Growing interest, growing programs, growing pains: Successfully customizing public outreach
- SAIC, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
Since the mid-1980`s, the Institutional and External Affairs staff of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project (YMP) has developed, coordinated, and maintained various public outreach programs to carry out the YMP`s open door policy of keeping local communities informed. However, public involvement first requires public knowledge and, therefore, various information programs have been established over the past few years. First came the speakers bureau program, then the exhibits and science centers; and then came the tours and school district educational programs. All these programs were geared toward teaching the mainstream general public about the YMP and issues related to things nuclear. Today, the YMP outreach programs are established and known and the demand from the public has seen a shift. Over 150 top scientists and staff from around the country who have come to work at the YMP have joined the outreach participant pool to speak to the public not only about Yucca Mountain, but about their areas of expertise as well. For this reason, the public has realized a great opportunity for a general science and engineering education resource -- the YMP staff themselves. In a panel discussion, {open_quotes}Trust and credibility: The central issue{close_quotes}, proceedings of the National Conference on Risk Communication, it was shown that university professors and science teachers were among the most trusted individuals in terms of public perception and that government staff and contractors the least trusted. However, when you utilize the core educated knowledge of a YMP scientist in order to teach general science and math, you have, to some extent, placed that individual in an educational role and thus increased trust. The YMP scientists enjoy talking about their general science knowledge and we have found that the public likes to hear about it too.
- Research Organization:
- American Society of Civil Engineers, New York, NY (United States); American Nuclear Society, La Grange Park, IL (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 60795
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940553--Vol.1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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