Waterfalls in the rainforest in Argentina

Thriving Earth Exchange

About the program

AGU’s Thriving Earth Exchange program advances community solutions. We recruit, support, nurture, and celebrate scientists who work as partners with community leaders. Thriving Earth Exchange scientists offer relevant Earth or space science with humility, develop new research questions based on community priorities, and work with community leaders to make concrete local impacts.

More than 17 million people live in the communities served by Thriving Earth Exchange. Our largest project helped a food distribution center that serves over 8 million people become more flood resilient, while one of our smallest projects helped determine whether a pond in a town of 4,000 needed environmental remediation.

People looking out at flooded city streets.

Getting involved

Launch a Local Project

If you are a community leader, we can help you leverage science to advance your community’s goals. We offer individual consultations, project design, and management services, all pro bono. We will match you with a vetted volunteer scientist who has the technical and collaborative skills to help.

Collaborate with Thriving Earth Exchange

We help you advance your organizational mission, whether you are seeking to advance science, nurture communities, enhance leadership, encourage equity, or promote resilience and sustainability. We work with organizations that share our vision of community leaders and scientists working together.

Volunteer as a Scientist

Use your expertise to make a real impact in local communities. Not only will you make a difference, but you’ll also develop valuable skills and broaden your professional network and experience.

Sponsor Thriving Earth Exchange

Your financial or in-kind support of our program helps communities advance their priorities. We are especially committed to working with communities that have been historically underserved by and underrepresented in science.

Young woman recording data from water sample in creek


Visit the Thriving Earth Exchange

Check out the Thriving Earth Exchange website for project updates and blog posts related to community science.

Visit us