Community Building in a Science Center

Reshaping the role of science centers in modern societies requires professionals who are able to connect, relate, and build strong links, not only within their organizations, but also with different kinds of stakeholders and audiences. Community building in complex systems demands a combination of management, networking, and communications skills in an unprecedented manner.
This workshop will provide an opportunity to understand and experience the challenges brought by a participatory culture of stakeholder engagement. The interaction methods used in this session are an application of participatory mapping and modelling. Participants will map their science centers’ community systems to identify key actors and stakeholders, and finally, to uncover the connections and links between them. The output is a visual representation that will be displayed as an exhibition in which the participants perform both as explainers and visitors.
The session is divided into three parts. First, the speaker provides a brief induction where graph theory, network analysis, and communication are addressed as community building methods. Second, the participants use a kit of tools made available to them to create a visual representation of the links and connections in their organizations. In the third part, participants will act as visitors in a guided tour, conducted by volunteers who perform as explainers and mediators at their own exhibition. A final wrap-up part will address the participants’ questions, exploring how this type of modelling exercise can be applied to other kinds of participatory operations in a science center.