Stephen F. Austin State University

Stephen F. Austin State University, in partnership with Chabot Space and Science Center, the University of California-Berkeley, and West Virginia University, will strengthen museum professionals' competence and capacity to address complex and controversial science topics using appropriate communication and engagement approaches. "Science and the Public Interface" will bring together museum, state and federal agencies, and academic partners to jointly develop a sequence of five graduate level online courses to build skills in this area. Nested within each course will be break-out content suitable for delivery via workshops and stand-alone content modules. The courses will allow informal science educators to collaboratively challenge their existing beliefs while applying a wide variety of communication strategies, tools, and techniques.