At the Decontamination Chamber at Glastonbury music festival, participants select between physical and psychological decontamination (photo: Strong and Co.)The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a grant of over $938,000 to Pratt Institute for the development of a project, “Research and Development on Understanding STEM Identity Using Live Cultural Experiences” (National Science Award Number: 1612719), which will be directed by Assistant Professor of Math and Science Mark Rosin.

The project involves collaboration of faculty at Pratt, at Oregon State University, and at Guerilla Science, an organization that engages public audiences with science through interactive and experiential installations, events, and projects at cultural venues including museums and festivals. It will explore how audiences with little or no affinity for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) can become more engaged with STEM ideas. The project will study how science learning can be incorporated at cultural events, using models that integrate science with art, music and play, games, hands-on workshops, and more, helping scientists, artists, and designers to reach a public they do not normally reach.

Rosin co-founded project-partner Guerilla Science in 2008. A practicing scientist, he received the 2015 Early Career Award for Public Engagement with Science from the American Academy for the Advancement of Science.

The project will be implemented at two upcoming art festivals, and the research will produce a guide for cultural institutions that want to incorporate science content into their activities. As part of the grant, a paid residency for Pratt students and faculty will also be announced in the next few months.

About the image: The project will produce events that integrate science into cultural experience, as exemplified by Guerilla Science’s earlier work at Glastonbury in 2011. Pictured above: At the Decontamination Chamber at Glastonbury music festival, participants select between physical and psychological decontamination (photo: Strong and Co.)