Community Engagement

There is a growing realization, among the general public, of the limitations and vulnerability of our natural resources, including soils, to the changing global climate. Increasingly, people are aware that healthy soils are the foundation for producing food, fibers, and biofuels, and understand that soil sustains life. We intend to use the 24th WCSS, with its theme of “Soils in a Warmer World”, as an opportunity to promote soil science, in accessible and relevant ways, to further sensitize the public about the international efforts to improve soil resilience to global. Working with stakeholders like the Ontario Science Centre and the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, as well as organizations such as Glacier Farm Media, we will endeavor to engage diverse communities, leading-up to, during and after the Congress. In addition to philanthropic support, we will solicit resources through programs like the NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) PromoScience Program, to help fund community engagement. Efforts will be made to evaluate community engagement, to help refine future outreach strategies.

Pre-Congress Publicity: Leading-up to the Congress, we will work with collaborators, such as Glacier Farm Media, to publicize events and opportunities among stakeholder communities, as well as the general public. The official 24th WCSS website will have a section for “Educators and the Public”, with frequently asked questions (FAQ) regarding the Congress, as well as support material regarding soils.

Traditional & Online Media: Continuing to work with partners, such as Glacier Farm Media, we will create a framework for community participants and organizers to be interviewed by local and national news services (e.g., newspaper, television, radio, podcasts). We envisage a dedicated ‘media room’ at the Congress that can be reserved for on-site interviews with news reporters. This room may also be used by attendees who wish to record a podcast interview with colleagues and other participants. To facilitate access to resource material (e.g., text, graphic, audio, video), QR codes will be developed and strategically located at Congress venues.

Social Media: Event updates will be regularly posted on popular social media venues (e.g., Twitter, Facebook). Furthermore, we develop a digital ‘resource corner’, from which anyone can access material (e.g., congress mascot imagery), which they can use when posting to their own social networks (e.g., TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram). Wi-Fi internet access will be available to all congress participants.

Pop-up Events: We are planning to develop displays that provide hands-on activities for the general public. The displays will be made for indoor venues and outdoor booths, depending on the space and weather conditions. Content will be developed by soil scientists, educators, and event organizers, in collaboration with our partners. We expect to work closely with content developers at the Ontario Science Centre, which have extensive experience in translating abstract scientific ideas into visually appealing learning experiences for the public of all ages and knowledge levels. This will help us to create an inclusive design and ensure that the content is appropriate for general audiences. Booth activities will be suitable for all ages, such as games and an interactive “Soils in a Warmer World” quiz, soil texturing and seed-planting stations for the teenagers and adults, demonstrations, exhibits and giveaways (e.g., soil refrigerator magnet, bookmarks, and brochures). Where appropriate QR codes will be used to facilitate access to relevant material.