The ASTC and the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) have announced a partnership to manage a new Learning Labs project supported through $4 million in funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

“Science centers and museums are ideal places to engage and educate young people through new forms of media, and ASTC is honored to be chosen as a cooperating partner for such an exciting and important project,” said ASTC’s CEO Anthony (Bud) Rock. “This new undertaking nicely complements our presidentially-endorsed Youth Inspired Challenge initiative, as both will help expand the impact of science centers and museums to assist our young people to become the innovative and creative thinkers we need for the 21st century.”

ASTC and ULC will be responsible for supporting a network of Learning Labs that will use best practice principles, based on research and evidence in the field of youth digital learning, to engage youth in 21st century skills and effective STEM education. The Labs will be spaces for experimentation where young people explore traditional and digital media and use hands-on, interest-based learning to strengthen their creativity and critical thinking skills.

A Request for Proposals for the Learning Labs project will be issued to eligible library and museum applicants in June, and an August deadline is anticipated. Grants of up to $100,000 will be awarded for each Learning Lab, and awards will be announced by IMLS in October/November. This will be the first of two grant rounds; a second deadline will occur in April/May 2012. (Note that dates are subject to change.) Answers to frequently asked questions about the Learning Labs project are available at: www.imls.gov/pdf/MacArthurLabsFAQ.pdf.

On March 1, the Noyce Foundation, in collaboration ASTC and the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), announced the fourth cohort of Noyce Leadership Fellows.

Through their Fellowships, 18 senior level managers from science centers and related institutions will increase their capacity to lead effectively; to advance innovation in their institutions and communities; and to act as change agents at the crossroads of societal trends, global issues, and informal science. The Noyce Leadership Institute (NLI) provides access to knowledge, tools, best practices, and professional networks through a mix of face-to-face sessions, executive coaching, peer learning, and audio conferencing over a year, followed by ongoing Fellow alumni activities.

Primary funding for NLI comes from the Noyce Foundation, with additional support to date from IMLS, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the David & Lucile Packard Foundation.

Congratulations to the 2011–2012 Fellows (in bold) and their Strategic Initiative Sponsors:

• Jeff Barnhart, Lindy Hoyer, Omaha Children’s Museum, Nebraska
• Marcie Benne, Ray Vandiver, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Portland
• Dan Bird, Goéry Delacôte, At-Bristol, England, United Kingdom
• Scott Carter, Ron Kagan, Detroit Zoological Society, Michigan
• Greg DeFrancis, David Goudy, Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, Vermont
• Sean Duran, Gillian Thomas, Miami Science Museum, Florida
• Andrea Durham, Paul Fontaine, Anne Cademenos, Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts
• Amito Haarhuis, Michiel Buchel, Science Center NEMO, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Joan Hoge-North, Geoff Halfpenny, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, Delaware
• Eva Jonsson, Olle Nordberg, Teknikens Hus, Luleå, Sweden
• Diane Perlov, Jeffrey Rudolph, California Science Center, Los Angeles
• Gail Ringel, Carole Charnow, Boston Children’s Museum, Massachusetts
• Tom Rockwell, Rob Semper, Exploratorium, San Francisco
• Patricia Verheyden, Eric Jacquemyn, Technopolis, Mechelen, Belgium
• Johannes Vogel, Sharon Ament, Natural History Museum, London, England, United Kingdom
• Stacy Wakeford, Denise Amyot, Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation, Ottawa, Ontario
• Shari Werb, Cristián Samper, Claudine Brown, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
• Karen Wise, Jane Pisano, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, California.

As part of its continued commitment to advocacy on global issues related to science and society, ASTC issued a statement on behalf of science centers and museums to the UN Commission on the Status of Women in preparation for its 55th session. In this session, which is being held in  New York City from February 22 to March 4, the Commission is considering as its priority theme “access and participation of women and girls in education, training, science, and technology, including for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work.”

The declaration outlines science centers and museums’ commitment to and strength in providing equitable and accessible spaces for science learning, as well as the importance of informal science education environments as partners in the overall science learning landscape. ASTC submitted the declaration with the intent that governments will include its considerations in their policies and resource decisions. The full text of the declaration is available here (pdf, 427 KB).

About the image: A participant in Columbus State Community College’s English as a Second Language Afterschool Program at Providence Glen enjoys a field trip to COSI, Columbus, Ohio. Photo courtesy CSCC

Thousands of scientists, educators, and decision-makers from around the world have converged on the U.S. capital this week for the 177th American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting. In honor of the conference, which explores “Science Without Borders” with representatives from more than 50 countries, ASTC invited participants to spend yesterday evening at the Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences.

The crowd included representatives from diverse organizations interested in the role of science centers and museums in engaging the public in science, from the National Science Teachers Association to the Embassy of Sweden. After a welcome by Koshland Science Museum director Patrice Legro, ASTC CEO Bud Rock and Martin Storksdieck, director of the Board on Science Education at the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council, led participants in a dialog on how science centers support the integration of informal learning into our lifelong learning paths.

The science center community aren’t the only ones celebrating science this week, though. AAAS will host its Family Science Days February 19 and 20 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. This community science showcase features a broad range of educators, including several ASTC members, working to promote an interest in science among the general public. The event is free and open to the public.

About the image: Bud Rock, Francis Eberle, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association, and Martin Storksdieck attend the ASTC reception at the Koshland Science Museum.

ASTC is pleased to announce the launch of the Youth Inspired Challenge website, www.youthinspiredchallenge.org.  The site is dedicated to documenting the valuable programs offered by ASTC member institutions around the world that engage youth in hands-on STEM learning and nurture tomorrow’s STEM leaders.  Visitors will find general information about the Challenge, a directory of participating institutions and descriptions of their programs, and a showcase section highlighting the innovative practices and impact of individual programs.  The site also contains information and template marketing materials for participating institutions to support their programs and the Challenge in their own communities.

ASTC member institutions offering youth programs, especially those that focus on youth development and serve youth from underrepresented backgrounds, can still register for the Challenge.  Maximum ASTC member participation is necessary to meet the goal of the Challenge—to involve youth in 2 million hours of science enrichment programming at science centers and museums over the next three years.  Benefits of participation include:

• Increased visibility of your youth programs through inclusion on the Youth Inspired Challenge web site
• Free Youth Inspired Challenge–branded marketing and promotional materials to facilitate local fundraising
• Access to a community of practice around youth programming and youth development in science centers and museums
• Increased exposure to legislators and policymakers through ASTC’s advocacy efforts.

There is no cost to participate in the Challenge. Participating institutions are required to provide ASTC with data on their programs (student enrollment, number of contact hours, etc.) over the course of the challenge to measure progress toward the goal of two million hours of science enrichment.

Please direct all questions about the Youth Inspired Challenge to Laura Huerta Migus, ASTC’s director of equity and diversity at 202/783-7200 x139.