Engaged Opportunity Grants
Learning Community-Engaged Research Methods
Building capacity in nonprofit organizations by applying social science techniques
In the past, nonprofits have often succeeded with internally created strategic plans. With increasing competition, however, many nonprofits have discovered advantages in seeking external planning data from their audiences. In many cases, reliable planning data can be obtained with social science tools.
This project engages 16 undergraduates in teams with the Discovery Trail and Sciencenter in Ithaca to understand their culture, operations, strengths and needs. Working on and off campus, the teams are developing, conducting and analyzing surveys for insights on how to reach new, underserved audiences and create new programs to address climate change. Students reflect on their experiences and present to public and legislative audiences. The resulting data also supports a federal research proposal on the role of education in fostering sustainable practices in adults.
Topics: Education; Energy, Environment and Sustainability
The Team
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Charles Trautmann, Department of Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences
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Michael Goldstein, Department of Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences
- Community partner: Sciencenter
- Community partner: Discovery Trail
Engaged Opportunity Grants
Supporting a wide range of community-engaged learning projects, from student leadership programs and partnership building to events and conference travel. Open to all faculty and staff.