2023 CIVIC SCIENCE CLINIC
In the summer of 2023, SCi piloted a new experiential learning program: the Civic Science Clinic (CSC). This pilot incorporated and expanded upon SCi’s successful Massachusetts Summer Science and Technology Policy Fellowship (MASSTPF). It provided opportunities for STEM graduate students to serve as fellows in either the Massachusetts State House or at Boston-based community organizations.
SERVICE TO BOSTON-BASED COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
Boston-based Community Organization Fellows worked with their host organization to co-create a projects that employed their research skills in support of the organization. Fellows assignments varied, and included research on science and technology-related topics, drafting memos or reports, engaging with community stakeholders, and serving as scientific advisors to the organization. Each fellow was assigned a supervisor from the community organization. This fellowship allowed highly motivated students to gain professional scientific community engagement experience and have a positive impact on the greater Boston community.
2023 Community Organizations: Fenway Health, Eastie Farms, Essential Partners
SERVICE TO THE MA STATE HOUSE
Massachusetts State House fellows served in the office of a legislator or committee focused on policies that require input from a diverse set of scientific fields. Fellows reported to a senior staff member within the host office, such as the Chief of Staff, Policy Director, or Legislator. Fellows’ assignments varied based on host office needs, but included tasks such as, researching relevant science and technology-related policy areas, identifying the political dimensions of policies, drafting reports, memos, and testimony for legislative hearings, interacting with constituents, advocates, and community groups, and attending formal legislative activities such as hearings or House and Senate Sessions. This fellowship allowed highly motivated students to gain professional science policy experience and impact state-level policy.
Michael Cork / Fenway Health
My fellowship at Fenway Health centered around conducting a literature review to supplement a report on the effects of COVID-19 on Boston’s vulnerable populations, especially those served by Fenway Health. Additionally, Fenway Health carried out a community survey to gauge the pandemic’s experiences and impacts across diverse Boston communities. I conducted a preliminary analysis of these data, interpreting the findings. Beyond this core work, my fellowship offered a variety of experiences: from participating in training sessions about the role of kink in healthcare to attending significant events like the trans liberation march and observing the Fenway Pride committee as they readied for their July events. I owe immense gratitude to my mentor and supervisor, Adrianna Boulin, the Director of Community Impact and Engagement at Fenway Health. Her steadfast support and guidance played a crucial role in enabling me to harness my skills in ways that benefited both my growth and Fenway Health’s objectives.
Rachel Petherbridge / Massachusetts State House
In the office of Sen. Paul Mark at the Massachusetts State House, I focused on providing the office with a comprehensive understanding of the healthcare needs in the Senator’s district, covering all of Berkshire county and parts of Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire. In order to do this, I conducted about a dozen interviews with public health officials and State House representatives on what they saw were the most pressing issues in the populations they served. With these interviews and additional research from hospital Community Health Needs Assessments, I prioritized the health needs in the district and provided a comprehensive set of recommendations to the office on next steps to address those health needs. This work improved my understanding of how the Massachusetts government functions, and allowed me to refine my communication skills for a non-scientific audience.
Layla Araiinejad / Eastie Farm
At Eastie Farm, I worked on a wide range of projects, but the main focuses were on grant writing and education. Through the education work, I was able to create several policy workshops for the high school students who were working at the farm over the summer. The workshops were on a wide range of topics including Climate Policy, Low Carbon Energy Technology, and Food policy. Additionally, I developed elementary climate education classes to teach through their elementary education programs which are partnered with schools in east Boston. Through this experience, I gained a lot of teaching and communication experience. Especially through teaching, I was able to practice communicating my technical research to non-technical audiences, and what I have learned through this fellowship is the importance of having community input within the research process.