Citizen Science Opportunities and Projects

There are some interesting Citizen Science opportunities that could be a great fit for student civics projects that they may not have thought of.


CZ-Tip - Sign Up for Coastal Citizen Science
Community-based data collection helps fill gaps left by government, private, and nonprofit groups with limited funds to research, explore, and protect vast natural systems.

Community Science - Mass Audubon

Citizen Science - for teachers from UMass

Salem Sound Coastwatch Volunteer

Mass. Gen Z politicians

Local Gen Z politicians pushing to become leaders of today (26 min., aired on WBUR's Radio Boston on August 23, 2023)

Inspirational radio show/podcast interviewing 3 18-20 year olds in Massachusetts who are either serving in or running for local office. The way they frame the need to be involved in and invested in their town's political could give students some powerful examples of how they can effect change in their own community.

• Omar Mohuddin, a 19-year-old Northeastern student running for mayor in Woburn
• Trey Fuccillo, a 20-year-old city council candidate for Marlborough’s 6th Ward
• Angus Abercrombie, a 19-year-old who currently serves as a Town Meeting member in Belmont.

Student Event about Electoral College Thurs. Oct. 22

The New York Times is hosting a live event for students about the Electoral College on Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. Eastern. They encourage teachers to register if they plan on having a class participate in school, or have each of their students 13 and up register if they will be participating from home.

Jesse Wegman, a member of the Times’s Editorial Board is one of the members of the Oct. 22 panel, In addition to Mr. Wegman, they'll be joined by Allyson Waller, part of the 2020-21 New York Times Fellowship class, who recently published the article “How Does the Electoral College Work and Why Does It Matter?”

Two resources:

• Our Student Opinion question, asking students: Is the Electoral College a problem? Does it need to be fixed?
• Our Lesson of the Day, inviting students to play with an interactive diagram, watch a short video, read an explainer article, and develop their own point of view about the Electoral College.