Tuttle Matthew J, Cejas Daniela, Kang Donghoon, Muchaamba Francis, Goncarovs Britta, Ozakman Yaprak, Aziz Fatima, Orelle Arnaud
Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
IBaViM Institute, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
J Microbiol Biol Educ. 2023 Apr 25;24(2). doi: 10.1128/jmbe.00041-23. eCollection 2023 Aug.
Science literacy has many personal and societal benefits that allows for better informed decision-making. Although the importance of science literacy is recognized globally, there are many challenges associated with its promotion. Scientists are more frequently engaging with nonscientific audiences through public outreach activities and with increasing support from institutions and professional societies. This is especially true regarding microbiologists and other related professionals since the start of the global 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic heightened the need to convey novel and rapidly evolving scientific information to lay audiences. The means by which professionals engage with these audiences affect the efficacy of the relay of scientific information. One method of engagement is the "ambassador approach," which aims to establish dialogue among different groups of people and scientists. In this perspective article, we discuss this approach, highlighting activities for the promotion of science literacy organized by the American Society for Microbiology Ambassador Program and similar programs of other scientific societies. We discuss the benefits and challenges of implementing an ambassador approach, propose potential improvements that could be made to existing programs promoting science literacy, and ultimately advocate for increased implementation of science ambassador programs.
科学素养具有许多个人和社会益处，有助于做出更明智的决策。尽管科学素养的重要性在全球范围内得到认可，但在推广方面仍存在许多挑战。科学家们通过公众宣传活动，在机构和专业协会的支持不断增加的情况下，越来越频繁地与非科学受众互动。自2019年全球冠状病毒病大流行开始以来，对于微生物学家和其他相关专业人员来说尤其如此，因为这凸显了向普通受众传达新颖且迅速演变的科学信息的必要性。专业人员与这些受众互动的方式会影响科学信息传递的效果。一种互动方式是“大使方法”，其旨在在不同人群和科学家之间建立对话。在这篇观点文章中，我们讨论这种方法，重点介绍美国微生物学会大使计划以及其他科学协会的类似计划所组织的促进科学素养的活动。我们讨论实施大使方法的益处和挑战，提出对现有促进科学素养计划可能的改进建议，并最终倡导增加科学大使计划的实施。
