ASTC News

Science Museum of Minnesota participates in “A New National Dialogue on Race”

Christine Ruffo — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:47:49 +0000

On January 12–13, the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM), St. Paul, participated in a two-day symposium, “A New National Dialogue on Race,” in Washington, D.C. The event, co-sponsored by the American Anthropological Association (AAA) and the Congressional Black Caucus, consisted of four panels of experts from academia, civil rights organizations, and museums, designed to look at race through the lenses of science, history, and lived experience. In the opening panel, Johnetta Cole, executive director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, urged leaders to “define their diversity vision, not focusing on what they’re against, but articulating what they’re for.”

Portions of RACE: Are We So Different?, a traveling exhibition developed by SMM in collaboration with AAA, were on display during the symposium and provided a basis for discussions. The exhibition tells the stories of race from biological, cultural, and historical points of view. Eric Jolly, president of SMM, also moderated a panel on “Racial Disparities: Are U.S. Policies Addressing or Entrenching Disadvantage?”

About the image: SMM staff members brought RACE: Are We So Different? to Capitol Hill for “A New National Dialogue on Race.” Photo by Christine Ruffo

Science centers participate in COP15

Kate Crawford — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:17:42 +0000

Last week, ASTC joined 937 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from around the world in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15). In addition to a 200-booth exhibition, the conference featured hundreds of side events focusing on issues ranging from how climate change affects women to clean development mechanisms in developing countries.

One such event was an International Clim’Way Competition, organized by ASTC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). ASTC brought together youth and educators from the Museum of Science, Boston; Experimentarium, Copenhagen; Cap-Sciences, Bordeaux, France; and COSI, Columbus, Ohio, to share their experiences playing Clim’Way, a free online climate change game designed by Cap-Sciences.

The science center participants discussed what they learned from the game with a panel of climate science and policy experts that included Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; Walter Staveloz, ASTC; Ned Gardiner, NOAA; Eric Gorman, Cap-Sciences; David Noble, 2DegreesC; Bjørn Bedsted, Danish Board of Technology; and Hans Gubbels, Ecsite Executive Committee.

Perspectives on the game and on climate change differed from site to site, but all participants agreed on one thing: finding a solution to climate change, though difficult, is a challenge we must meet.

Photo by Ned Gardiner

Fun and games at COP15

Kate Crawford — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:28:52 +0000

How can we build greener cities? What impacts do our everyday actions have on the global climate? ASTC is inviting science centers around the world to play Clim’City, an online game that allows players to measure how energy and development choices impact society over a 50-year period. The game encourages players to explore what works and what does not when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

A delegation from ASTC will travel to the upcoming 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP15) in Copenhagen to organize an international competition around Clim’City, an online climate change game developed by Cap-Sciences, Bordeaux, France. ASTC is committed to supporting its members as they address issues of science and society, and COP15 will provide the opportunity to highlight such work on both a local and a global level. The event will stream live from the Bella Center in Copenhagen on December 14 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Central European Time.

Clim’City will shine a spotlight on teens and educators from seven science centers around the world, giving them the opportunity to share what they’ve learned about climate change and to interact with a panel of climate policy and science experts, including the Deputy Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Communications Director of Climate Program office of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the science advisors for Clim’City.

Institutions wishing to join the competition can sign up on the Clim’City web site using the format “COP15InstitutionNameTeamName.” The game is appropriate for ages 15–18, and participants are welcome to play as teams or as individuals. Email kcrawford[at]astc.org by Friday, December 11, with your login information and high scores for each team. Winners will be announced during the December 14th event in Copenhagen. More information can be found on the IGLO web site.

ASTC Connect Forum: Beyond painting science pink

Laura Huerta Migus — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:54:43 +0000

How can museums create science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs that present solid science content in ways that engage girls’ interests and learning styles? In “Beyond Painting Science Pink: Creating Programs that Engage Girls in STEM,” an October 31 session at the ASTC Annual Conference, Christina Soontornvat of the Austin Children’s Museum, Texas, led a panel discussion on integrating research-based best practices with high-interest content to develop programs that serve girls in meaningful ways.

Panelists Jennifer Stancil of the Girls, Math & Science Partnership at Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh, Karen Peterson of the National Girls Collaborative Project and the Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology, Lynnwood, Washington, Dr. Lisa Regalla of Twin Cities Public Television, and Georgette Williams of the New York Hall of Science, introduced participants to a number of best practices in designing STEM experiences for girls, followed by examples of hands-on activities developed based on these practices.

