Citizen Science Connections for Blue Tech Student Engagement

Analysis Date: November 17, 2025
Context: Identifying opportunities to involve BMCC students in citizen science-driven research and development across the EUP innovation ecosystem

Overview

This document explores connections across the repository to identify opportunities for engaging students in citizen science projects related to blue tech, space tech, and environmental monitoring in Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula. These connections leverage existing research infrastructure, community partnerships, and proven participatory models.

1. Your K-12 Citizen Science Participation (Hampton & Bauer Study)

Background

Found in: Multiple TrainingCompass documents, about page, blog posts

Key Quote from Your Work:

“Through our partnership with the Quello Center at Michigan State University and Merit Network’s Michigan Moonshot Initiative, we finally had amplification of our local voice through data and policy research. We were blessed to participate in the K–12 Citizen Science project, which helped quantify the effect that poor policy design has on communities with no voice.”

The Research

  • You participated in MSU Quello Center’s K-12 Citizen Science project
  • Community-based data collection for Hampton et al. (2020) “Broadband and Student Performance Gaps” research
  • Michigan families reported broadband access, use patterns, school outcomes
  • Rural and underserved communities CONTRIBUTED to research (not just subjects)

Your Role

  • Participated as community member
  • Shared lived experience of rural digital divide
  • Helped quantify infrastructure, value, and skill gaps

Research Impact

Your Experience:
  "We have infrastructure but students aren't using it effectively"
  
Hampton & Bauer Research Finding:
  "Unclear value" gap identified as distinct barrier
  
Your Framework Development:
  Aspiration stage (Appadurai's navigation capacity) addresses this
  
National Policy Impact:
  NTIA shifts from infrastructure-only to comprehensive digital equity

Connection to Blue Tech

  • Proven Model: You’ve already done citizen science that influenced national broadband policy
  • Same Participatory Approach: Could apply to MiWaterNet, SunRISE, and CHARGE-UP
  • Community → Research → Policy Pipeline: Your experience shows this pathway works
  • Personal Credibility: You can speak authentically about citizen science impact

Application to BMCC Students

  • Students participate in water quality data collection (MiWaterNet model)
  • Data contributes to research on Great Lakes health and climate impacts
  • Research findings inform tribal water management policy
  • Students see their work matters beyond classroom assignments

Quote from TrainingCompassMichigan.md:

“This is participatory research at its best!”

2. Digital Navigator Program Experience

Background

Found in: TrainingCompassNavigators.md, research/digital-navigation-maslow.md

You operated a digital navigator program through EUPConnect that engaged community members in data collection and digital literacy research.

Key Elements

From TrainingCompassNavigators.md:

“You’re not ‘just’ teaching people to use computers. You are building capabilities (Sen’s conversion factors), thickening aspirational maps (Appadurai’s navigation capacity), fostering growth mindsets (Dweck’s learning beliefs)…”

“The Hampton & Bauer research that included your K-12 Citizen Science participation? It validates that your navigator role is CRITICAL—not ‘nice to have,’ but NECESSARY for digital equity.”

  • Guide community members in data collection
  • Teach digital literacy through hands-on projects
  • Build confidence and self-efficacy
  • Connect people to resources and opportunities

Connection to Blue Tech

“Blue Tech Navigators” Model:

  • BMCC students become navigators helping tribal communities monitor water quality
  • Navigate both digital tools (sensors, databases) AND environmental monitoring
  • Same theoretical framework (Sen, Appadurai, Dweck) applies
  • Students develop leadership skills while contributing to research

Practical Applications

  1. Training Role: BMCC students teach community members to use water monitoring apps
  2. Data Collection Support: Help tribal elders document traditional fishing sites with GPS
  3. Interpretation Assistance: Explain sensor data visualizations to watershed councils
  4. Bridge Building: Connect community observations with scientific research

Why This Works

  • Validates student knowledge (they become teachers)
  • Builds aspiration through meaningful contribution
  • Honors Indigenous knowledge alongside technical skills
  • Creates peer-to-peer learning opportunities

3. Les Cheneaux Watershed Council Partnership

Background

Found in: blog/blue_tech_frogfest.md

Existing community organization already doing environmental monitoring in the EUP.

