ABSTRACT
Science and nature museums have an opportunity to play a pivotal role in supporting open-ended, civic engagement in climate change. This chapter illustrates processes and tools that allowed museums to collaborate with community organizations as a network, using tabletop activities (“kits”) and collaborative resource development as boundary crossing objects and processes. The contextual development of an approach to collaborative design of kits in Pittsburgh is presented. Dissemination case studies in New York City and Philadelphia reveal the trajectory of network adoption of activity kits. Findings include a focus on pushing the content development process in New York City using rough, “messy” examples as starting points, and pulling partners into collaborative efforts in Philadelphia through access to large audiences and “polished” materials. The need for contextualized implementation is highlighted in engaging with complex, wicked, socio-scientific topics, like climate change.
