Nicole Lazzaro, world-renowned game designer and researcher, founder of XEODesign, and one of Fast Company’s 100 most influential women in high-tech, and Dr. Michael Evans, associate professor and program area leader in instructional design and technology at Virginia Tech, will anchor the closing keynote panel at ASTC’s 2012 Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, October 13-16, hosted by COSI. The closing panel on cyberlearning and gaming will be held Tuesday, October 16, and additional panel participants will be announced shortly.

Nicole Lazzaro discovered the Four Keys to Fun in 2004, a model used by hundreds of thousands of game developers worldwide. She used this model to design the iPhone’s first accelerometer game in 2007, now called Tilt World. One of the top 20 women working in video games, and top 10 women in gamification, Nicole’s work has been widely cited by global news media such as Wired, Fast Company, CNN, CNET, The Hollywood Reporter, and Red Herring. She has advised the White House and the U.S. State Department on the use of games to unlock human potential to improve our world. For the past two decades as the CEO of XEODesign she has improved hundreds of millions of player experiences for companies such as Ubisoft, EA, Disney, and Cartoon Network, as well as worked on best selling franchises such as Myst, Diner Dash, Pogo, and The Sims. One of the pioneers in applying game design outside of games, she designed game-inspired UI for Oracle, Cisco, Kaiser, Sun, Roxio, and others as early as 1992.

Dr. Michael Evans received a B.A. and M.A. in psychology from the University of West Florida and a PhD in instructional systems technology from Indiana University. His work focuses on the effects of multimedia methods and technologies on instruction and learning. Current research focuses on the design, development, and evaluation of instructional multimedia for interactive surfaces (personal media devices, smart phones, tablets, tables, and whiteboards) to support collaborative learning as well as the adoption of video game elements for instructional design, particularly for informal settings. Currently, he is Principal Investigator on two current NSF-sponsored projects. The GAMES Project (DRL 1118571) proposes to develop serious mathematical games for tablets and other mobile devices, focusing on pre-algebra readiness and states of engagement. The Studio STEM Project (DRL 1029756) proposes to engage middle school students in science and engineering in an after school setting. Guided by engineering teaching kits, participants work with undergraduate mentors to explore the science of energy as they build-test-rebuild dwellings to protect penguins from climate change. Evans teaches graduate courses in the learning sciences and interactive media design and development. He has published in Educational Technology Research and Development, the International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, and the Journal of Educational Computing Research. More information on projects can be found at the GAMES and Studio STEM websites.

For more information on ASTC’s 2012 Annual Conference, visit conference.astc.org.

Trekaroo, a blog focused on traveling with children as well as child- and family-friendly activities, recently released their list of the top 10 U.S. science and technology museums for children, based on user reviews from their site. The Exploratorium, San Francisco, was ranked the number one overall museum; the Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose, California, was ranked the number one technology museum; and the American Museum of Natural History, New York, was ranked the number one natural history museum. All 10 museums on the list, as well as the seven awarded honorable mention, are ASTC members. Learn more: blog.trekaroo.com/2012/04/18/top-10-science-and-technology-museums/.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications in the Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums program, jointly funded by IMLS and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The program is managed by ASTC and the Urban Libraries Council (ULC).

Applications are due June 15, 2012.

These grants will support the planning and designing of Learning Labs in libraries and museums throughout the country. The Labs are intended to engage middle- and high-school youth in mentor-led, interest-based, youth-centered, collaborative learning using digital and traditional media. Grantees will be required to participate, in-person and online, in a community of practice that will provide technical assistance, networking, and cross-project learning. Projects are expected to provide prototypes for the field and be based on current research about digital media and youth learning.

To learn more about the program, ask questions, and listen to the questions and comments of other participants, you are invited to participate in one of two pre-application webinars. These webinars have been scheduled for:

Wednesday, May 9 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET (12:00-1:00 p.m. PT)
Thursday, May 23 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PT)

The ULC/ASTC team will also offer “office hours” to pose final questions closer to the application deadline. The “office hour” schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, June 5 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PT)
Monday, June 11 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PT)

To register for the May 9 webinar, visit https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/274016350. The link for the May 23 webinar and the two “office hour” sessions will be available at this same address one week prior.

The Learning Labs guidelines can be found at http://www.imls.gov/applicants/learning_labs_guidelines.aspx. For questions or more information, please contact Margaret Glass at (202) 783-7200 x 129 or mglass@astc.org.

Earlier today, The Noyce Foundation, in collaboration with ASTC and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), announced the participants in a fifth round of yearlong sponsored fellowships, as well as plans to recruit more leaders in the following year, with the aim of increasing the public impact of science centers, museums, and related institutions. Of the 18 senior-level executives from science centers, children’s museums, natural history museums, and field-based institutions named as 2012-2013 Noyce Leadership Fellows, 15 represent ASTC-member institutions.

Through their experience as Fellows, these individuals will gain access to knowledge, tools, promising practices, and professional networks that increase their capacity to lead effectively and advance innovation in their own institutions, their home communities, and in the broader field. They were selected through a competitive process by a committee composed of professionals representing the fields of informal science education and executive leadership. The Fellowship program provides an action-learning framework via a mix of face-to-face sessions, executive coaching, peer learning, audio conferencing, and other learning strategies over a year, followed by ongoing Fellow alumni activities.

The 18 Noyce Fellows and their Strategic Initiative Sponsors are as follows. (ASTC-member institutions are noted with an asterisk.)

