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 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.
