The Importance of Community in Informal Science Education

As members of NNOCCI, we all know about the importance of having a community to support our journey as educators. Having a professional community like NNOCCI is vital for our wellbeing and professional growth. A strong sense of community helps reduce isolation in roles that are often solo, temporary, or poorly defined. This can be particularly important when teaching about challenging subjects such as climate change. Being part of a community like NNOCCI can help strengthen professional identity in the field of informal education which often has fluid roles and career pathways. Community supports belonging and retention, especially for early-career and marginalized educators. Working together in community can build our collective capacity to share resources and advocate for the field. It also drives meaningful professional learning through shared practice and peer exchange. Which in turn improves learner experiences, as educator belonging enables more inclusive, confident practice.

As members of the NNOCCI community, we have been fortunate to have access to all of these benefits to our practice and well being. A couple of years ago, I conducted a study* with members of the original NNOCCI study circles from 2009-2011. What we found when talking with this group was the role NNOCCI played in career advancement, positive influences on their personal lives, and the importance of having access to a community of people who cared about and were engaged in the same kind of work. One of my favorite quotes was that joining the NNOCCI network was “like finding something I didn’t know I desperately needed.” The most common theme we heard was about the importance of community support and how NNOCCI allowed the members to collaborate with one another, build lifelong friendships, and find support from “other people who are pushing forward in the same sector.” One person said they were “so grateful to find my people.” Research shows that it’s not enough to know the content, we also need the support of community to cultivate hope and continue to improve our climate change interpretation.

I’ve been a member of NNOCCI since 2010 and am so grateful to all of you who make up this community and help support my practice. Unfortunately, not all informal educators have access to groups like ours. So to try to address this, I am helping to launch a new organization, the Community of Aquarium, Museum, Zoo, and Informal Educators, or CAMZIE. We’re building a new community to connect informal educators everywhere. This is where we can share ideas, swap stories, cheer each other on, and grow together. You’ll find a vibrant forum, a resource hub, skill building workshops, and a newsletter packed with opportunities. If you’re interested in growing your network in addition to the one we have with NNOCCI, I’d like to invite you to join CAMZIE. The website will be launching soon but in the meantime you can learn more about how to join.

Professional learning communities like NNOCCI and CAMZIE are vital to supporting our practice, our career growth, and our sense of community. I hope you’ll reach out to me if you have any questions about our NNOCCI community research or how CAMZIE can support you.