About Ripple

Ripples are a response to a change that emerge after the tiniest drop (or pebble). Here at The Ripple Project we recognize the power of the individual (you!) and the ripples that emanate from your efforts. Our vision for this project is to develop a vibrant, interactive, virtual community that facilitates multi-directional flow of information, resources, connections and support for discovery. The Ripple Project was developed by a team at the Discovery Learning and Research Center (DLRC) at Purdue University. This project aims to involve college undergraduate and high school students in the continuously growing realm of citizen science. We live in a world that is becoming continually more interconnected through the internet and social media technologies. Citizen science is an emerging trend that is being utilized by researchers as they continue to deal with increasing amounts of data, and that has opened the door to the development of large, international, collaboration projects. Our interactive online platform enables users to not simply participate passively by reading or responding, but by becoming an active member in current, ongoing research through simulations and social interactions with other users. We have partnered with researchers in various STEM fields to develop projects that they need your help with. The team behind The Ripple Project wanted to establish a framework that mutually benefitted both interested citizens and research scientists. They have accomplished that by providing a platform that enhances scientists’ research and informs the users by giving them the opportunity to participate in the project. Ripple’s projects are called Pebbles because they represent the potential behind every research idea. By themselves pebbles are inert, but throw them into the water and a force of energy emerges to create ripples moving in countless directions. Our site is one of exploration, communication, and education that is driven by our community of citizens and researchers. So what are you waiting for? Make a splash, see the difference, and watch how far your ripples can reach.