Earth and space science contributes to a future where all communities and ecosystems thrive. For example: hydrology helps design wetlands that mitigate flooding in working-class neighborhoods, climate modeling helps diverse communities prepare for extreme events, and solar forecasts help safeguard critical infrastructure. Exactly how does this happen - what does it look like on a personal, institutional, and systemic level? How can we do more?

A robust and growing body of trans-disciplinary research and practice explores coproduction between scientists and communities. We can use this to identify and promote cooperative practices that enrich science, advance community priorities, promote equity, and preserve ecosystems.

This tutorial will describe those cooperative practices. We will show how scientists have worked with diverse communities and navigated cultural differences, how to design science for social justice, and how to advance adaptation by connecting to broader priorities. We’ll describe bridges between scientific and indigenous knowledge and offer advice on how to navigate priority differences with integrity. We’ll talk about working around barriers and highlight institutional practices that support collaboration and help science better connect with decision making. We’ll discuss what this implies for science education and literacy. Finally, we’ll describe systematic changes that can foster collaboration, improve science, and make an impact in communities