JNIPER Mission and Vision

Mission and Vision

The community's mission is to empower those advancing informal physics education and to support them in enacting effective practices. We seek to achieve this mission by facilitating research-to-practice partnerships and providing a central convening space for the physics community’s informal physics education efforts.

The long-term vision of the network is to elevate the value and recognition for public engagement in physics. Additionally, the network seeks to broaden participation in physics by fostering public engagement programs that are grounded in research and cultural competency, and oriented toward equity.

These connections will promote visibility, recognition, and resource and idea sharing. Taken together, this will reduce the isolation and disconnection often present between informal physics education practitioners, programs, and researchers.

What is informal physics education and research?

Informal physics education, also known as public engagement in physics, includes a wide range of activities to promote curiosity and excitement in exploring physics topics. The emphasis in informal physics education is not on content mastery standards found in formal schooling. Many researchers study effective practices in informal physics education and its impact.

Common examples of informal physics education include:

• Science camps
• Afterschool programs
• Museum exhibits
• Demo shows
• Podcasts
• And so much more