The conversations started during this session are continuing in a postconference online discussion on ASTC Connect, November 16–20. The enrollment key for the “Beyond Painting Science Pink” discussion is “stemgirls.”

About the image: Session participants try out “speed networking.” Photo by Christine Ruffo

November 9: Informal Science Education Infrastructure

Wendy Pollock — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:58:32 +0000

It’s been called an “invisible infrastructure”—the rich diversity of places and pursuits that ignite our curiosity and support lifelong learning about science. Join John Falk of Oregon State University and other members of a CAISE Inquiry Group for a week of discussion, starting November 9, and be one of the first to try out a guide to collecting stories that will help build a portrait of the informal science education infrastructure today. To sign up go to ASTC Connect, set up an account, and use the word “informal” to join the CAISE Forum.

Passing of the baton

Christine Ruffo — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:03:38 +0000

After four days of sessions, keynotes, demonstrations, and museum visits, the 2009 ASTC Annual Conference closed with the “passing of the baton” from retiring executive director Bonnie VanDorn to new CEO Bud Rock. Rock comes to ASTC from Arizona State University, where he served as vice president for global engagement. Prior to that, he had a 25-year career at the U.S. State Department that culminated with a five-year appointment as acting assistant secretary and principal deputy assistant secretary of state responsible for oceans, environment, and science.

Following remarks from VanDorn and Rock, Lesley Lewis, outgoing ASTC president and CEO of the Ontario Science Centre, Toronto, introduced newly elected ASTC president Nancy Stueber, president and CEO of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Portland.

About the image: Bonnie VanDorn “passes the baton” of leadership to Bud Rock at the closing luncheon of the 2009 ASTC Annual Conference. Photo by Christine Ruffo

Collaborative skygazing

Christine Ruffo — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:44:13 +0000

Galileo Galilei’s observations of night skies through a telescope helped change the perception of Earth’s role within the universe. Four hundred years later, the International Year of Astronomy 2009 is celebrating by working to put telescopes into the hands of as many people around the world as possible. A team of astronomers, optical engineers, and educators have designed the Galileoscope, an inexpensive, high-quality, easy-to-use refractor telescope that is powerful enough to allow users to examine lunar craters and mountains, Saturn’s rings, and countless stars invisible to the unaided eye.

In “Galileoscopes Around the World,” a November 3 session at ASTC 2009, attendees learned about collaborative skygazing that is happening around the world with the new telescopes. So far, 110,000 Galileoscopes have been produced and distributed, many through programs including ASTC’s Twinning project. After learning about the Galileoscopes and how they are being incorporated into programs, participants had a chance to try using one. They also were given the opportunity to apply on behalf of their institution for 100 free Galileoscopes to use with their visitors and teachers.

Stephen Pompea of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, Arizona, and Walter Staveloz of ASTC led the session. Other presenters were Robert Sparks of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory and Margaret Glass of ASTC.

About the image: Stephen Pompea demonstrates how to assemble a Galileoscope.

Photo highlights—November 2, 2009

Christine Ruffo — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:08:05 +0000

Between sessions, ASTC 2009 attendees explored the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and other nearby museums.

Sharing climate change activities

Kate Crawford — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:52:28 +0000

In “Engaging Museum Audiences in Climate Change Science,” a session held November 2 at the ASTC Annual Conference, Katie Levedahl of the Sciencenter, Ithaca, New York, and four of Sciencenter’s partners in ASTC’s Communicating Climate Change (C3) Project discussed preliminary results from C3’s audience research and presented several of the project’s climate change activities.

Presenters included Kasey McCracken of David Heil & Associates and Susan Foster of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Education and Outreach program, as well as Leon Geschwind of the Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii; Eric Havel of Chabot Space & Science Center, Oakland, California; Rita Hoffstadt of the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia; and Debbie DeRoma of the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, San Diego, California.

Participants were able to learn about the impact of their food choices, examine their home energy use choices, and play an interactive greenhouse gas game. These activities are available on the IGLO website.

As part of ASTC’s focus on building online learning communities, the session will continue on ASTC Connect in 2010. This will allow presenters to gather feedback from participants who have made use of the toolkit in their own institutions and share this information with ASTC members who were unable to attend the conference session.

If you are interesting in participating in the online follow-up for this session, contact Kate Crawford at kcrawford@astc.org.

Photo highlights—November 1, 2009

Christine Ruffo — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:53:34 +0000

Another great day at ASTC 2009! Here’s what happened: