Advancing family science through public scholarship: fostering community relationships and engaging in broader impacts

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Monk, J.K., Bordere, T.C. and Benson, J.J. (2021), Emerging Ideas. Advancing Family Science Through Public Scholarship: Fostering Community Relationships and Engaging in Broader Impacts. Fam Relat, 70: 1612-1625. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12545, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12545. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley's version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.Objective: To increase the awareness and support for family scientists' engagement in public scholarship. Background: Without appropriate dissemination efforts, important research findings may remain solely in academic journals and never reach the public. Grounded in a social justice perspective, we argue that family scientists are and should be on the frontlines of direct social change and activities related to broader impacts. Method: In this call-to-action, we articulate the utility and praxis of public scholarship, or the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge for and with communities to create social change for the public good. Results: When engaging in public scholarship, we can build community trust, increase our impact and demonstrate the relevance of family science. Therefore, we offer practical suggestions like collaborating with individuals who serve in complementary roles, hosting a research press conference to disseminate key findings, and writing for local outlets like community newspapers. We also provide insights to help implement (e.g., resources for developing press releases, infographics or visual abstracts) and document (e.g., in promotion and tenure materials) these activities. Conclusion: We encourage scholars to keep these suggestions in mind when trying to think of creative broader impacts activities that illustrate the relevance of research in people's lives. Implications: By shifting academic cultures and engaging in public scholarship, family scholars can increase their reach and contribute to the enfranchisement of marginalized populations, while also enhancing the visibility of findings, building their scholarly networks, and growing public support for family science

Public Scholarship: A Tool for Strengthening Relationships Across Extension, Campus, and Community

Higher education resources are increasingly limited due to declining budget revenue and other challenges. Thus, it is vital for Cooperative Extension to synergize efforts of disseminating education to the public. Promoting public scholarship in and beyond Extension is a promising initiative that can foster collaborations by leveraging existing resources in advancing the Extension mission. We highlight a new program aimed at encouraging a culture of public scholarship across academia. The program is intended to increase knowledge about public scholarship and awareness of its benefits to stakeholders, identify barriers to public scholarship, and provide concrete examples of ways Extension and non-Extension faculty can collaborate on research and programming efforts