2026-10-05 –, Tagungsraum Language: English
Developing trust in science begins early, shaped by how young learners experience scientific processes and see themselves as participants in knowledge production. This presentation examines how citizen science can support the development of STEM identity and trust among elementary-aged learners (ages 8–11), using OCEAN Kids, a citizen science activity podcast about nurdles and microplastics, as a case study.
OCEAN Kids integrates narrative audio storytelling with hands-on participation in scientific investigation through partnerships with Tumble Science podcast for kids and Nurdle Patrol. The project was supported by the National Academies’ Gulf Research Program through its 2024 Environmental Literacy for Community Resilience initiative, which funds place-based education efforts designed to help communities in the U.S. Gulf Coast region respond to environmental challenges. This region has been significantly impacted by climate change and environmental disasters, including oil spills, and the program was designed to support community resilience by engaging learners in locally relevant environmental investigation and action.
The design of OCEAN Kids reflects four core goals: to broaden participation in science learning, increase awareness of microplastic pollution and empathy toward environmental issues, connect student observations to local environmental challenges, and position students as active contributors to scientific discovery and environmental stewardship.
Findings from an external evaluation across pilot and field-test phases (11 classrooms; approximately 230 students) highlight a central insight: OCEAN Kids is most effective when it is experienced as an immersive, purpose-driven, hands-on citizen science program. When the program’s secret-agent narrative, real-world nurdle investigations, and teacher facilitation come together, student engagement is exceptionally high. When those elements are missing or constrained, particularly when the audio is missing, engagement drops sharply.
Classroom observations documented deep engagement, collaboration, and conceptual understanding, with students actively participating in scientific practices and identifying as contributors to real-world research. Across implementations, the program demonstrated strong potential to build knowledge of plastics pollution, foster environmental stewardship, and connect learners to authentic scientific work. Students developed the ability to link local observations to broader environmental systems and began to understand science as a collaborative, iterative process. Audio storytelling played a key role as an accessible, screen-free medium that supported imagination, focus, and shared learning experiences, extending participation beyond the classroom. Students frequently brought their learning into the home, prompting family discussions and early behavior changes, suggesting potential for broader trust-building within communities.
At the same time, findings underscore that engagement—and by extension, trust-building—is highly sensitive to design and context. When hands-on participation or narrative cohesion was reduced, engagement declined.
This presentation will examine both what worked and what did not within U.S. classroom implementations, offering practice-based insights into the role of communication design in shaping participation and trust. It concludes with a set of best-practice principles for engaging elementary-aged learners in citizen science, with implications for researchers and practitioners seeking to foster trust through participatory science communication.
Sara Robberson Lentz is a STEM education leader who designs and scales research-informed learning experiences that connect scientific discovery with public engagement. As STEM Education Officer at the Associated Universities, Inc., she leads multi-institutional projects that translate STEM research into classroom curriculum, media, and community-based programs, advancing STEM identity development and participation among youth.
Her work integrates research, media, and practice to broaden participation in STEM and expand access to high-quality science learning across formal and informal environments. She is also co-founder of Tumble Science Podcast for Kids, where she collaborates with scientists and educators to transform research into widely accessible, narrative-driven audio experiences for children and families.