A two-day workshop supported by the Rita Allen Foundation brought together practitioners committed to civic science to discuss how scientists can work with local communities to address pressing environmental issues. The workshop highlighted challenges for community science initiatives such as funding prospects, establishing trust between professional and community scientists, and navigating institutional or governmental disapproval. Solutions rooted in community empowerment and the positive effect of local control–demonstrating credibility to funders by associating with similar community projects and needs, improving communication and collaboration by correcting assumptions held by professional scientists and locals about each other, and remaining flexible with specifications of a project instead of abandoning it if it is not initially successful with gaining interest–were presented with the hope of continuing to build a global network for community science.