2017 - Association of Science and Technology Centers

Three Years in the Making, the World Biotech Tour Ambassador Delegation Meets in Japan

December 20, 2017 / Public Engagement with Science / Carlin Hsueh

“I’ve just go to the airport, and am looking forward to seeing all of you =)=)” “On my way to Tokyo! See you soon!!” “[I’m bringing] Portuguese treats for you guys” As more of these messages and photos from the World Biotech Tour (WBT) ambassadors began to populate the group’s WhatsApp chat thread everyone started […]

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A Summit on Women in Science

What do a NASCAR driver, award-winning author, and cosmetic lab manager all have in common? They are just a few of the women and leaders who joined female scientists, professors, and journalists at the recent In Pursuit: An Atlantic Summit on Women in Science event in Washington, D.C. Underwritten by L’Oreal USA and presented by The

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Webcast Discussion—ISCSMD 2017: What We Did

November 26, 2017 / Public Engagement with Science, Resources & Learning / Walter Staveloz

Click here to watch a recording of this ISCSMD webcast discussion. The breadth and depth of events produced by institutions around the world for International Science Center and Science Museum Day (ISCSMD) on November 10 was stunning. From STEM programs for Syrian refugee children—to a science café for girls and women scientists—to children

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ISCSMD Stories from around the World

November 15, 2017 / Public Engagement with Science, Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories / Walter Staveloz

If you have not done so yet, go and scroll over the dots on the map for International Science Center and Science Museum Day (ISCSMD), and check out what your colleagues at institutions around the world did to celebrate the event on November 10. You may come across the Science Centre AHHAA in Tartu, Estonia,

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Scientific Evidence Is Proving No Match for Emotionalism

October 24, 2017 / Issues, Policy, and Advocacy / ASTC Member

Linda Conlon took stock of the growing primacy of emotional resonance over fact during an address at the opening of the 2017 ASTC Annual Conference in San Jose, California. She is chief executive of the International Centre for Life in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, and served as ASTC Board Chair, 2015–2017. The text of her speech

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Great Stories in Science—2017 Golden Goose Awards

September 28, 2017 / Public Engagement with Science / Gillian Thomas

Fuzzy logic, why frogs are dying, and how soy sauce can change the world are the stories from this year’s Golden Goose Awards, announced at a ceremony this week in Washington, D.C. These awards celebrate scientific research that may seem obscure when you first hear of it, but which actually leads to major impacts on

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Science and Museum Programs Advance in U.S. Senate

September 7, 2017 / Issues, Policy, and Advocacy / Todd Happer

On Thursday, September 7, the U.S. Senate’s Appropriations Committee voted for funding bills that advance many science and museum programs for the 2018 fiscal year that begins on October 1, rejecting the Administration’s proposals for drastic cuts and eliminations. While this is just one step in a complex, ongoing process supported by the advocacy efforts of

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Workshops—Tinkering: The Series

August 8, 2017 / Resources & Learning / Todd Happer

More adventurous than the latest Hollywood superhero movie franchise and more exciting than a PowerPoint presentation on the theory and philosophy underlying the facilitation of making experiences, ASTC announces: The Tinkering Workshops, a series of in-depth gatherings designed by members of the ASTC Making & Tinkering Spaces in Museums Community of Practice (CoP). The Series

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Finding Meaningful Audience Connections

August 3, 2017 / Public Engagement with Science, Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories / ASTC Member

This blog is part of an occasional series by leaders in the science center field, reflecting upon how they see the future, the changes we need to make, the impact of new technology, the increased understanding of the markets through big data, new business models—even perhaps the importance of conversations. If you have a point

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What’s Next?

July 12, 2017 / Public Engagement with Science / Gillian Thomas

This is the start of an occasional series by leaders in the science center field, reflecting upon how they see the future, the changes we need to make, the impact of new technology, the increased understanding of the markets through big data, new business models—even perhaps the importance of conversations. (If you have a point

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Gaining Perspective in Free-Choice Learning: Reflecting on Practice

July 5, 2017 / Impact & Initiatives, Resources & Learning / ASTC Member

Looking back on things helps us gain perspective, but truly reflecting on educational practices helps build a roadmap guiding us into the future By Lindzy Bivings, Senior Manager, School & Community Programs, California Academy of Sciences Here are five tips in gaining perspective through using reflection to become a more effective educator. These are strategies

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Raising an Army for Science Centers and Museums

July 2, 2017 / Issues, Policy, and Advocacy / Todd Happer

I’ve been watching The Last Kingdom, a historical fiction series set around the time of Alfred the Great and the formation of a unified English kingdom in response to invasions by the Vikings. It’s hard, sometimes, to just watch a series like this without running to the internet to look stuff up. Where was the kingdom

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ASTC on Air with Violeta Anaya

March 7, 2017 / Public Engagement with Science / Todd Happer

On Saturday, March 7, ASTC on Air spoke with Violeta Anaya, a wildlife biologist working in Mexico who is also the first “FabFem” role model outside of the United States. Watch the recording below. FabFems are women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions who provide inspiring role models for young women through STEM activities,

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ASTC on Air with Athanasios Kontonikolaou

February 21, 2017 / Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories / Todd Happer

Another edition of ASTC On Air was streamed live on Friday, February 24. We talked with Athanasios Kontonikolaou, general director of NOESIS—The Science Center and Technology Museum of Thessaloniki in Greece, about why and how his institution launched a program serving refugees in his city, which has seen a massive influx of new people during the

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ASTC on Air with Andrea Bandelli

January 26, 2017 / Public Engagement with Science / Todd Happer

On January 25, a new season of ASTC on Air kicked off with Andrea Bandelli, executive director of Science Gallery International and a participant in ASTC’s 2016 Alan J. Friedman Science Center Dialogues on the meaning of “public engagement with science.” Joined by members of the Science Gallery International staff, he discussed why and how

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Year: 2017