Developing Community Connections while Profiling the Urban Atmosphere during Urban Canyons 2024

During the Community Research on Climate and Urban Science (CROCUS) Urban Canyons field campaign in late July, students and faculty from Valparaiso University (VU) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) launched radiosondes in the museum campus of downtown Chicago and in two neighborhoods outside the downtown core. While focused on understanding how urban canyons impact Chicago's weather and climate, this campaign also measured contrasts in conditions across the city and provided valuable experience in conducting a field study in an urban environment. This unique setup allowed for both planned and spontaneous community engagement opportunities, enabling us to connect with a diverse audience across different age groups.

VU students led launches at Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, in partnership with the Puerto Rican Agenda. This alternative school offers students an intense academic curriculum coupled with community-focused programs. In coordination with their summer program, 20 high school students conducted a balloon launch from start to finish. Peer teaching took place as VU students guided the local high school students in running the iMet software, filling the weather balloon, assembling the train, and interpreting the data collected. With the campaign now complete, a meteorology and climate change lesson will be incorporated into the classroom, where students will analyze the sounding data collected.

UIUC students and faculty led launches at the Gary Comer Youth Center (GCYC) in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood, in partnership with Blacks in Green. Launches were coordinated with the GCYC Urban Agriculture program, where middle to high school youth and young adult groups participated in scheduled launches and interacted with the visiting scientists in between scheduled assignments and tasks. In turn, the visiting scientists learned about the climate concerns of the farm and surrounding community. These activities included holding a community event during the farm’s weekly farmer’s market, allowing for discussions about the campaign with adult community members.

These interactions served as an excellent experiential learning opportunity for UIUC and VU students, many of whom had never been involved in a field campaign, and the urban setting was new for students and faculty alike. Students gained experience in troubleshooting, maintaining stamina during extended deployments, and appreciating the value of field-collected data, alongside important lessons in scientific translation, respectful engagement, and adjusting to specific community needs. This presentation will highlight the unique experiences, challenges, and community engagement that occurred during CROCUS.