OUR IMPACT

CONNECTING SCIENCE AND SOCIETY SINCE 2018

Since 2018, SCi has been committed to strengthening the connection between science and society. We launched our first programs in 2020 at Harvard University, where we spent four years incubating and refining our vision. During that time, we crafted a portfolio of transformative classroom trainings and a pioneering summer fellowship program that empowered scientists to serve society. Partnering with leading institutions, SCi provides strategic guidance and tailored civic science programs. Through these efforts we have reached and inspired hundreds of scientists, equipping them with the skills to engage ethically and effectively with diverse communities.

STUDENT AND PARTNER IMPACT

“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… This work improved my understanding of how the Massachusetts government functions, and allowed me to refine my communication skills for a non-scientific audience.”

– Rachel Petherbridge

“Rachel brought an exceptional researcher’s mindset into our office. She independently designed and conducted interviews with public health leaders, synthesized complex community health data, designed experiments and frameworks for evaluation/prioritization and translated it all into clear, evidence-based recommendations. Her structured and thoughtful analysis added a level of depth and rigor that far exceeded what we could typically achieve within our regular capacity. The frameworks and insights she developed continue to inform our work long after her fellowship ended.”

– Senator Paul Mark

“[The SCi State House Fellowship] experience has solidified my interest in a science policy career and has given me confidence that I can succeed in a science policy fellowship or job.”

Kayla Davis, HEALTH SCIENCE POLICY ANALYST
IMMEDIATE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, NIH
FORMER SCI STATE HOUSE FELLOW

“This course changed my life and the way I think about research and how it can best serve the rest of society. It taught me the importance of having true equal partnership between scientists, ethicists, members of communities served by research, and more. I see every day now the way I think differently about many aspects of my work and my relationships to individuals and communities. And behind this shift in my worldview and ways of thinking, there is a huge amount of concrete knowledge and examples that I learned from this course.”

Student, Ditching the Deficit Model Course

“The Gene Drives Nanocourse was a BIG hit with my students, and I’m excited to establish it as an annual event for my class.”

Ahmad S Khalil, Associate Professor

Department of Biomedical Engineering

Boston University

EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES

SCi performs rigorous evaluation across all of our programming. The graphs below depict student-reported ability on a scale of 1 (poor) – 5 (excellent) before and after completing SCi training. The change in mean across all students is shown in large circles.