Association of Science and Technologies Centers

Shifting Paradigms: Embracing Multiple Worldviews in Science Centers

/ Dimensions /

By Laura Huerta Migus From Dimensions November/December 2011 Science centers and museums fill a unique community role as centers of learning, research, entertainment, and community congregation. Beyond teaching scientific concepts, the underlying motivation for all science center activities is promoting the value of science and scientific thinking to the general public. Science centers and museums […]

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EdVenture, Madison Children's Museums among recipients of 2011 National Medal for Museum and Library Service

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

ASTC members EdVenture Children’s Museum in Columbia, South Carolina, and the Madison Children’s Museum in Madison, Wisconsin, were among the 10 libraries and museums selected by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to receive the 2011 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor for museums

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Q&A with Helen Augare

/ Dimensions /

Interviewed by Joelle Seligson This interview appeared in the November/December 2011 issue of Dimensions magazine. The director of the Blackfeet Native Science Field Center on traditional knowledge, Western science, and understanding our place in the world In high school, she took an interest in science; at the University of Montana, she pursued business. Today, Helen

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Do you think science centers and museums have a role in developing or hosting exhibitions on controversial topics? Why or why not?

/ Dimensions /

This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the November/December 2011 issue of Dimensions magazine. Yes, we should. Science and technology raise controversial topics, and as institutions that promote civil engagement, we should present these topics as part of our responsibility to society. (Pictured: Bloomfield’s Peace Labyrinth exhibition.)

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Museum giant-screen theaters now have standards

/ Resources & Learning /

After an extensive peer and expert review, the Digital Immersive Giant Screen Specifications (DIGSS 1.0) are now fully available, along with many other findings and reports relevant to museum giant screen theaters and those who support them. An independent evaluation conducted by the Institute for Learning Innovation found after the 2010 Giant Screen Cinema Association

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Why So Few? Barriers to Women’s Participation in STEM, and How Science Centers Can Help

/ Dimensions, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion /

By Andresse St. Rose From ASTC Dimensions March/April 2011 Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are critical to the economies of the United States and nations around the world. Therefore, expanding and developing the STEM workforce is a crucial issue for governments, industry leaders, and educators. For example, although women and girls in the United

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President Obama visits New York science fair

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

During a day trip to New York City on March 29, U.S. President Barack Obama made an unscheduled stop at the American Museum of Natural History to tour the New York Science and Engineering Fair—his third science fair visit in recent weeks. As he examined projects including a bamboo bicycle and an exhibit on human-robot

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The Wild Center and Heureka participate in environmental exchange

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

Communities around the world are starting to notice climate changes that may affect their cultures, lifestyles, and economies. This year, Heureka, The Finnish Science Centre, Vantaa, and The Wild Center, Tupper Lake, New York, have brought members of their communities together to exchange experiences and discuss community learning and action on energy saving, climate issues,

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Responsive and Accessible: How Museums Are Using Research to Better Engage Diverse Cultural Communities

/ Dimensions /

By Cecilia Garibay From ASTC Dimensions January/February 2011 In recent decades, we’ve learned about visitors at science centers and museums and how their experiences can positively impact science learning (National Research Council, 2009). Excepting Hood’s work (1981) on non–museum goers, however, little attention has been paid to those who do not typically visit museums. Only

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Science Alive staff and visitors uninjured in earthquake

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

On February 21, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand—the second major earthquake to hit the city in six months. ASTC-member Science Alive, damaged in the first quake on September 4, 2010, suffered additional damage to its building, but all staff and visitors were evacuated safely. CEO Neville Petrie reports: “Science Alive withstood the quake

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Bibliotheca Alexandrina Safe During Egypt Unrest

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

The current political unrest in Egypt has taken a toll on a number of public buildings across the country.  In a testament to its role in the community as a promoter of open reform and civil liberties, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina was protected from any damage by local youth, who formed a cordon around the facility.

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