Making Citizen Science sustainable for your organization

Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC) has one of the longest standing Citizen Science (CS) programs in the United States, having engaged over 1,200 citizens in approximately 35 projects over a period of 22 years. In... [ view full abstract ]

Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC) has one of the longest standing Citizen Science (CS) programs in the United States, having engaged over 1,200 citizens in approximately 35 projects over a period of 22 years. In 2013, PTMSC completed a year-long evaluation of its CS program by conducting in-depth interviews and online surveys with nearly 300 volunteers and coordinators from past and current projects. PTMSC looked at several measures of project effectiveness and compared our CS model with CS programs from around the country. Evaluation tools were developed to compare overall value of projects competing for institutional time and attention. This interactive session will provide participants with project and program coordination tools that came from this analysis. Areas addressed include the design, implementation, management, and evaluation of a financially and institutionally sustainable Citizen Science program.

This interactive presentation will lead an audience of citizen science coordinators and volunteers through:

• Considering effective tools and techniques for data management,

• balancing scientific and educational goals for the coordinating
organization as well as citizen scientists,

• understanding how to create project selection criteria that
best suit your organization’s needs and goals,

• and identifying the fundamentals of financial sustainability.