However much money and energy you put into them, new science, math, and technology programs won’t work without support from your community. Students won’t give their all. Parents won’t offer encouragement or volunteer hours. Voters won’t support bond issues. Local businesses won’t want to offer their expertise or hire your graduates. For these reasons, as you work to develop stronger SMT programs, it is essential to cultivate and sustain relationships with people across the community, to ensure that they are committed to the programs’ success. Sound public engagement fosters support for your efforts and decreases the likelihood that they will be unnecessarily politicized. Start it early and make it a habit.

Below are links that address the main questions you may have about public engagement. Much of the information comes from Public Agenda, a leading public-opinion research organization, and a partner of AAAS and NSBA on the SMarT program.  In addition, Public Agenda has developed resources specifically aimed at beginning community conversations around SMT education that are linked to below.

• What is public engagement?
• Why should we do public engagement?
• How should we engage our communities?
• How have other districts engaged their communities around SMT education?
• How does the public view science and SMT education?
  

What is public engagement?

• Frequently asked questions about public engagement.

Why should we do public engagement?

• Will Friedman, of Public Agenda, discusses the value of public engagement around education issues [VIDEO] 
• A 2002 article by NSBA’s Executive Director Anne Bryant about the importance of public engagement.  

How should we engage our communities?

• Public Agenda’s general model for public engagement.
• A suite of tools from Public Agenda to facilitate community conversations around SMT (these resources were produced specifically for the Kansas City region but they are applicable nationally as well):
• A report on Kansas City focus groups discussing SMT education. 
• A report on a major survey of parents and students about SMT education.
• A memo about engaging stakeholders.
• An explicit guide for organizing community conversations about SMT education.
• NSBA’s resources for public engagement.
• Public engagement and the NSBA’s the Key Work of School Boards.
• A selection of resources addressing a variety of public engagement concerns, compiled by the Oregon School Boards Association.  
• Will Friedman offers advice on how to begin a public engagement initiative in your community. [VIDEO] 

How have other districts engaged their communities around SMT education?

• A case study of public engagement in Bridgeport, CT (this does not relate specifically to SMT education but provides a useful general example).
• The Beaverton, OR school district engages with its community around math education.
• A district in Massachusetts involves the community and local businesses in planning and building a math and science magnet elementary school.
• Will Friedman of Public Agenda describes a successful public engagement effort in California. [VIDEO] 

How does the public view science and SMT education?

• A new survey by the Pew Foundation done in collaboration with AAAS explores how the public views science and scientists. A summary of the results is here.