Intel futurist Brian David Johnson helped officially launch ASTC’s 2012 Annual Conference earlier today, as the keynote speaker at the Opening General Session held in the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Johnson, who made a point of explaining to the crowd that as a futurist he does not predict the future, is a self-proclaimed “geek” and a fan of science centers. So much so, in fact, that he disclosed he and his wife were married in the planetarium at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland.

Johnson explained that one of the main objectives of his job is to determine what it will feel like to be a human 10-20 years from now. He took umbrage with the vision of the future put forth in so many movies and books—the vision of a person in a stark, sterile room with the sleekest of electronic devices surrounding them. As he put it, “If we’re going to envision the future, we need to envision a future for people, one that is comfortable.”

“We are all fire hydrants of data,” Johnson said. “We spew data—financial data, social networking data—all over the place. Yet data only has meaning when it comes back and touches the lives of humans. Humans make data and all technology meaningful.”

In his presentation, Waking the Algorithm, Johnson explained that algorithms are imbued with humanity and are, essentially, a story.

He urged the audience not to be passive about the future. “Don’t sit back and let the future happen to you,” he explained. “The future will be awesome because we’re going to build it; why would we build a future that is negative?”

Johnson emphasized the power of science centers and museums in building the future. “You will build the future in the minds of people who come to your science centers,” he said. “You put the visions of science and technology in people’s minds and let them touch it.”

We can change the future, he explained, by changing the story people tell themselves about the future they will live in. We need to focus on making the lives of people better.

“You have an incredible opportunity to shape the future through the work you do,” Johnson concluded. A worthy message to kick off four days of learning, sharing, connecting, and being inspired.

The Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards are presented annually to ASTC members and/or their employees in recognition of extraordinary accomplishments that not only enhance the performance of their own institutions, but also significantly advance the mission of science-technology centers and museums. The following awards were presented at the 2012 ASTC Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, October 13.

Leading Edge Award for Business Practice

Carnegie Science Center, Chevron Center for STEM Education and Career Development
The Chevron Center for STEM Education and Career Development at Carnegie Science Center is a “community connector,” bringing together a coalition of corporations, K-12 formal education, higher education, and foundations with the common goal to address challenges in STEM education and workforce development in the western Pennsylvania region. The Chevron STEM Center, launched in 2011 with $1.9 million in unrestricted funds, encompasses the Science Center’s existing informal science education programs for students and has embarked on new initiatives, including partnerships with area school districts to develop and strengthen STEM curriculum, a database of regional STEM programs, and a public awareness campaign aimed at parents.

Leading Edge Award for Visitor Experience (small center)

The National Ag Science Center, Ag In Motion
Ag In Motion is an innovative one-of-a-kind Ag Science Field Trip on wheels. This 53-foot (16-meter) mobile science lab is designed to be a memorable experience for every youth who steps through its doors. From the exterior graphics and trailer design to the laboratory lessons and on-board videos, the student experience is designed to excite, engage, and entice further science study.

Leading Edge Award for Visitor Experience (large center)

Scitech, Aboriginal Education Program
While providing science outreach in many of the regional areas of the vast state of Western Australia, it became apparent that Scitech’s capacity to serve the specific needs of the remote Indigenous Aboriginal communities was diminished through lack of resources and the need for more culturally relevant programs. Scitech’s Aboriginal Education Program has addressed the challenges of access and equity by shipping trucks with interactive exhibits out, and flying educators and explainers in. At the same time, the center developed a comprehensive suite of engaging science activities for children, parents, and teachers that recognize the communities’ unique Aboriginal culture and language.

Leading Edge Award for New Leadership in the Field

Denise Amyot, President and CEO, Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation
For developing an innovative and expansive pan-Canadian energy literacy initiative.

Leading Edge Award for Experienced Leadership in the Field

Joanna E. Haas, Executive Director, Kentucky Science Center
For leading her institution to fulfill its role as the state science center of Kentucky.

To see all the Leading Edge Award nominees, visit the ASTC YouTube channel.