Key Quote:

“With better internet, the Les Cheneaux Watershed Council and other conservation groups can deploy remote water monitoring systems across the many islands and channels, getting data back to their labs seamlessly.”

Current Situation

  • Active watershed conservation group
  • Already conducting water quality monitoring
  • Serves Les Cheneaux Islands and channels (Lake Huron)
  • Connected to Les Cheneaux Schools (MiWaterNet partner)

Connection to BMCC

Partnership Opportunity:

  • BMCC students partner with Les Cheneaux Watershed Council
  • Build data collection apps for volunteers
  • Create visualization dashboards for community education
  • Develop citizen science reporting tools

Student Projects:

  • CS204 (Web Design): Build watershed council website with real-time data displays
  • CS221 (Programming): Write scripts to analyze volunteer-collected data
  • GIS courses: Map monitoring locations and water quality trends
  • Database courses: Design systems for organizing citizen science observations

Benefits

  • For Students: Real clients, meaningful projects, portfolio pieces
  • For Council: Professional-quality tools at student prices
  • For Community: Better access to water quality information
  • For Research: More comprehensive data collection

Integration with LSSU

  • Les Cheneaux Schools already MiWaterNet partner
  • BMCC students build K-12 → Community College → University pathway
  • Data flows: Community observations → BMCC tools → LSSU research

4. Student-Led Environmental Audits (Smart Schools Model)

Background

Found in: dev/smartschools.md

Key Quote:

“Integrate real-world data: Use school energy systems as teaching tools for STEM subjects. Create student engagement opportunities: Energy monitoring dashboards, competitions, student-led audits”

Original Context: Energy Systems

  • Students audit school energy usage
  • Build dashboards showing consumption patterns
  • Identify inefficiencies and recommend solutions
  • Develop career awareness in clean energy and facilities management

Adaptation to Water Systems

Cross-Domain Approach: Energy AND Water Audits

Same Skills, Multiple Domains:

  • Data collection from sensors
  • Time-series analysis
  • Visualization dashboards
  • Cost-benefit calculations
  • Recommendations based on evidence

BMCC Implementation

Water System Audits on Tribal Lands:

  1. Survey water usage at tribal facilities (community centers, health clinics, housing)
  2. Deploy low-cost sensors to monitor consumption patterns
  3. Build dashboards showing usage, leaks, seasonal variations
  4. Compare to Great Lakes levels and climate trends
  5. Present findings to tribal council with recommendations

Energy + Water = Sustainability Portfolio:

  • Students learn transferable data science skills
  • Tribal community gets actionable information
  • Creates integrated view of resource management
  • Demonstrates both disciplines require same computational thinking

Career Pathways

  • Environmental monitoring technician
  • Facilities management data analyst
  • Sustainability coordinator
  • Smart building systems developer

Quote from smartschools.md:

“Connect to sustainability education: Use school infrastructure to teach environmental stewardship”

5. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Documentation

Background

Found in: Current Blue Tech article mentions “Anishinaabe place names along St. Marys River” as potential student project

Expansion: TEK as Citizen Science

What is TEK?

  • Traditional Ecological Knowledge held by Indigenous communities
  • Multigenerational observations of ecosystems
  • Cultural and spiritual relationships with water
  • Historical patterns not captured in short-term scientific data

Examples of TEK Relevant to Blue Tech:

  • Traditional fishing locations and seasonal patterns
  • Historical water levels and quality observations
  • Indigenous names for waterways (encode ecological knowledge)
  • Customary management practices (sustainable harvest)
  • Climate change observations spanning generations

Student Projects: Bridging TEK and Modern Science

1. Digital Archive of Water Knowledge

  • BMCC students interview tribal elders (with community permission)
  • Record stories about historical fish populations, water quality, seasonal changes
  • Transcribe and tag with geographic coordinates
  • Create searchable database connecting oral history to modern monitoring data

2. Place Names Mapping Project

  • Document Anishinaabe names for waterways, bays, fishing spots
  • Many place names describe ecological features (rapids, deep water, fish abundance)
  • Build interactive map overlaying traditional names with modern sensor locations
  • Shows Indigenous knowledge identified important monitoring sites centuries ago

