Initiatives

Public Engagement

Join us to bridge the gap between science and society and become an empowered, effective ambassador for science.
A group of racially diverse students raising their hands in a sunny classroom

Participating in public engagement helps to foster meaningful connections between scientists and the public. Through public engagement, you can find opportunities to raise awareness about the contributions from women and physicists from diverse backgrounds and address misinformation.

Get involved

We shape our public engagement initiatives in response to APS members' interests and motivations, including:

  • Raising awareness about contributions by women and physicists from diverse racial and ethnic groups
  • Equipping physicists to share their work and excitement with the public
  • Addressing misinformation about science
A person looking at Wikipedia on a laptop in a cafe

Wiki Scientist trains physicists as Wikipedia editors, to highlight the scientific accomplishments women and underrepresented groups.

A person with a microphone speaking at an APS meeting

Science Trust trains scientists to address misinformation through meaningful conversations, moving from correction to connection.

Two men chatting over lunch

JNIPER empowers scientists to connect with the public as informal educators through comprehensive training, specialized tools, and engaging events.

Share the wonders of physics with students

With proven, effective lesson plans, virtual classroom visits from physicists and quantum professionals, and involvement opportunities for educators, we're working to shape the next generation of physicists.

A worldwide community of teachers, researchers, and professional societies working to inspire young women to pursue physics in college.

A teacher in front of an elementary school classroom

Physicists To-Go connects scientists and educators to bring the wonders of physics to K-12 and college classrooms worldwide.

Physics teacher with students

Introduce students to modern physics concepts through hands-on activities.

Become a leader in public engagement

As an APS member, you can help to shape how we design our programs and support scientists in engaging with the public by joining relevant committees and units.

The Committee on Informing the Public advises public engagement efforts and identifies future opportunities for outreach and funding.

This APS unit provides a forum for APS members to foster innovative and multimedia outreach activities in public engagement.

This unit provides an opportunity for APS members to addresses social issues, such as climate change, nuclear energy and STEM education.

Who does public engagement work?

APS members value public engagement but face barriers such as financial resources, training experience, and time constraints.

We interviewed physicists with a range of experiences in public engagement as part of our efforts to build and support informal physics communities.

Students standing around a table

Design Effective Informal Physics Education Experiences

Review informal physics education resources from APS. You can use these reflective practices and strategies to create inclusive and accessible physics public engagement opportunities.

Read about inclusive public engagement

The APS Public Engagement team

The Public Engagement team oversees initiatives that reach students and the public to share knowledge and a passion for physics.

For information or to learn how you can get involved, email the Public Engagement team.

Claudia Fracchiolla

Head of Public Engagement

Alexandra (Allie) Lau

Senior Program Manager

Nicole Schrode

Program Manager for Science Education

Meg Healy

Community and Operations Specialist

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Two young women, one seated and one standing, study a physics experiment on the table in front of them.

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Three young women interacting with each other in a science lab

Unleash the power of physics, educate the next generation, and strengthen the physics community. Make a lasting impact by volunteering with APS.

An attendee speaking at an APS meeting

We're a voice for physics in public policy and public engagement, providing resources to policymakers, educators, and the public.

An international partnership formed to recognize a century of quantum mechanics.

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If you embrace scientific discovery, truth and integrity, partnership, inclusion, and lifelong curiosity, this is your professional home.