Accokeek Foundation, Maryland
Fellow: Lisa Hayes, President & CEO
Sponsor: Wilton C. Corkern, senior advisor

American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York*
Fellow: Lauri Halderman, senior director, exhibition interpretation
Co-Sponsors: David Harvey, senior vice president for exhibition, and Lisa J. Gugenheim, senior vice president, institutional advancement, strategic planning and education

Boston Children’s Museum, Massachusetts*
Fellow: Tim Porter, project director, education
Sponsor: Leslie Swartz, senior vice president of research and program planning

Copernicus Science Center, Warsaw, Poland
Fellow: Irena Cieślińska, deputy director
Sponsor: Robert Firmhofer, CEO

Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley*
Fellow: Gretchen Walker, public science center interim director
Sponsor: Elizabeth Stage, director, Lawrence Hall of Science

Madison Children’s Museum, Wisconsin*
Fellow: Brenda Baker, director of exhibits
Sponsor: Ruth Shelly, executive director

Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C.*
Fellow: Erika Shugart, deputy director
Sponsor: Patrice Legro, director

Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago*
Fellow: Patricia Ward, director, science and technology
Sponsor: Kurt Haunfelner, vice president, exhibits and collections

Museum of Science, Boston*
Fellow: Christine Reich, director of research and evaluation
Co-Sponsors: Wayne Bouchard, chief operating officer, and Britton O’Brien, vice president, human resources

National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, Miraikan, Japan*
Fellow: Yasushi Ikebe, principal investigator of science communication
Sponsor: Mamoru Mohri, CEO

Natural History Museum, London*
Fellow: Ian Jenkinson, museum manager
Co-Sponsors: Ailsa Barry, head of interactive media, and Andy Polaszek, keeper of entomology

Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
Fellow: Paul Voogt, director, public programs
Sponsor: Edwin van Huis, CEO

New York Hall of Science, Queens*
Fellow: David Kanter, director, SciPlay, Center for Play, Science and Technology Learning
Sponsor: Margaret Honey, president & CEO

Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul*
Fellow: Bob Breck, director of marketing and membership
Sponsor: Paul Martin, senior vice president of science learning

Science Museum Oklahoma, Oklahoma City*
Fellow: Sherry Marshall, director of the Oklahoma Museum Network
Sponsor: Don Otto, CEO

Thanksgiving Point Institute, Lehi, Utah
Fellow: Blake Wigdahl, vice president, design and programming
Sponsor: Mike Washburn, president and CEO

The Franklin Institute Science Museum, Philadelphia*
Fellow: Dale McCreedy, director, gender and family learning programs
Sponsor: Frederic Bertley, vice president, science and innovation

Universeum, Gothenburg, Sweden*
Fellow: Carina Halvord, deputy managing director and head of development
Sponsor: Lars Rehnman, CEO

The Noyce Foundation and its partners are proud to announce a sixth NLI Fellowship in 2013-2014. Senior-level leaders interested in learning more about the application process should visit www.noycefdn.org.

The Institute bears the name of Robert Noyce, co-founder of Intel and and inventor of the integrated circuit. His work in leading science, engineering, and technology to a whole new level of innovation — as well as the creation of new industries — is legendary. Known for his integrity, authenticity, character, inclusiveness, and continuous innovation, Noyce’s legacy continues to serve as a standard for leaders today. Primary funding for the Noyce Leadership Institute comes from the Noyce Foundation, with additional support to date from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the David & Lucile Packard Foundation.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced yesterday that three ASTC-member institutions—the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Portland; New York Hall of Science, Queens; and the Da Vinci Discovery Center of Science and Technology, Allentown, Pennsylvania—were among the first 12 winners of a national competition to build 21st Century learning labs in museums and libraries around the country.

The winners—four museums and eight libraries—will receive a total of $1.2 million in grants to plan and design the labs. Inspired by YOUMedia, a new teen space at the Chicago Public Library, and innovations in science and technology centers, these labs will help young people move beyond consuming content to making and creating it.

In addition to the three ASTC members that received Learning Labs grants, four additional ASTC members—California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco; COSI, Columbus, Ohio; Institute for Learning Innovation, Edgewater, Maryland; and Science City at Union Station, Kansas City, Missouri—will partner with awarded libraries in their communities.

The learning labs will be based on new research about how young people learn today. Teens will use both digital and traditional media that promote creativity, critical thinking, and hands-on learning. The labs will connect teens to mentors and peers, as well as anytime, anywhere access to information through online social networks so that they can pursue their interests more deeply. The winning institutions will match the funds from the competition and partner with local educational, cultural, and civic organizations to build a network of learning opportunities for young people.

ASTC CEO Anthony (Bud) Rock remarked, “Science centers and museums nurture the innovative spirit so crucially needed for success in today’s world, and using digital media to further ignite the excitement of our nation’s youth about lifelong STEM learning will ensure that future generations cultivate the skills they need, such as problem solving, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. The fact that three of the four museums named as grant recipients are science centers is an exciting testament to the strength of our field as incubators of innovation in our communities.”

The 12 recipients of this round of grants were selected out of a pool of 98 applicants from 32 states. Applications were evaluated by professionals with relevant expertise in digital media and learning and museum and library management. Winners will participate—in-person and online—in a community of practice that will provide technical assistance, networking, and cross-project learning. In addition to the Da Vinci Center, New York Hall of Science, and OMSI, those institutions selected as grant recipients include: San Francisco Public Library, California; Rangeview Library District and Anythink Libraries, Thornton, Colorado; Howard County Public Library, Columbia, Maryland; St. Paul Public Library, Minnesota; Kansas City Public Library, Missouri; Columbus Metropolitan Library, Ohio; Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation, Pennsylvania; Nashville Public Library Foundation, Tennessee; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas.

For information on those museums and libraries chosen as Learning Labs grant recipients, visit www.imls.gov/news/21st_century_learning_lab_locations1.aspx. Application materials for a second round of grants will be available in spring 2012. More information is available at www.imls.gov.