Connecting Communities with NASA Science
SCoPE supports a national network of scientists, educators, and outreach leaders to bring NASA science into communities.
1,000+
NASA SMEs engaged
100+
grants awarded
105%
increase in outreach activity
SCoPE gave me the resources—but more importantly, it connected me with the right people to bring my ideas to life. It’s shaped how I approach outreach moving forward.
See SCoPE in action
SCoPE connects scientists with educators and communities to bring NASA science to life through hands-on outreach experiences.
Through funding, training, and mentorship, participants design and deliver projects that engage learners and expand access to STEM.
A model for impact
SCoPE combines key elements to support scientists at every stage of outreach.
Funding and training
SCoPe provides grants and outreach training to support scientists in developing impactful, community-centered projects.
Mentorship
Scientists are paired with SciAct teams and educators to co-develop outreach experiences grounded in the needs of SciAct and the community,
Ongoing Support
From idea to implementation, SCoPE provides support to help scientists define and measure outcomes and ensure that projects are effective and sustainable.
A pathway to deeper engagement
Scientists engage with SCoPE at different levels—from initial awareness to leading and co-creating outreach experiences.
As they move through the program, they build skills, form partnerships, and take on increasingly active roles—progressing from awareness to participation to leadership.
This progression is supported through training, funding, and collaboration across the SciAct network, as well as a community that encourages sustained participation and deeper engagement.
Voices from our community
SCoPE gave me a community and the support I needed to create projects with real impact.
SCoPE helped me understand how to tailor my message, create effective visuals, and communicate complex ideas clearly.
Through SCoPE, outreach has become a habit instead of something I do from time to time.
Presentations and Publications
SCoPE is committed to advancing research in science engagement. Participants and collaborators contribute to the field through publications and conference presentations. This work helps expand the evidence base for effective outreach, communication, and education strategies.
View presentations and publications
Publications
- Mead, C., Buxner, S., Fischer, H., Manning, C., Severino, M., Shaner, A., Storksdieck, M., Swann, J. L., & Udomprasert, P. (2025). Attitudes about public outreach among NASA scientists and engineers. Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal, 19(2).
- Chambers, L., Connolly, R., Kirk, M. S., Fischer, H., Aranda, A., Bowden, M. L., et al. (2025). Uniting Under the Eclipse: A Mega-Collaboration to Activate Science Learning Across the Penumbra and Beyond. Bulletin of the AAS, 57(6).
Conference presentations
- Swann, J. L., Williams, D., Aranda, A., Mead, C. J., & Wadhwa, M. (2025, March). NASA SCoPE: Connecting NASA Missions to Learners of All Ages Through the NASA Science Activation Program. Poster presentation at the Lunar & Planetary Science Conference, The Woodlands, TX.
- Cusick, A., Mascioni, M., Neibaur, E., et al. (2025, October 24). Expanding our SCoPE of collaboration to engage broader audiences in the importance of polar science. ESS Open Archive.
- Aranda, A., Swann, J. L., Williams, D. A., Mead, C. J., & Wadhwa, M. (2024). NASA SCoPE: Liaisons Between NASA Scientists and NASA Science Activation. Poster presentation at the American Geophysical Union Meeting, Washington, D.C.
- Williams, D. A., Swann, J. L., Aranda, A., Mead, C. J., & Wadhwa, M. (2024). How SCoPE brings Subject Matter Experts to the NASA Science Activation Program. Poster presentation at the American Geophysical Union Meeting, Washington, D.C.
- Swann, J., Wadhwa, M., Williams, D., & Mead, C. (2023, December). Providing support for subject matter experts to engage in eclipse events. Presentation at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
- Wadhwa, M., Swann, J., Williams, D., & Mead, C. (2023, December). NASA SCoPE: Enhancing engagement with NASA missions, broadening participation, and strengthening collaborations in NASA’s Science Activation program (SciAct). Presentation at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
- Miura, J. K., Ehlmann, B. L., Wadhwa, M., Swann, J. L., Williams, D. A., Day, B. H., Law, E., Cass, M., & Neff, R. (2023, December). Designing STEM learning experiences for youth with Lunar Trailblazer. Presentation at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
- Tang, Y., Wadhwa, M., Swann, J. L., & Williams, D. A. (2023, December). Enriching youth STEM learning with OSIRIS-REx. Presentation at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
- Wadhwa, M., Swann, J., Williams, D., & Mead, C. (2022, December). NASA SCoPE: Future plans for enhancing engagement with NASA missions, broadening participation, and strengthening collaborations in SciAct. Presentation at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
- Wadhwa, M., Williams, D. A., Swann, J. L., Anbar, A. D., Mead, C. J., Tamer, A. J., Bell III, J. F., Asner, G. P., Bossert, K., & Shkolnik, E. L. (2021, March). The NASA SMD Community of Practice for Education (SCoPE): A new Science Activation program integration project to connect SMEs with NASA SciAct. Oral presentation at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
- Wadhwa, M., Williams, D. A., Swann, J. L., Anbar, A. D., Mead, C. J., Tamer, A. J., Bell III, J. F., Asner, G. P., Bossert, K., & Shkolnik, E. L. (2021, March). The NASA SMD Community of Practice for Education (SCoPE): A new Science Activation program integration project to connect SMEs with NASA SciAct. Presentation at the Lunar & Planetary Science Conference (virtual).