Resources

A wealth of resources are available to help turn your energy and motivation into real actions that make a difference, even during this pandemic. The links below showcase the many ways you can take action, strengthen your advocacy skills, or organize with Science Rising virtually in 2020.

QUICK LINKS:

• Participate in our democracy: Register to vote!
• Organize a training or event
• Tools for online events and activities
• Engage with policymakers
• Bring science to the public spotlight through local media
• Bring your skills and resources to support local communities
• Support government scientists
• Team up with advocates on social media to spark a public dialogue
• Get creative
• Science Rising signs and visual resources

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 support@sciencerising.org with suggestions!)

Too many options? Try this quick round-up of actions based on your available time and resources.

Step one of democracy: Register to vote

Democracy depends on public participation. Encourage, motivate, and inspire your community to engage in the democratic process. Help your friends, neighbors, and community members to apply for early voting and organize online events and activities to support voter registration and turnout. Science Rising encourages everybody who is eligible to vote to do so.

Science Rising is working with TurboVote from Democracy Works to make it easy and safe to vote. Click here or on the TurboVote bullet below to get started.

• Register to vote, request your ballot by mail, and receive important voting updates using TurboVote
• State-specific voting information
• Student voting guide
• Participate in Vote Early Day
• Understand your state’s voter ID laws
• Make a plan: Know how to vote by mail, absentee ballot, or in person

Organize an online 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.

• Organize an event or activity
• Checklist: how to organize an event
• Planning an inclusive and accessible event

Tools for online events and activities

Need help transitioning to an online learning environment? Here are some tools to help you put on a great online event!

• Inclusivity checklist for virtual events
• Zoom vs Google Hangouts: Which should you use?
• Getting started with Zoom, everything you need to know
• 5 tips to make your Zoom meetings more fun
• How to deal with disruptors in Zoom meetings
• How to organize an event that makes an impact webinar*

*Resource is in the context of the 2018 Midterm Election

Engage with policymakers or candidates

From starting a conversation with your elected officials to coordinating call-in days to hosting a digital 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.

• Engage with a policymaker or candidate
• Submit effective public comments
• Craft a killer one-pager
• Get candidates on the record: key questions to ask

Bring science to the public spotlight through local media

Whether it’s joining forces on a group op-ed, meeting online or by phone with your local editorial board, or getting an online group together to craft letters-to-the-editor, you can help make science accessible and set the record straight on misinformation.

• Elevate your voice: write an op-ed
• Getting media to cover your event: the basics
• Writing op-eds that make a difference
• Writing a letter to the editor
• Writing a letter to the editor on voting rights
• Writing a brilliant press release
• Tips from journalists: how to build great connections with media

Bring your skills and resources to support local communities

Engage in your communities and connect with a 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.

• Host an online public education event with community groups
• Building strategic local action
• Different Voices, Same Message webinar
• An introduction to Science Vote Guides

Support government scientists

Organize a group to send them thank you letters to show you stand with government science and scientists.

• Read this guide to whistleblowing for federal employees and contractors
• Know and share these resources for scientists from the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund

Team up with advocates on social media to spark a public dialogue

Come together with science advocates across the country to raise awareness about issues at the intersection of science and equity, and invite others to the dialogue.

• Organize a Twitter chat
• Suggestions from Science Rising for participating in our Twitter chats and organizing your own
• How to use Facebook Live effectively

Get creative

Need more ideas? Here are some more fun options to consider:

• Host an online film screening or a lecture. Give people a way to take action at the end on the issue being discussed.
• Host a virtual data-saving hack-a-thon to help protect data on federal web sites
• Organize a group to engage with candidates about the issues you care about–and write them questions that put science front and center in the discussion

Science Rising signs and visual resources

To help highlight participation in Science Rising, we offer the following visual resources:

• Download these Science Rising Powerpoint slides for your next presentation on promoting STEM civic engagement.
• A note on printing signs: To produce signs for rallies or other events where people will be holding up the sign, ask your local print shop for 100# (100-pound) cover stock, double-sided. For hanging up at an event, a more standard 20# paper weight, single-sided is generally sufficient.
• Stickers are also available—contact support@sciencerising.org for more information.