Communities are dynamic, with new members joining and existing members cycling through periods of higher and lower engagement. They cycle between phases of growth, evolution, stasis, and in some cases a gradual or pre-planned conclusion. In this Quarterly Skills Session, we’ll consider community engagement through the lens of community lifecycles. In four lightning talks, we’ll cover what it looks like for a vibrant grassroots community to join a professional association and the changes that come with it; how to engage new members in an established but still growing community; the nuances of encouraging online engagement after energetic in-person gatherings; and, in the case of a more mature community, what it means to support a community “mitosis.” Our presenters will build on the topic of community lifecycles introduced in Scientific Community Engagement Fundamentals, as well as the idea of multi-modal participation and meeting your members where they are. 

Speakers:

• Miranda Steinkopf, Director of Transformation and Community Building, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
• Sebrena Brink, Program Manager, University of South Carolina Patient Engagement Studio (PES)
• Bridget Copley, Research Director, CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) / MOSAIC
• Rachylle Hart, Program Specialist, University of North Carolina Wilmington / North Carolina PFAS Research Network 

This is not a public event – participation is by invitation only! If you are interested in learning more about accessing sessions like this one, please contact training@cscce.org.