3. Comparative Analysis

  • Compare tribal elder observations with MiWaterNet sensor data
  • Do traditional knowledge and scientific data align?
  • Where do they diverge, and what does that teach us?
  • Co-author research papers with tribal knowledge holders as equal contributors

Ethical Considerations

From your pk12-datascience-ethics-checklist.md:

“Assembling a diverse team to oversee and implement the project will help ensure that multiple perspectives are gathered which will ensure that we are protecting from harm and maximizing benefit”

Principles for TEK Citizen Science:

  • Tribal sovereignty: Community controls data use and sharing
  • Informed consent: Clear explanations in accessible language
  • Co-ownership: Research findings belong to community
  • Cultural sensitivity: Honor sacred knowledge that shouldn’t be shared publicly
  • Benefit to community: Research must serve tribal priorities

Why This Matters

  • For Students: Learn research ethics, cultural humility, interdisciplinary thinking
  • For Tribal Communities: Technology preserves endangered knowledge, supports self-determination
  • For Science: Enriches understanding with long-term observational data
  • For Blue Tech: Demonstrates technology can honor Indigenous values

From TrainingCompassNavigators.md:

“You’re building capabilities (Sen’s conversion factors)… this is theory-grounded practice”

TEK documentation builds capabilities for students AND tribal knowledge keepers to participate in research as equals.

6. Data Privacy Ethics Framework

Background

Found in: papers/pk12-datascience-ethics-checklist.md

You developed “A Checklist for Student Data Privacy in School District Data Science Projects”

Original Purpose

  • Protect students’ personally identifiable information in K-12 data science projects
  • Based on U.S. Department of Education Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) resources
  • Incorporates deon ethics checklist for data scientists
  • Covers entire data science lifecycle: Design → Collection → Analysis → Publication

Key Principles

  1. Transparency: Clear privacy policies in accessible language
  2. Limitation of Use: Data used only for stated purposes
  3. Access and Correction: Individuals can review and correct their data
  4. Data Quality: Accurate, complete, current information
  5. Security: Protection from unintended disclosure

Connection to Citizen Science

Most citizen science projects DON’T have this level of ethical guidance.

Why It’s Critical for Blue Tech Citizen Science:

1. Student Participants are Minors

  • FERPA protections apply
  • Parental consent required
  • Extra care with public data sharing

2. Tribal Data Sovereignty

  • Tribal communities have sovereignty over data collected on tribal lands
  • Traditional knowledge has cultural ownership
  • Community consent differs from individual consent
  • Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles apply

3. Sensitive Environmental Data

  • Revealing water quality issues could impact property values
  • Fishing location data could lead to overharvesting
  • Climate change observations might be politically contentious

Application to BMCC Blue Tech Projects

Before Any Citizen Science Project:

  • Assemble diverse oversight team (students, faculty, tribal leaders, community members)
  • Define clear benefits to students and community
  • Develop privacy policy in plain language
  • Create data sharing agreements respecting tribal sovereignty
  • Train all participants on privacy policies
  • Implement security measures for data protection
  • Plan to minimize exposure of personally identifiable information
  • Schedule data deletion after project completion
  • Establish monitoring plan for ongoing privacy compliance

Specific to TEK Documentation:

  • Obtain tribal council approval before any interviews
  • Clear protocols for what knowledge can/cannot be shared publicly
  • Community owns all recordings, transcripts, and derived data
  • Right to withdraw knowledge from research at any time
  • Co-authorship and benefit-sharing agreements upfront

Differentiator

Your framework gives BMCC a competitive advantage:

  • Most universities doing citizen science lack comprehensive ethics protocols
  • Tribal communities often (rightfully) skeptical of academic research
  • Demonstrating ethical framework upfront builds trust
  • Positions BMCC as leader in ethical community-engaged research

From your checklist:

“Prior to the collection of any student PII for the project, we need to ensure that the primary benefits to the student are identified”

This applies equally to citizen science: Community benefit must be clear BEFORE data collection begins.

