Crowdfunding Science Education

The proliferation of crowdfunding sites on line has allowed creative individuals to get all sorts of projects into public view and to raise funds to carry them out. Of course, this includes educational and scientific projects, and periodically we hear from the creators or supporters of such shoestring or bootstrap efforts when they deal with one of NCSE’s topic areas, evolution or climate.

Vincent Van Gogh, Arena at Arles / Spectators in the Arena at Arles (1888) [public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

 

As an organization NCSE doesn’t generally endorse “pre-publication” materials or sites created by others, although we are happy to consult with or review projects within our areas of expertise for scientific accuracy, educational appropriateness, or potential pitfalls, as time permits. And we’re always interested in hearing about relevant new efforts that we may end up recommending once they are complete.

In recent months, for example, we have come across proposals, all now funded, to produce a cartoon introduction to climate change, a rhyming graphic guide to our origins, and a documentary film exposing evolution hysteria at Florida State Women’s College in the 1920s. I’m looking forward to the completion of all these projects.

A search at Kickstarter.com for the term “evolution” turns up many false positives such as games, books on body art and calligraphy, men’s neckware, an ale, and so forth. Among these, however, is at least one project of interest which is still within its fund-raising period, teaching evolution with animations. Supporters of NCSE’s mission might want to check it out.

If anyone wants to point to other (relevant only, please) crowdfunded projects, you can do so in the comments.

(Disclaimer: opinions implied here are mine. You should use critical analysis to make up your own mind. What could be more fair?)

Short Bio

Eric Meikle is a former Education Project Director at NCSE.

meikle@ncse.com