In 2022 Luquillo LTER initiated a planning process to develop an evidence-based community engagement strategy for our scientists and local community members. This effort was guided by LTER Network colleagues working with the Advancing Public Engagement Across LTERs (APEAL) project, supported by NSF. More information can be found on the APEAL website and in this summary document (English / En español).
Case Study
As part of the planning process, Luquillo LTER participated in a case study aimed at understanding community perspectives on Public Engagement with Science (PES) and the Luquillo Long Term Ecological Research Program (LUQ-LTER). The study sought to strengthen existing relationships and create new ones between LUQ-LTER and the surrounding community. Findings from the study can be reviewed in this summary report (English / En español).
Strategic Engagement Plan
The outcomes of the case study were used to develop a strategic plan for community engagement that identifies shared goals, priority objectives, and tactics, and incorporates meaningful metrics and a data collection framework that enables internal evaluation practices for continuous improvement. The recommended strategic engagement plan is currently being revised and will be shared publicly on our website when it is completed.