Science Communication Trainers NetworkÂ
Mission
We are a professional hub for science communication trainers, providing the infrastructure and reducing the burden for scientists and science organizations to interact with communications professionals that meet their needs. Helping science personnel secure effective training promotes excellent science communication and, ultimately, strengthens connections between science and society.
We also support science communication trainers in overcoming professional barriers, excelling at their craft, and advancing their careers. Our commitment to science communication trainers is an investment in the future, promoting sustained excellence in science communication and the individual and societal benefits that extend from it.
Unique Value
The SCTN was founded to develop community, improve research-to-practice, and broaden participation for current and aspiring science communication trainers. It is the first and only professional society for science communication (scicomm) trainers. And in a landscape of entry-level skills trainings, it is the only organization that offers free, peer-led, advanced-skills professional development for science communication trainers.
Achievements
Since its inception in 2017, the SCTN's accomplishments include:
growing to a community of 400+ people;
creating scicomm training resources like Callwood et al. 2022, "Acknowledging and Supplanting White Supremacy Culture in Science Communication and STEM: The Role of Science Communication Trainers" and Zhu et al. 2022, "Inclusive Coaching Best Practices"; and
sponsoring 19 authors to publish 120 articles about scicomm research for an audience of 7,000 via SciCommBites.
Vision and Goals
Long-term success means cultivating and maintaining a well-managed, inclusive community of practice for science communication trainers that is widely regarded as an essential and reliable professional asset. Our near-term (2025) goals include:
securing enough funding to sustain staffing and programming for 3 years into the future,
launching the next staffing and leadership phase for the SCTN, and
convening a virtual gathering of the SCTN community
SciCommTrainersNetwork@gmail.com