One of the overarching goals of our Outreach Team is to make the work that ALLARM does, and resources for community science, accessible and relatable. In each project the team works on, we endeavor to share all of the wonderful things our employees, volunteers, and partners are working on from large scale achievements to everyday tasks. In addition, we create graphics, videos, and similar products to help make important monitoring, safety, and event information captivating and accessible.
So, what does a day look like for an Outreach Team watershed coordinator? My name is Katelyn, and this is my second semester at ALLARM. I work on the Outreach Team and get to work on a lot of fun projects for ALLARM’s social media, newsletters, events, and more! Typically, a normal day at ALLARM looks like a lot of brainstorming, trying out different designs and information layouts on a graphic, or prepping for an event (either on or off campus).
One of my favorite aspects of the Outreach Team is just how creative I get to be with each project. We are encouraged to mess around with designs and to come up with something that encompasses all the information for a project in a fun and engaging way. For example, I was asked to brainstorm a reoccurring Instagram story for the semester. I decided to go for a little passion project of mine which is engaging with macroinvertebrates! For each story post, I get to research fun types of macroinvertebrates and find fun facts to write about them. Then I get to be creative and create the actual story using Canva. I didn’t just want people to read the slides but to also engage with the posts. I came up with surveys and other “games” people can click on so that there’s more to do with each post!
I never realized ALLARM had an Outreach Team before I started working here. Now working on outreach, I am so glad I have this opportunity! I love getting to use different passions and strengths of mine in areas that I normally would not get to! The ALLARM staff is so welcoming and encouraging in so many ways but especially when it comes to getting creative and exploring new ways to engage our ALLARM community!