7. Spatial Data & Community Development

Background

Found in: about.markdown, research/index.md

Your Research Focus:

“Understanding community growth patterns and infrastructure needs, supporting equitable resource distribution and access, analyzing the digital divide through geographic and demographic data”

Your Spatial Data Expertise

  • Master of Applied Data Science (University of Michigan)
  • Work at intersection of technology, education, and community development
  • Focus on spatial analytics and intelligent infrastructure
  • Experience with geographic equity analysis

Connection to Blue Tech Citizen Science

MiWaterNet Generates Spatial Water Quality Data:

  • 20+ sensor locations across northern Michigan
  • Time-series data at each location
  • Spatial relationships (upstream/downstream, tributaries, watersheds)
  • Perfect dataset for teaching spatial analysis

Student Learning Opportunities

1. GIS Fundamentals

  • Map sensor locations and tribal waters
  • Overlay with land use, population, infrastructure
  • Identify undermonitored areas needing additional sensors

2. Spatial Statistics

  • Autocorrelation: Are nearby sensors more similar?
  • Hotspot analysis: Where are water quality issues concentrated?
  • Interpolation: Estimate water quality between sensor locations

3. Spatial Equity Analysis

  • Do tribal lands have adequate monitoring coverage?
  • Are low-income communities near polluted waterways?
  • Does sensor placement reflect community priorities?

4. Predictive Spatial Modeling

  • Can upstream sensors predict downstream water quality?
  • What watershed characteristics explain sensor variations?
  • Where should next sensors be deployed for maximum impact?

Citizen Science Integration

Community-Collected Spatial Data:

  • GPS-tagged observations: Community members report fish kills, algae blooms, unusual colors/smells
  • Photo documentation: Georeferenced images of water conditions
  • Traditional fishing spots: Elder knowledge mapped to coordinates
  • Accessibility: Where can people actually access water for recreation/subsistence?

Students Analyze Combined Dataset:

  • Official sensors (MiWaterNet) + Community observations (citizen science)
  • Are there spatial patterns the sensors miss?
  • Do community concerns align with sensor data?
  • What do spatial gaps reveal about monitoring priorities?

Research Questions Students Could Investigate

Spatial-Temporal Analysis:

  • How do seasonal patterns vary spatially across the watershed?
  • Do spring runoff impacts spread downstream in predictable patterns?
  • Which locations show most variability (need more frequent monitoring)?

Environmental Justice:

  • Are tribal treaty waters adequately monitored?
  • Do rural communities have equal access to water quality information?
  • How far must people travel to reach a monitored site?

Climate Change Adaptation:

  • Which locations show earliest warming trends?
  • Are spatial patterns of water quality change consistent with climate models?
  • Where are aquatic ecosystems most vulnerable?

Why This Matters

From your research focus:

“Informing policy decisions with data-driven community insights”

Spatial citizen science gives communities evidence for advocacy:

  • “Our treaty waters are undermonitored” (show the map)
  • “Water quality declining in this watershed” (show the trend)
  • “We need sensors here” (justify with spatial analysis)

Your role: Teaching students to do this analysis transforms citizen science from data collection to community empowerment.

8. Community Needs Assessments

Background

Found in: research/digital-navigation-maslow.md

Your Research Methodology:

“Community Interviews: Stakeholder perspectives on digital navigation needs” “Program Evaluation: Effectiveness analysis of existing digital navigator programs”

Your Approach to Community-Based Research

  • Interviews with stakeholders
  • Participatory evaluation
  • Community-identified priorities guide research
  • Implementation testing in real-world settings

Connection to Blue Tech

Before deploying sensors, conduct water quality needs assessments:

Research Questions for Community:

  1. What water-related concerns matter most to you?
  2. Where do you access water for subsistence, recreation, ceremony?
  3. What changes have you observed in water quality over your lifetime?
  4. What information would help you make decisions about water use?
  5. Who do you trust to provide that information?

