Science outreach is a public outreach service that includes various activities performed by research institutes, universities, and institutions, such as science museums, that aim to promote public understanding and awareness of science and to make informal contributions to science education.

Public engagement with science describes intentional, meaningful interactions that provide opportunities for mutual learning between scientists and the public. Mutual learning refers not just to the acquisition of knowledge, but also to increased familiarity with a breadth of perspectives, frames, and worldviews.

Recruitment are those strategies and tactics any organization uses to find, attract, engage, and nurture talent before they apply to a university or for employment. It is also called the talent acquisition pre-recruitment process.

Retention and persistence are those strategies and tactics used by colleges and universities to improve graduation rates and decrease a loss of tuition revenue. Institutions measure the rates as:

• student retention = the number of students who re-enroll each academic year until graduation.
• student persistence = the number of students that finish each semester.