CROWD SCIENCE

Crowd science is an approach to collecting environmental information that actively and genuinely encourages and solicits public input in the scientific process and incorporates data and information generated outside of traditional institutional boundaries. In crowd science, the public participates voluntarily in the scientific process, addressing real-world problems in ways that may include formulating research questions, conducting scientific experiments, collecting and analyzing data, interpreting results, making new discoveries, developing technologies and applications, and solving complex problems. There are a number of ongoing crowd science projects across the country that can be found via the SciStarter Project Finder.

CEEJH infuses crowd science in its tools and work. The My Block Counts community block assessment tool solicits public participation from community members to survey the quality of the infrastructure in their neighborhood using a mobile survey tool. CEEJH also engages the public via community and personal air monitoring projects in Cheverly, MD; Savannah, GA; Uniontown, AL; and beyond. CEEJH utilizes crowd science in: community stewardship projects in Baltimore, MD; crowd mapping amongst communities affected by CAFOs on the Delmarva Peninsula; highlighting environmental injustices in Buzzard Point, DC; and community groundtruthing of environmental hazards in the Carolinas.