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 civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions. IMLS is the primary source of U.S. federal funding for museums and libraries.

The ceremony highlighted how the awardees’ programs have benefited individual community members. By partnering with Explora, Sara Keeney has discovered new passion and possibilities for education. As principal for the past 10 years of Los Padillas Elementary School—located in a semi-rural area where families struggle—Sara has found fresh approaches for engaging teachers, students, and their parents by working through inquiry-based programs at Explora. Teachers comment that Explora’s unique professional development opportunities have changed their classroom methods and activities. Families rave about Explora Family Science Night, the school’s best-attended family event. Watching families interact in thought-provoking experiments is deeply meaningful to Sara, who knows these activities will ripple throughout the child’s life in family conversations, learning potential and career choices. Most of Sara’s work has been in minority and high poverty schools like Los Padillas where 60 percent of the students are English language learners, and the school qualifies for 100 percent free lunches. According to Sara, “Our families are engaged in survival, but Explora helped us reach out to them in ways we hadn’t thought of.”

In addition to the National Medal, each awardee institution receives $10,000 and visit from StoryCorps, an independent, nonprofit, oral history project that records conversations with community members that can be shared through a free CD and are preserved at the Library of Congress.

About the image: Community member Sara Keeney and Explora director Patrick Lopez accept the National Medal from U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama. Photo courtesy IMLS

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 pleased to be working with such a dedicated and diverse group of science education institutions,” said Jane Lubchenco, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Our new investments strongly support NOAA’s efforts to encourage public stewardship activities and informed decision making. We are excited about the opportunity to work more closely with lifelong learners.”

ASTC-member recipients are:

• American Museum of Natural History, New York City: $826,112 for “Exploring Earth Systems: Expanding Data Visualization Experiences for Museum Learners”

• California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, and Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Colorado, in partnership with the University of Louisville, Kentucky: $1,248,123 for “A collaborative project: The Worldview Network: Ecological Literacy Programming for Digital Planetariums and Beyond”

• Exploratorium, San Francisco: $517,900 for “Embedding NOAA in a Public Learning Laboratory—The Environmental Scientist-In-Residence Program at the Exploratorium”

• Miami Science Center, Florida: $499,559 for “Hurricanes and Climate Change: Local Impacts and Global Systems”

• Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul: $500,001 for “Planet Earth Decision Theater”

• Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond: $295,202 for “Science on a Sphere—Earth Systems Display Center at Science Museum of Virginia.”

NOAA’s Environmental Literacy Grants program is a competitive U.S. national grant program focused on creating an environmentally literate public that uses a comprehensive understanding of the role of the ocean, coasts, Great Lakes, weather, and climate in the global ecosystem to make the best social and economic decisions. The program provides funding for an array of educational organizations that reach diverse audiences.

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 to reopen the center to the public this weekend, but aftershocks have further damaged the building’s clock tower. The building is now completely closed and will remain so until an engineer’s report can secure the tower and guarantee its safety. In the meantime, the staff is looking into ways to continue operating their school outreach programs.

“We thank everyone for their support,” writes Science Alive CEO Neville Petrie. “Their messages are comforting, and it has reinforced the wonderful, friendly environment that exists in the science center movement.”

Update (September 20, 2010):

Neville Petrie reports, “Science Alive was closed for nine days while the building was checked over by engineers. We suffered extensive cracking in walls throughout the building, but this has not affected the strength of the main structure. The main concern was the cracking that occurred in the clock tower. Work has started on covering the damaged brickwork with large frames to prevent falling debris. This temporary measure will give engineers an opportunity to plan the major repairs that will be needed to restore the clock tower. The majority of the other damage is superficial, but it will take some time to repair, replaster, and repaint. We are hoping to get national TV coverage of the work beginning on the clock tower and hope to have a ceremonial restarting of the clock when that is complete. Our clock is one of two significant public clocks in Christchurch, so we think it could be a symbolic restart. We are hoping all this will encourage visitors to come in and see the earthquake exhibits that we have been able to get out on the floor and start to push up visitor numbers again.”

About the image: Science Alive’s clock tower was damaged by recent earthquakes.

April 22, 2010, marks the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day, and science centers are joining the celebration with their own festivals, service projects, and even musical performances.

The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, is kicking off the week with their Earth Day Festival, April 17–18. Among the many activities offered, visitors will be able to check out the Academy’s electrofishing boat used by scientists to collect fish for study, meet local groups committed to protecting the environment, and practice digging a sediment core to read the history of pollution and climate change that’s written in the mud from a salt marsh.

Impression 5 Science Center, Lansing, Michigan, is coordinating a river clean-up day on April 18. After spending a few hours hard at work, participants will be invited back to the science center for demonstrations and workshops about the Grand River watershed.

Two museum celebrations will feature special musical performances as part of their Earth Day celebrations. On April 18, the Springfield Museums, Springfield, Massachusetts, will host The Boys of the Landfill, a bluegrass band that performs environmental songs. The following Saturday, Bash the Trash will perform an interactive show about the importance of recycling and the science of music at Maryland Science Center, Baltimore.

To learn more about Earth Day, visit www.earthday.org.

About the image: Participants in Impression 5’s 2009 river clean-up day learn about the Grand River watershed through a hands-on activity. Photo courtesy Lansing Board of Water & Light

On April 5, ASTC members brought hands-on science to the White House lawn during the annual Easter Egg Roll. Thousands attended the event, themed “Ready, Set, Go!” following U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to combat childhood obesity.

Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, California, ran a kite-making acitivity, to help kids learn about wind energy and flight. Volunteers helped students experiment with different designs and gave them tips to continue learning at home.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Washington, D.C., offered Science of Spring activities, inviting visitors to dissect green been seeds, look at them under a microscope, take beans home to plant, and document their progress online.

The National Children’s Museum, Washington, D.C., provided several health-related activities. Families were asked to contribute to a large-scale fabric mural by sharing their pledges to live a healthier lifestyle. To help them remember how to plan well-balanced meals and stay active, children were encouraged to make a “Healthy Food on My Mind” crown and decorate Frisbees.

About the image: Lawrence Hall of Science staff members and local D.C. volunteers at White House Egg Roll. Photo by Jason Meagher