Join an ASTC Connect discussion, May 11-15, sixth in a series on the theme
of strengthening relationships among science museums, research scientists,
and engineers. Pacific Science Center (PSC) staff will facilitate, building on experience gained from Portal to the Public, an NSF-funded project of PSC, Albuquerque’s Explora, the North Museum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and the Institute for Learning Innovation.

To sign up, you’ll need an ASTC Connect account. Go to connect.astc.org to sign up. Then contact Margaret Glass at mglass [at] astc.org for the enrollment key that will give you access to the “Working with Scientists and Engineers” forum. Once you’re in this forum area, you can also read archived records of earlier discussions.

The Working with Scientists & Engineers Forum will host a discussion February 11-15, in ASTC Connect, about the strategy behind the Research Center – ISE (RISE) initiative of the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network. Carol Lynn Alpert, director of strategic projects at the Museum of Science, Boston, and a co-PI of the NISE Net (nisenet.org), will kick off discussions.

The RISE initiative focuses on developing sustainable partnerships through advance planning and budgeting, and by joining with research centers for the initial proposals to federal and state science research funding agencies. Relevant articles are in the January/February issue of ASTC Dimensions.

A new round of discussion starts January 14 in  the ASTC Connect forum ”Working with Scientists & Engineers.” Kim Kiehl, Vice President for Learning & Research Partnerships at COSI Columbus, will join us as guest moderator. Kim will share COSI’s experiences in fostering close integration of the museum with local STEM-rich organizations, including Ohio State University, Battelle Memorial Institute, and TechColumbus. Together, forum participants will consider how such relationships develop, benefits for each party, and potential outcomes. Open to staff of ASTC-member institutions. To sign up, go to ASTC Connect then contact connect [at] astc.org.

What are science centers doing in Second Life? Join Rob Rothfarb and Paul Doherty of the Exploratorium in ASTC Connect to find out about their recent experiments in this 3-D, multi-user online environment. The week-long discussion starts December 3 in the ASTC Dimensions Forum in ASTC Connect.

Discussion will take off from the current issue of ASTC Dimensions, “Immersed in Science: Learning in Today’s Digital Environments.” Doherty and Rothfarb’s article, “From 2-D to 3-D Web: The Science Center in Second Life,’” and others are available in the Forum.

To sign up, go to ASTC Connect and set up an account. Then contact Margaret Glass at mglass[at]astc.org for access to the ASTC Dimensions Forum.

Ongoing engagements with research scientists, mathematicians, and engineers help assure that the content of science centers remains strong and current. Starting September 24, we’ll be hosting an ongoing series of discussions and problem-solving sessions within a new ASTC Connect forum to help support those working to foster and strengthen these relationships.

The first, week-long discussion kicks off with a focus on exhibitions, hosted by Sheila Grinell, author of A Place for Learning Science and most recently CEO of the Arizona Science Center. Staff of ASTC-member institutions and their collaborators (in particular, their science advisors and partners) are invited to join.

The discussion takes off from the current issue of ASTC Dimensions, “The Engaged Scientist: Fostering Successful Museum-Researcher Collaborations” and Sheila Grinell’s article “In the Comfort Zone: Working with Scientists on Exhibitions.”

To sign up, go to ASTC Connect and set up an account. Then contact Margaret Glass at mglass[at]astc.org for access to the forum.