Joint Network for Informal Physics Education and Research
JNIPER Events
The JNIPER coffee hours are monthly, virtual events to discuss topics such as online citizen science projects, university science outreach programs, advocating for public engagement and more.
Get involved with JNIPER
Community members come from both inside and outside academia with a range of public engagement backgrounds, from novice to experienced.
By joining JNIPER, you can:
- Expand your public engagement network or get involved for the first time
- Play a vital role in shaping public engagement in physics
- Participate in or lead monthly virtual coffee hours
- Share resources and discuss informal physics education on Slack
- Attend special sessions at APS events
New resources, such as the JNIPER academy, mentoring programs, and workshops are always in the pipeline.
JNIPER white paper
In 2024, the JNIPER community held a summit at the University of Colorado to discuss steps for establishing informal physics education (IPE) as an essential physics practice. The recommendations from the summit and follow-on community conversations resulted in a community-generated white paper entitled, “Informal Education is Essential to Physics: Findings of the 2024 JNIPER Summit and Recommendations for Action.” The paper describes why public engagement is an integral physics practice, and lays out recommendations for achieving this culture shift in the discipline. You can review the recommendations relevant to your position:
Informal Education Is Essential to Physics
Recommendations for departments and institutions 2025
The JNIPER Community’s 2025 document argues that Informal Physics Education (IPE) should be recognized as an essential component of physics, recommending that departments and institutions advance this through strengthened structures, active engagement of interest holders, and integration of research-based practices.
Informal Education Is Essential to Physics
Recommendations for informal STEM topical groups (e.g., JNIPER)
The JNIPER 2025 document calls for a cultural shift to recognize Informal Physics Education (IPE) as essential, recommending the ways informal STEM topical groups can strengthen structures, interest holder engagement, and research-based practices to support, evaluate, and elevate IPE.
Informal Education Is Essential to Physics
Recommendations for individuals 2025
The JNIPER Community’s 2025 report outlines strategies for making Informal Physics Education a core part of physics, identifying recommendations for individuals around stronger structures, broader engagement, and research-based practice.
Informal Education Is Essential to Physics
Recommendations for (inter)national organizations 2025
The JNIPER Community’s 2025 document urges (inter)national organizations to recognize Informal Physics Education (IPE) as an essential physics practice by strengthening supportive structures, engaging interest holders, and integrating research-based practices.
Informal Education Is Essential to Physics
All recommendations, organized by change agent
The document “Informal Education is Essential to Physics: Recommendations organized by change agent” advocates for a culture shift recognizing Informal Physics Education (IPE) as essential, providing targeted recommendations for individuals, departments and institutions, informal STEM groups, and (inter)national organizations to strengthen structures, engage interest holders, and integrate research-based practices.
JNIPER Fellows
JNIPER Fellows is a science communication, professional development program for students. Over six months, you will join a small cohort of students to receive virtual training in various aspects of science communication such as storytelling, setting communication goals, and understanding your audience. As a Fellow, you will apply what you learn to create content for APS Public Engagement initiatives, choosing the communication medium you are most interested in (e.g. writing, audio, visual).
Fellowship benefits
Benefits of participation include science communication training tailored to your interests, publication of the content you create to relevant APS platforms, and networking with your peer cohort as well as the broader JNIPER community.
Pilot cohort
The program was piloted in 2024, and the Fellows wrote cover stories for our PhysicsQuest kits. The Fellows presented their experiences in the program at the May 2024 and June 2024 JNIPER Coffee Hours.
2024 Fellows
The following JNIPER Fellows created compelling content to educate students about physics:
- Nia Burrell – produced audio cover story for the 2014 PhysicsQuest kit, “Redefining Physics with Charles Brown, Ph.D.”
- Cai Cash – wrote a cover story for a future kit on biological physics, “Alan L. Hart: The Importance of Being True to Yourself”
- Cara Giovanetti – wrote a cover story for the 2010 PhysicsQuest kit, “Vera Rubin: A Journey from Self-Doubt to Galactic Discoveries”
- Zander Keith – wrote a cover story for the 2024 PhysicsQuest kit, “Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin: Shaping Our Understanding of the Stars”
- Jared Machtinger – cover story on Henrietta Swan Leavitt forthcoming
Goals
JNIPER serves as convening space for the physics community's informal physics education efforts, empowering the physics community to advance informal physics education through effective public engagement and research-to-practice partnerships.
Our vision is to improve the perceived value of public engagement in physics, broadening participation in physics through research-backed programs and cultural competency with a focus on equity.
Informal physics education
Informal physics education, also known as public engagement in physics, promotes curiosity and excitement toward physics in a range of audiences. Many researchers study effective practices in informal physics education and its impact.
Common examples of informal physics education include:
- Science camps
- After-school programs
- Museum exhibits
- Demo shows
- Podcasts
Contact
Email the APS Public Engagement team with questions or for more information about JNIPER.
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