The document discusses scientific issues in communities and defines community science literacy. Community science literacy refers to a community having sufficient shared resources that are distributed and organized in a way that allows community members to contribute their varying abilities to the overall well-being of the community. A community is defined as a group of interconnected people who share goals and interests. Examples of types of communities include geographic communities, genetic communities, occupational communities, and communities based on demographics or common health issues. The document asks what kinds of scientific issues communities may deal with, such as environmental issues, public health issues, or agricultural issues, and what forms community science literacy can take, such as citizen science, working with scientists on issues, or direct action groups.

1. Scientific Issues
in Communities

2. Definition of community
science literacy:
“Science literacy in a community does not require each
individual to attain a particular threshold of knowledge,
skills, and abilities; rather, it is a matter of a community
having sufficient shared resources that are distributed
and organized in such a way that the varying abilities of
community members work in concert to contribute to the
community's overall well-being”(NAS, Science Literacy 73).
Q: What are “sufficient shared
resources”?

3. Definition of community:
“communities are groups of people who are functionally
interconnected in a way that enables exchange of
information and are typically defined by shared goals and
interests”(NAS, Science Literacy 74).

4. “Communities” can be…
• Geographic (people in the CDA area)
• Genetic (e.g., those with the BRCA
gene)
• Occupational (e.g., mine workers)
• Based in demographics (e.g.,
menopausal women)
• Those who have common health
issues (e.g. Celiac’s disease
sufferers)
• Others?

5. What kind of scientific issues are we
talking about?
• Environmental: pollutants (air/soil/water), changes to
climate and other physical systems, watershed
restoration, changes in resource availability, etc.
• Popular epidemiology and disease
• Public health
• Agricultural
• Technology
• Other…?

6. What forms does community science
literacy take?
• Citizen science (becoming versed in scientific practice
through participatory environmental monitoring,
popular epidemiology, etc.)
• Working with scientists, fundraisers, and policymakers
on an issue
• Direct action (e.g. EarthFirst!, Greenpeace, and other
environmental activist groups)