Lead investigator Mickey Eder discusses the goal of Science Cafe and how it can offer a successful model for creating conversations with diverse communities.
Guided in translational research, the lead investigator for the Science Cafe project, Milton Eder, explains that more than half of participants in his research study do not use English at home. The audience of Science Cafe are the attendees or the public participants who discuss health and science related topics in an informal environment with the presenter - a healthcare professional. Communities that require translation between the presenter and the attendees is a factor absent in the current structure of Science Cafes around the nation. Eder and researchers from the University of Minnesota explore the discourse and limitations of implementing Science Cafes in diverse and underserved communities.
Science Cafe is the title for the activity of bringing people together to discuss with one another about their health and healthcare. A Cafe begins with a short discussion on issues pertaining to health, then audience members are encouraged to engage with the presenter and each other. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, Eder explains their guiding research question: “Can we create events [Science Cafes] that last one to two hours that work on breaking down the power dynamic of language and culture in diverse communities between the audience and the presenter?”
The unique goal of their research is to host Cafes for individuals and communities where English is not their first language. The linguistic limitation currently present in Science Cafes put the audience at a distance between presenters. “Our team concluded three distinct linguistic and cultural communities: Karen, Somali, and Spanish. With six different topics and each topic presented in three different languages, it will address health research to those communities directly,” Eder said.
The COVID pandemic presented limitations for Science Cafes through the implementation of social distancing. Peer-to-peer learning is a fundamental element to the structure of Science Cafes. To counter this obstacle the research team directed their attention toward the use of images. By creating short image presentations with a listener's preferred language, “We are not only trying to share information, we are trying to encourage people to talk about their experience of the content and information we are sharing,” Eder said.
If you want to learn more, check out Dr. Eder’s conversation breaking down translational science and local dissemination.