Abstract: Side by Side is a transdisciplinary program that seeks to address the lack of representation in climate communication through a paid summer fellowship for historically marginalized young women and gender-expansive youth. Through art-science inquiry informed by evolutionary biology, ornithology, climate communication, performance, design, and experiential learning, fellows in the summer program deepen their understanding of migratory bird species and express the impacts of climate change on their feathered neighbors through the creation of Migratory Micro-Exhibits. These dynamic bi-lingual (Spanish/English) exhibits are contained within transportable trunks, carrying youth-produced climate communication materials including: wearable bird costumes, art-science explorations of bird biology, and interactive components to engage audiences in envisioning new futures. Formative evaluation of Micro-Exhibits is embedded into the experience of the trunks themselves through participatory forms of qualitative data collection that allow audience members to contribute their own climate narratives through drawings, writing, recordings, and other interactive activities. These types of integrated and interactive assessments allow for insight into the thoughts and perspectives of program participants, while remaining unobtrusive to the learning process (Fu et al., 2019). In this colloquium Dr. Hackett Holden will lead a discussion on the benefits and challenges of various research methodologies, particularly focusing on the power that research holds and how to thoughtfully utilize methods that contribute to the equitable distribution of power and do not deepen existing mindsets that position researchers above subjects, adults above youth, or quantitative methods above qualitative. We encourage attendees to think about how our research methods themselves can disrupt hierarchies and instead place these disparate concepts side by side. 

Bio: Dr. Chelsea Hackett Holden
Director of STEAM Engagement and Innovation
Chelsea Hackett Holden PhD (She/Her/Hers) is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher, and creative consultant based in Boulder, Colorado. She is currently serving as the Director of STEAM Engagement and Innovation at Science Discovery. In addition, she is the Project Director of Side by Side, an interdisciplinary project guiding youth through exploring human/bird relationships as a lens for generating hopeful climate narratives. Before joining CU, she was the co-founder and Executive Director of SPEAK, a non-profit that focuses on Vocal Empowerment for women and girls. She completed her doctorate in Educational Theatre at New York University, where her research focused on a partnership between MAIA Impact, a Guatemalan all-girl school, and an all-female Maya theatre company called Ajchowen. For eight years, Chelsea was a professional development coach and teaching artist in New York City. She is passionate about using the power of the arts to create collective meaning and engage in critical conversations.
 
​​https://www.colorado.edu/education/chelsea-hackett