Science outreach can take many forms from live storytelling shows like Story Collider to public presentations by scientists at events like Nerd Nite (Ann Arbor Chapter) to classes getting to virtually meet working scientists via Skype a Scientist to putting together the newest exhibit at the University of Michigan Natural History Museum to being an pro-bono consultant for human rights organizations. Public outreach can be local or global and aimed at young children or high schoolers or everyone. There are so many different ways to reach out to the public about science that Oregon State University's Center for Research on STEM Learning published a working paper on the many different typologies. The National Science Foundation even requires this type of work through its Broader Impacts requirements, and institutions such as the U-M Museum of Natural History help support scientists in fulfilling these requirements. At its core though, science outreach is simply engaging with the public about science.
If you want to know more about how to engage in outreach the Boston Museum of Science has an in-depth guide on public engagement with science and the Association for the the Sciences of Limonology and Oceanography has a list of do's and don't's for common outreach activities. If you already feel secure about how to do outreach and are instead looking to define goals and justify your efforts Rockefeller University's has articles about SMART Goals and Institutional Return on Investment for science outreach.
One of the most common forms of science outreach is informal education. While this traditionally has meant education outside of classrooms, more recently it has also started to include non-traditional educational programming that take place in schools as well. These programs can range from formal grant funded projects with PIs to simply connecting with your local schools and offering to come in and talk to the students about your subject.
If you are interested in the grant funded side of things the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) is an invaluable resource. They have have detailed information on developing a project, a searchable list of current projects and research, and a number of reports on how science is learned in informal environments. The University of Michigan also offers the Center for Educational Outreach which can partner with you as you develop your project.
There are so many other types of projects that no guide could hope to cover how to do all of them, though a lot of the research and reports from CAISE would still provide excellent guidance, but here are a number of examples that you could either join or borrow from. There are projects where you talk to students about your scientific work and what it is like to be a scientist, Skype a Scientist and I'm a Scientist, Get me out of here!. There are many informal educational programs associated with the University of Michigan as well. These include F.E.M.M.E.S. (Women+ Excelling More in Math and Engineering and the Sciences) offers day long Saturday capstones for 4-6th grade women, BrainsRule! which brings hundreds of middle school students to the university for a day of learning about neuroscience, the middle school focused Science for Tomorrow from the Museum of Natural History, and the MIDAS Data Science Summer Camp for High School Students. Math Circles bring students and mathematicians together to work on interesting problems all over the world, including the Michigan Math Circle. There is also the National Informal STEM Education Network which provides professional development opportunities related to informal education and can help educators find activities, exhibits, and even prepared stage presentation for use in their programs.
The idea of running an outreach event can be frightening whether it is a traditional lecture or panel, an experimental storytelling show, a social meet-up, or a large festival. This is completely normal, thankfully Ariel Waldman, the creator of Science Hack Day, has written about the fears that come with running a science event. Ariel also has a 6 step guide for running your own Science Hack Day which serves as a good starting point no matter what type of event you are running. Of course planning your even is only the first part, you also have to actually engage with the public too. This is where AAAS's guide for in-person public engagement comes in handy. If you want to take it one step further there are also consultants, such as Guerilla Science, who will help you develop and run your event.
Some examples of science outreach events taking place already in Ann Arbor are: the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History's Scientist in the Forum and Science Café, Nerd Nite Ann Arbor, and RELATE's Science by the Cup and Science by the Pint.
While most examples of outreach are temporary in both time and space, Science Museums and Centers serve an important function as permanent fixtures of science outreach. Much has been written about how to foster active engagement in science museums, the best way to design science museums for learning, the ways science centers function as learning environments, and managing interactive science museums. For an idea of what is possible in a science exhibit check out the Exploratorium in San Francisco's page on exhibit making which features videos of how they make theirs or the list of exhibits they have featured in the museum.
Many science museums will feature provide outreach opportunities for scientists from students all the way up to faculty and researchers. This includes the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History. Undergraduate students can become become docents and help teach science to museum visitors; faculty can work with the museum on exhibits, educational programs, and audience research, and both faculty and undergraduates can apply to become a Science Communication Fellow, a program which includes workshops to build public science engagement skills and the chance to make and present a table top exhibit on your research at outreach events.