Recently, we’ve seen an increased public awareness about the importance of STEM education and the need to strengthen STEM capabilities more broadly, and public and private investments are integral to these efforts. In the United States alone, 13 federal agencies have committed over $3.4 billion to more than 250 different programs in support of STEM education. ASTC 2012 features a number of sessions led by U.S. federal agency representatives where attendees can learn more about current funding opportunities and how to submit successful applications.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services: Advancing Science-Technology Centers
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) program staff will share insights on IMLS’ new strategic plan and associated changes in its competitive funding programs targeted to science and technology centers for 2013, highlighting elements of successful applications. The panel will include museum professionals who will share practical examples from their own experiences with IMLS programs.
Session Leader: Christopher J. Reich, Associate Deputy Director for Museums, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Washington, DC
Sunday, October 14, 12:30 p.m.–1:45 p.m. Add To Calendar

Strategic Opportunities at NASA and NOAA: Grants, Partnerships, Content Resources
Education Managers from NOAA and NASA (including from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory) discuss competitive grants, strategic alliances, and other opportunities supporting the practice of informal science education. This roundtable also examines how Congress, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Government Accountability Office may change education and outreach at NASA and NOAA.
Session Leader: Mary Frances Sladek, Manager of Informal Education, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC
Monday, October 15, 10:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m. Add To Calendar

Roundtable Talks: Submitting Competitive NSF Informal Science Education Proposals
Come learn valuable tips for writing and submitting competitive proposals from ISE Program Officers and Principal Investigators who’ve had success writing competitive proposals and receiving funding. Brief general remarks will also be provided regarding the current solicitation, merit review criteria, and the proposal submission process.
Session Leader: Dennis Schatz, Program Director, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA
Tuesday, October 16, 10:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Add To Calendar

STEM After School: Partnership with the U.S. Department of Education (Featured Session)
Several science centers run after school programs with U.S. Department of Education (ED) 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) funds. The audience will learn about importance of the 21st CCLC Initiative, and program models and opportunities from a panel including an ED spokesperson, representatives of two museums, and a researcher.
Session Leader: Laura Martin, Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives, Arizona Science Center, Phoenix
Tuesday, October 16, 10:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Add To Calendar

To learn more about STEM Public Programs around the world, visit ASTC’s STEM Public Programs page.

This morning’s Prototyping with Arduinos Workshop, sponsored by Radio Shack, gave ASTC 2012 attendees a chance to try their hands at digital programming using Arduino, an open-source physical computing platform based on a simple microcontroller board. Because the hardware and software are open source, Arduino can be used to create inexpensive interactive exhibits, and an abundance of free resources for the platform are available online.

Session leaders Brian Kelly, Eric Welch, and Kyle Stetz from The Franklin Institute shared examples of how they have used Arduino in their own exhibit prototypes. Participants were then led through progressively more complex programming activities beginning with blinking a single LED (the Arduino version of “Hello, World”).

To learn more about Arduino, visit arduino.cc.

About the images: Prototype developers at The Franklin Institute have used Arduino boards to create stand-alone projects, such as a safe that visitors can open by entering a code (top). Other projects use Arduino boards to communicate with software including an exhibit where a video changes as visitors “turn off” different areas of a brain (bottom). Images courtesy The Franklin Institute

Attendees are arriving in Columbus, Ohio, and the 2012 ASTC Annual Conference, hosted by COSI, will soon be underway. With over 100 sessions and workshops, opening and closing keynote sessions, and numerous networking opportunities for our nearly 2,000 attendees from 33 countries, ASTC 2012 promises to be a wonderful professional development opportunity for the global science center community.

Whether on-site or from afar, ASTC invites you to follow the 2012 Annual Conference online. Follow us on Twitter (@sciencecenters) and join in the conversation using hashtag #astc2012. Photos and videos will also be posted in our Flickr pool, on Instagram (follow @sciencecenters and post your own using #astc2012), and on our ASTCvideos YouTube channel. The ASTC conference blog also will be updated regularly through Tuesday.

Thank you for joining us!