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It is a pleasure to announce that Community Science Institute’s (CSI’s) board of directors and staff have adopted a new mission statement as well as a vision statement for our organization. As part of CSI’s recent strategic planning process, CSI’s staff and board concluded that our previous mission statement did not fully encapsulate all parts of CSI. The previous mission statement was focused largely on our volunteer water quality monitoring partnerships while failing to acknowledge the important work we do to provide fee-for-service water testing to the public or provide education about water science to the community. Our board and staff therefore set out to revise the mission statement and craft a vision statement that more accurately reflect CSI’s full purpose. 

What are Mission and Vision Statements? A mission statement outlines an organization's purpose and goals. It defines what the organization does, why it does it, and for whom. A vision statement, on the other hand, is a future-oriented declaration of what an organization aspires to become. It paints a picture of the organization's desired future state.

Why do they matter? Mission and vision statements provide a clear sense of direction for an organization. They help guide decision-making, inspire staff and volunteers, and align stakeholders. For a nonprofit like CSI, these statements are particularly important as they help to focus efforts and resources on achieving our organization's goals.

CSI's New Mission and Vision

The Community Science Institute (CSI) is excited to announce its new mission and vision statements:

Mission:

To inspire and empower communities to safeguard water resources by cultivating scientific literacy through volunteer water quality monitoring, certified laboratory analyses, and education.

Vision:

Communities empowered by science to sustain, protect, and restore our shared water resources.

What it all means:

Mission:

“To inspire and empower communities...”

At CSI, we believe in the power of community and working together. Our work aims to provide communities with the information, skills, and inspiration they need to take action to protect our shared water resources.

“...to safeguard water resources...”

CSI's programs provide valuable data on water quality trends, enabling early detection of pollution and other issues that threaten water resources such as harmful algal blooms.

“...by cultivating scientific literacy...”

In our current climate, many have grown to mistrust science. By building a greater understanding of the scientific process through opportunities for community members to engage in the process of data collection and providing educational resources, we can foster trust and comprehension of scientific data. 

“... through volunteer water quality monitoring...”

CSI partners with over 250 volunteers to monitor water quality through our Synoptic Sampling, Biomonitoring, and Harmful Algal Bloom monitoring programs.

“... certified laboratory analyses...”

CSI is a NYSDOH-ELAP certified laboratory. We provide regulatory quality results for both drinking water and surface waters. These data can be confidently used to inform water resource management and public health decision-making.

“... and education.”

CSI offers a variety of educational programs centered around water quality, including workshops, symposia, online resources, and notably our Journey of Water Summer series for kids and their families.

Vision:

“Communities empowered by science...”

Informed communities that are armed with the knowledge and tools to understand and address local water quality issues are our most powerful assets.

“...to sustain...”

Sustaining water quality refers to maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of our local water bodies, ensuring they remain healthy and capable of supporting aquatic life and human activities.

“...protect...” 

Protecting water quality involves safeguarding water bodies from pollution and degradation, ensuring they remain clean and safe for human consumption and recreation as well as aquatic wildlife.

“...and restore...”

Restoring water quality involves taking actions to reverse the degradation of water bodies, such as removing pollutants, restoring damaged habitats, and implementing practices to prevent future pollution.

“...our shared water resources.”

Our streams, lakes, and groundwater aquifers are used and impacted by residents, visitors, and businesses. These resources are interconnected and require collective efforts for their sustainable management.

With these new statements as our guiding principles, CSI is poised to continue its important work alongside our community partners so that we may make a lasting positive impact on water quality in our region.