Student Role:

  • Design interview protocols (research methods class)
  • Conduct interviews with community members
  • Transcribe and code qualitative data
  • Identify themes and priorities
  • Present findings to community and researchers

Application Example: Sensor Placement

Traditional Approach (Research-Driven):

  • Researchers decide where sensors go based on scientific criteria
  • May miss community priorities
  • Communities don’t engage with data they didn’t help generate

Community Needs Assessment Approach (Community-Driven):

  1. Students interview tribal community about water concerns
  2. Community identifies priority monitoring locations (fishing spots, drinking water sources, sacred sites)
  3. Map community priorities + scientific criteria
  4. Place sensors where community needs and scientific value overlap
  5. Community invested in data because they shaped the research

Why This Matters

From TrainingCompassAppadurai.md (Capacity to Aspire):

“People with more resources have practiced aspiration more… wealth gives people more opportunities to learn the culture of aspiration”

Needs assessments build capacity to aspire:

  • Community members practice articulating concerns
  • Participate in research design decisions
  • See their input shape actual sensor deployment
  • Learn “I can influence how research happens”

Contrast with Traditional Academic Research:

  • Researchers → Community: “We’re studying your water”
  • Our Approach → Community ↔ Researchers: “What should we study together?”

Student Learning Outcomes

Research Skills:

  • Qualitative interview methods
  • Community-based participatory research (CBPR)
  • Culturally responsive research design
  • Stakeholder engagement

Ethical Practice:

  • Research WITH communities, not ON communities
  • Community consent throughout process
  • Reciprocity: What does community gain?
  • Humility: Academic knowledge isn’t only valid knowledge

Professional Development:

  • Working with diverse populations
  • Translating between technical and non-technical language
  • Navigating community politics and priorities
  • Building trust across cultural differences

Implementation in BMCC Courses

CS204 (Web Design):

  • Create survey tools for community input
  • Build websites presenting needs assessment findings
  • Design interfaces showing how community priorities shaped research

CS221 (Programming):

  • Process and analyze qualitative data
  • Text analysis of interview transcripts
  • Generate visualizations showing community priorities

GIS Courses:

  • Map community-identified priority locations
  • Participatory mapping exercises with tribal members
  • Compare community priorities to existing sensor coverage

Long-Term Impact

Ensures technology serves community-identified needs, not external agendas.

If sensors are placed based on community needs assessments → Community engages with data → Data informs tribal policy → Technology serves self-determination.

This is the opposite of technology colonialism.

Synthesis: Integrated Citizen Science Framework for BMCC Blue Tech

Core Principles

  1. Participatory: Community members and students are co-researchers, not subjects
  2. Ethical: Your data privacy framework ensures protection and consent
  3. Spatial: Your GIS expertise enables geographic equity analysis
  4. Cultural: TEK and Western science treated as complementary knowledge systems
  5. Educational: Students learn through meaningful contribution to real research
  6. Applied: Needs assessments ensure technology serves community priorities
  7. Proven: Your K-12 Citizen Science participation validates this approach works

Three-Tier Model

Tier 1: Data Collection (Entry Level)

  • Community members record observations (water color, temperature, wildlife)
  • K-12 students deploy sensors and collect samples (Brimley CTE model)
  • Tribal elders share traditional knowledge (TEK documentation)

Tier 2: Data Processing & Analysis (BMCC Students)

  • Build tools for Tier 1 participants (web apps, data entry systems)
  • Clean and organize citizen science data
  • Create visualizations making data accessible
  • Analyze patterns and trends
  • Present findings to community

Tier 3: Research & Publication (LSSU + BMCC Collaboration)

  • LSSU researchers design studies using citizen science data
  • BMCC students co-author research papers
  • Community knowledge holders recognized as research contributors
  • Findings inform tribal policy and management decisions

Student Progression Pathway

First Semester (Introduction):

  • Learn about existing citizen science projects (MiWaterNet, SunRISE)
  • Participate in data collection alongside community members
  • Understand research ethics and privacy protections

Second Semester (Tool Building):

  • CS204: Build citizen science data collection websites
  • CS221: Write data analysis scripts
  • GIS: Map citizen science observations

Third Semester (Research Support):

  • Conduct community needs assessments
  • Support TEK documentation projects
  • Collaborate with LSSU researchers on data analysis

Fourth Semester (Leadership):

  • Train new citizen scientists
  • Present findings at community meetings
  • Co-author research papers or technical reports
  • Transfer to LSSU or enter blue tech workforce

