(Kellie Irwin, a science instructor with the Ocean's Institute, teaches a student how to touch sea life at a science fair. By Elizabeth Thompson, Wikimedia.)
A scientist is a man. He鈥檚 white, with Einsteinian hair and, most likely, mad. At least that鈥檚 what many children think. When teachers ask their students to sketch a scientist, with a beaker and crazy hair, says Meghan Groome, who directs the ' K-12 Education. She was at 鈥淩eaching the niches: connecting underrepresented groups with science,鈥 an event held August 24 by at Rockefeller University in New York City.
Groome thinks that one of the reasons children from low-income neighborhoods don鈥檛 enter science-related careers is limited access. 鈥淜ids have very little exposure to science,鈥 she says. When students never meet scientists, then stereotypes fall into place. And meeting people in the sciences does make a difference: After visits and field trips, student sketches include field researchers, smiles, and ponytails.
Daniel Col贸n Ramos, who grew up in Puerto Rico, also stresses the importance of diverse role models. He is the director of , a group that promotes collaboration between scientists. Science textbooks aren鈥檛 contextualized to Puerto Rico, says Ramos. A popular example of seed dispersal is the , which is nowhere to be found in Puerto Rico. Also, while it鈥檚 well known that rubbing a balloon in your hair makes static electricity, that doesn鈥檛 hold up in the country鈥檚 humidity.
These examples make science seem remote and for other people, Ramos argues. 鈥淗ere鈥檚 how science works,鈥 he interprets, 鈥渂ut it doesn鈥檛 apply to you.鈥 that is contextualized to the realities of the Puerto Rico, and also provides a place where scientists can facilitate interest in science on Puerto Rico鈥檚 own turf.
But you don鈥檛 have to be anywhere near a scientist to talk to her. Social media makes connecting with scientists easier than ever before. Thousands of scientists are online and available to talk via blogs and Twitter., another speaker, is a graduate student at Columbia University who uses Twitter to talk to other scientists as well as the curious public. Now, asking a scientist a question is a click away. Unfortunately, many people don鈥檛 know you can just start talking to a scientist, she says. They appear intimidating, and while many are indeed busy, just as many are happy to talk to those who are interested in their research.
Individual efforts, such as mentoring, are important, but so is fundamental change. Dhiraj Murthy, an assistant professor at Bowdoin College, says the people and institutions with power 鈥 those with the funding, ability to hire, and time to invest 鈥 are those who can bring about the biggest change in the scientific community.
There aren鈥檛 any clear answers to getting low-income, minority or underrepresented people involved in science. , so is exposure, science communication, and hands on learning. Poverty is also inextricably linked with education. What is clear is that the more diverse the people in science, the more diverse the science that can be accomplished.
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