Meeting People Where They Are: Presence and Dialogue in Science Outreach

Science communication has seen a boom in the past several years, with many new channels for engagement focusing on outreach in informal settings, both virtual (such as on social media) and in-person (such as series of science talks in bars). While many of these efforts are popular and well-attended, they still also largely serve an audience that self-selects as being interested in science, center one-way communication (scientist-to-audience), and often fail to reach underserved communities who might also be interested in participating in a science-focused event. In this talk, I discuss work in developing programs that both literally and figuratively meet people where they are, taking science out of its usual venues, and centering dialogue and discussion.