Association of Science and Technologies Centers

Boston Children’s Museum, Discovery Science Center receive National Medal

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

When the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced the 10 recipients of this year’s National Medal for Museum and Library Service, two ASTC-member institutions—Boston Children’s Museum, Massachusetts and Discovery Science Center, Santa Ana, California—were among those recognized. The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor conferred on museums and libraries for service to […]

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Pacific Science Center, Bootheel Youth Museum, Long Island Children’s Museum among 2012 National Medal recipients

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

ASTC members Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington; Bootheel Youth Museum in Malden, Missouri; and Long Island Children’s Museum in Garden City, New York, were among the 10 libraries and museums selected by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to receive the 2012 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The National Medal

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EdVenture, Madison Children's Museums among recipients of 2011 National Medal for Museum and Library Service

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

ASTC members EdVenture Children’s Museum in Columbia, South Carolina, and the Madison Children’s Museum in Madison, Wisconsin, were among the 10 libraries and museums selected by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to receive the 2011 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor for museums

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Museum giant-screen theaters now have standards

/ Resources & Learning /

After an extensive peer and expert review, the Digital Immersive Giant Screen Specifications (DIGSS 1.0) are now fully available, along with many other findings and reports relevant to museum giant screen theaters and those who support them. An independent evaluation conducted by the Institute for Learning Innovation found after the 2010 Giant Screen Cinema Association

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President Obama visits New York science fair

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

During a day trip to New York City on March 29, U.S. President Barack Obama made an unscheduled stop at the American Museum of Natural History to tour the New York Science and Engineering Fair—his third science fair visit in recent weeks. As he examined projects including a bamboo bicycle and an exhibit on human-robot

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The Wild Center and Heureka participate in environmental exchange

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

Communities around the world are starting to notice climate changes that may affect their cultures, lifestyles, and economies. This year, Heureka, The Finnish Science Centre, Vantaa, and The Wild Center, Tupper Lake, New York, have brought members of their communities together to exchange experiences and discuss community learning and action on energy saving, climate issues,

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Science Alive staff and visitors uninjured in earthquake

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

On February 21, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand—the second major earthquake to hit the city in six months. ASTC-member Science Alive, damaged in the first quake on September 4, 2010, suffered additional damage to its building, but all staff and visitors were evacuated safely. CEO Neville Petrie reports: “Science Alive withstood the quake

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Explora awarded National Medal in White House Ceremony

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum, Albuquerque, New Mexico, was presented with a 2010 National Medal for Museum and Library Service by U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama at a White House ceremony. The award is given annually by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to museums and libraries in recognition of their extraordinary

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ASTC members awarded NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants for science education

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

On November 15, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Education announced that it has awarded Environmental Literacy Grants totaling more than $8 million to 17 institutions, including seven ASTC member museums, to engage the public in science education activities that improve understanding and stewardship of the local and global environment. “NOAA is

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Science Alive closed after New Zealand earthquake

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

On September 4, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand. No fatalities have been reported, but there is extensive damage to homes and businesses in the region, including ASTC-member Science Alive. Earlier this week, the Science Alive building was deemed safe and key staff returned to work. With no damage to exhibits, they had hoped

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Aquariums as a Force for Change: New Roles in Conservation and Social Impact

/ Dimensions /

By Julie Packard From ASTC Dimensions September/October 2009 The last quarter century has brought with it unprecedented and disturbing changes in the health of our aquatic environment, from the collapse of fisheries to dead zones in the oceans. In response, aquariums worldwide have evolved in their missions, and many of us have launched initiatives to

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Surrounded by Science

/ ASTC News & Announcements /

On March 3–5, the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE), with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), hosted the biennial Informal Science Education (ISE) Summit in Washington, D.C. The nearly 450 participants in the ISE Summit—which took the theme “Surrounded by Science”—included principal investigators of NSF grants and others engaged in strategic issues

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ASTC members receive National Medal for Museum and Library Service

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

On February 23, 2010, Anne-Imelda M. Radice, the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) director, and Susan Sher, U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama’s chief of staff, presented the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries, at a Washington, D.C., ceremony. The National Medal is

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Science Museum of Minnesota participates in "A New National Dialogue on Race"

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

On January 12–13, the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM), St. Paul, participated in a two-day symposium, “A New National Dialogue on Race,” in Washington, D.C. The event, co-sponsored by the American Anthropological Association (AAA) and the Congressional Black Caucus, consisted of four panels of experts from academia, civil rights organizations, and museums, designed to look

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Where Art Meets Science

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

On September 17, the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, unveiled a new permanent sculpture by world-renowned artist Maya Lin. The sculpture is one component of Lin’s last memorial, “What is Missing?”—a multi-sited, multimedia artwork dedicated to raising awareness about the current crisis surrounding biodiversity and habitat loss. Rethinking the traditional stationary monument, “What is

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In Other Words: Developing Bilingual Exhibitions

/ Dimensions /

By Carlos Plaza From ASTC Dimensions July/August 2009 Over the course of 10 years, the exhibit team at the Miami Science Museum, Florida, has developed general guidelines and strategies for writing and designing bilingual exhibitions. These guidelines result from our experience producing Spanish-language interpretation for more than 40 bilingual exhibitions, and from much trial and

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Dimensions, July/August 2009—In Any Language: Serving Multilingual Communities

/ Dimensions /

IN THIS ISSUE July/August 2009 As science centers and museums welcome increasingly diverse audiences, many of them are working to accommodate the linguistic needs of their visitors and to foster a sense of ownership and belonging. Immigrants, indigenous populations, and visitors who are Deaf bring a variety of languages with them to science centers around

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Transforming Science Education

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

On June 10, the Carnegie Corporation of New York—Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) Commission on Mathematics and Science Education kicked-off a national mobilization to achieve much higher levels of math and science learning with the release of its report, The Opportunity Equation: Transforming Mathematics and Science Education for Citizenship and the Global Economy. The report

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