Telling the Story of a Long-Standing Community Science Partnership

Program Evaluation
Written By Cathy Sigmond

Client: Science Museum of Virginia | Location: Richmond, VA | Funding: Institute of Museum and Library Services 

 
 

We explored a long-standing community science partnership between the Science Museum of Virginia and Groundwork RVA, a local organization that connects youth with opportunities to enhance greenspaces in Richmond.

OVERVIEW

In 2022, we worked with the Science Museum of Virginia to explore their community science partnership with Groundwork RVA, a local non-profit organization that works with teens at the intersection of sustainability and equity in Richmond.  

Groundwork RVA was a key partner in the Science Museum’s IMLS-funded community science project RVAir, which centered on studying air quality in Richmond neighborhoods. We used a holistic case study approach to understand how the longstanding relationship between these organizations contributed to the project’s community science approach and shaped its overall impact.

APPROACH

To fully understand the partnership between the Science Museum and Groundwork RVA over time, and how the relationship between these organizations shaped the RVAir project, we conducted case study interviews with:

  • Science Museum staff who worked closely with Groundwork RVA

  • Groundwork RVA staff and collaborators

  • Groundwork RVA teens who participated in the Science Museum’s RVAir community science program

CLIENT TAKEAWAYS

Overall, we found that the partnership between the Science Museum of Virginia and Groundwork RVA  embodied a reciprocal relationship that has grown over time. Interviews with staff from both organizations indicated the importance of aligned missions, strong communication, and intentional collaboration in creating an effective, long-lasting community science partnership. For the Science Museum, the study helped document the significant impact of community partnerships on internal models of collaboration and strategic goals such as cultivating community relationships and underscoring the importance of green spaces in urban settings. 

RVAir, the culmination of the Science Museum’s and Groundwork RVA’s partnership, was ultimately successful in working toward RVAir’s desired outcomes. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, RVAir teen participants were able to collect data, understand climate inequities, apply science to their daily lives, and practice key science and social skills.

Cathy Sigmond

Cathy brings many years of experience in education and experience design to her role as Head of Strategy at Kera Collective. 

Having previously worked in a variety of educational settings, Cathy is driven by her constant fascination and delight at how people make discoveries about the familiar and the unfamiliar. 

Cathy loves helping to shape experiences that spark curiosity and make a difference in people’s lives. She particularly enjoys the rapid, iterative nature of design-based research and the deep insights that come from qualitative research, especially on projects exploring interactions with the digital and built environments. 

Cathy shares her passion for experience design research widely and regularly guest lectures for graduate programs, including the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Exhibition and Experience Design Program and the Pratt Institute’s School of Information. Cathy served as the co-chair of the Museum Computer Network’s Human-Centered Design special interest group from 2018-2021.

Outside of work, you can usually find Cathy playing soccer, thrifting, or making her way through her large cookbook collection. 

Cathy’s favorite museum experiences are immersive; she will always vividly remember walking through the giant heart at the Franklin Institute, being surrounded by birds at the Peabody Essex Museum, and hearing centuries-old instruments come to life at the Museum of Musical Instruments. 

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