For the Public Good: Incorporating Civic Science into Undergraduate STEM Education

Abstract

Science and technology are ubiquitous aspects of modern life, and their importance reaches far beyond the laboratory and into the public square. Those with STEM training have a distinct opportunity and responsibility as civic participants to apply their training to promote the public good by engaging with the civic dimensions of science and technology. However, civic engagement is difficult to do well, and current undergraduate STEM education does not adequately train students in these critical skills. To improve STEM graduates’ understanding of science and technology in broader societal contexts, enhance their science communication skills, and increase their civic engagement and competency, universities should adopt a civic science approach to STEM education. Drawing on an example from the Science and Technology and Society co-major program at Tufts University, we recommend universities and STEM departments incorporate training in civic science into STEM education to prepare STEM graduates to engage more fully with the technical and political dimensions of democratic life.