LESSONS LEARNED FROM COMMUNITY SCIENCE IN LEAD POLLUTION AND LEAD POISONING PREVENTION

Community science, also known as citizen science, has boomed in the 21st Century, thanks to widespread Internet access and smartphone use. It now plays a critical role in large-scale environmental science. Since 2010, the Filippelli Lab at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis has been researching the patterns and pathways of lead pollution and poisoning in Indianapolis and around the world using samples collected by members of the general public. In that time, we have learned valuable lessons about how to engage meaningfully in community science. Lessons learned include 1) partnering with established leaders and organizations in the community, 2) listening first to the needs of a community before trying to solve a problem, 3) communicating results in an accessible way, and 4) remaining flexible, using feedback from the community to adapt and guide future work. These lessons highlight the reciprocal nature of the relationship between scientists and the communities they partner with, each benefitting from the participation of the other. Conducting scientific research that collaborates with and serves the community of which our university is a part is an important step toward fulfilling the promise of a true urban-grant university.