
- How to organize an event–checklist
- Organize a symposium
- Host a public education event with community groups
- Give a public talk
- Organize an on-campus event
- Work with faith based communities
- Start a student policy and advocacy group
- Case Study: A Graduate Researcher’s (Brief) Guide to: Creating a Student Science Policy Group
- Plan outreach events
Bring your skills and resources to support local communities
Engage in your communities and meet with local community group to offer technical support or scientific assistance. Listen to community needs and help connect them with the right scientific resources or expertise they need to advocate for themselves.
- Organize a science outreach event
- Host a public education event with community groups
- Engage with local stakeholders
- Make meaningful connections through storytelling
- Use storytelling to make meaningful connections and science more inclusive
- Case study: Partner with community groups for a local event
- Build Strategic Local Action
Encourage, motivate, and inspire your community to engage in the democratic process
Democracy depends on public participation. Help get your friends, neighbors, and community members to local polling places and organize events and activities to support voter registration and turnout.
- Host your own event: voter registration toolkit
- Tactics and strategies to encourage staff and volunteers to vote
- Checklist for voter registration
- State-specific voting information
- State-specific voter registration information
- Find your polling place and register to vote
Support government scientists
Organize a group to send them thank you letters or rally outside their building to show you stand with government science and scientists.
Team up with advocates on social media to spark a public dialogue.
Come together with a group to live tweet an event. Organize a Twitter storm, TweetChat, or Google Hangout to raise awareness about a specific issue and invite others to the dialogue.
- Unleash a Thunderclap
- Organize a Twitter chat
- Know these social media best practices
- How to use social media for science — 3 views
- Social media tips for Scientists & Science Writers
- How to use Facebook Live effectively
Get creative
Need more ideas? Here are some more fun options to consider:
- Host a film screening or a lecture. Give people a way to take action at the end on the issue being discussed.
- Have a “science fair for policy makers.” Make a science prop or display with a group and then deliver it to your policymaker.
- Host a data-saving hack-a-thon to help protect data on federal web sites
- Get a group together to attend local appearances by candidates–and ask them questions that put science front and center in the discussion