What Can You Do in Outreach?

Outreach is a very exciting and important field and is gradually becoming increasingly embraced by more and more members of the academic community. When developing your own outreach programs, below are some communication theories that may be used to assist your planning. Listed are:

1. The Theory of Reasoned Action
   (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1980)

2. The Theory of Responsible Environmental Behavior
   (Hungerford and Volk, 1990)

3. Parker Palmer's two Learning Community Models from his seminal work The Courage to Teach
   (1998)

Also included are tips and techniques for writing to reach specific, non-science-based readers. As many of us are used to writing for scientific publications, these tips may be especially useful when writing for the lay person. A section giving outreach tools is also included here along with a list of popular outreach outlets. These tools and outlets are intended to guide you in your journey toward effective outreach. Best of luck to you!