Cross-Sector Connections

MiWaterNet (Water):

  • Citizen scientists expand sensor coverage
  • BMCC students build community data dashboards
  • LSSU researchers integrate citizen data with sensor data

SunRISE (Space):

  • Same data analysis skills apply to radio astronomy
  • Students process space weather observations
  • Community learns about solar impacts on Great Lakes ecosystems

CHARGE-UP Lab (Technology):

  • Digital twin simulations incorporate citizen science data
  • Students learn advanced modeling techniques
  • Bridge between community observations and industry applications

Measuring Impact

Student Outcomes:

  • Number of students participating in citizen science projects
  • Research papers co-authored by BMCC students
  • Students transferring to LSSU blue tech programs
  • Employment in environmental monitoring or blue tech careers

Community Outcomes:

  • Tribal community members trained as citizen scientists
  • TEK documented and preserved digitally
  • Community needs assessments influencing research priorities
  • Tribal policies informed by citizen science findings

Research Outcomes:

  • Publications integrating citizen science + sensor + TEK data
  • Spatial coverage of water quality monitoring expanded
  • Long-term datasets combining scientific and community observations
  • Models improving through community-contributed data

Institutional Outcomes:

  • Formal BMCC-LSSU citizen science partnership established
  • Course curricula integrating real citizen science projects
  • Grant funding for community-engaged research
  • National recognition as model for tribal college STEM engagement

Implementation Recommendations

Year 1: Pilot Projects

Winter 2026:

  • Partner with one existing citizen science initiative (recommend MiWaterNet)
  • One course (CS204 or CS221) includes citizen science module
  • 2-3 students build pilot project (dashboard or data tool)
  • Present to tribal community for feedback

Summer 2026:

  • Student research assistantships supporting citizen science
  • Community needs assessment for future projects
  • TEK documentation pilot with willing elders
  • Develop data privacy protocols specific to tribal research

Fall 2026:

  • Expand to multiple courses
  • Recruit cohort of student citizen science researchers
  • Establish BMCC-LSSU citizen science working group
  • Apply for grants supporting next phase

Year 2: Program Development

  • Formalize citizen science pathways in CIS and GIS curricula
  • Develop training materials for community citizen scientists
  • Create student leadership positions (Citizen Science Coordinators)
  • Publish first BMCC-community co-authored research
  • Expand partnerships to Les Cheneaux Watershed Council, other groups

Year 3: Regional Model

  • BMCC recognized as leader in tribal college citizen science
  • Students present at regional/national conferences
  • Model replicated at other tribal colleges
  • External funding sustaining program
  • Measurable impact on tribal environmental management

Conclusion: “Research Became Our Voice”

Your own experience participating in the K-12 Citizen Science project demonstrates the transformative potential of community-engaged research:

Your Journey:

  1. Participated in Hampton & Bauer citizen science project
  2. Community data validated theoretical framework (Sen, Appadurai, Dweck)
  3. Research findings influenced national digital equity policy
  4. You operationalized framework into practical system
  5. Recognized as Broadband Champion for this work

Your Students’ Potential Journey:

  1. Participate in blue tech citizen science projects
  2. Community + sensor + TEK data enriches research
  3. Findings inform tribal water management and Great Lakes policy
  4. Students see their work creates real-world impact
  5. Blue tech careers recognized as accessible and meaningful

From TrainingCompassMichigan.md:

“Complete loop from community experience to policy implementation… This is how research-to-practice SHOULD work.”

Citizen science in blue tech can follow this same pathway: Community participation → Research validation → Policy impact → Sustainable careers

Your repository shows you’ve already built most of the infrastructure needed:

  • Participatory research experience ✓
  • Data ethics framework ✓
  • Spatial analysis expertise ✓
  • Community partnerships ✓
  • Theoretical grounding ✓
  • Pathway validation ✓

What’s missing is formalizing these connections for BMCC students in blue tech context.

Document Created: November 17, 2025
Purpose: Supporting development of citizen science integration in BMCC Blue Tech framework
Based on: Comprehensive analysis of jasonkronemeyer.github.io repository
Related Document: _posts/2025-11-09-Blue-Tech-Opportunities.md