Pitt is hosting 4 youth science communication workshops in July

Throughout July, Pitt’s Youth Science Communication Workshop will host a series of events across Pittsburgh for middle schoolers who are interested in environmental science. The one-day workshops will include nature outings at the Frick Park Nature Center on July 11 and the Allegheny Observatory in Riverview Park on July 13.

These programs will introduce students to environmental education and computer science as they investigate a topic, gather data and use basic coding to communicate and circulate their findings. As a result, participants learn methods for communicating science while developing digital literacies.

Stephen Quigley, program organizer and 2023-24 John C. Mascaro Faculty Lecturer in Sustainability, is especially excited about the July 16 river health and July 25 sustainable design events to be held at the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation.

“It’s always fun to explore sustainable design problems and solutions with middle schoolers,” he said. “Their curiosity and creativity help me discover new ways of understanding our built environment and new approaches for communicating this technical information to others.”

Students don’t need any prior experience working with code. “That’s the beauty of the program,” said Quigley. “We’ve worked hard to make web coding approachable. Students who attend our camp learn a lot about nature, but also a little about what code says and does.”

The Youth Science Communication Workshop is funded by the John C. Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation and Pitt’s Year of Data and Society. Register online.