Association of Science and Technologies Centers

Association of Science and Technology Centers

Innovations

Place-Based Learning Meets AI: Reimagining Math Learning

/ Dimensions, Education, Technology /
Dr. Candace Walkington | Dr. Koshi Dhingra
April 7, 2026

https://youtu.be/jLHtP2NLJlI?si=TA6MjcZSXd4NUlZo The MathFinder app was developed by talkSTEM and SMU with support from National Science Foundation (2-minute video). Math is uniquely associated with anxiety and phobia. When was the last time you heard anyone say they were “history-phobic”? And yet, math is woven into nearly every part of life and every place we move through: […]

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The Power of Data Play: Helping Kids Explore the World Through Graphs

/ Community Engagement, Dimensions, Exhibits, Resources & Learning /
Kaitlin Henze
April 2, 2026

Children are naturally curious about the world around them. They ask questions, notice patterns, and try to make sense of what they observe. For children’s museums and science centers, this innate curiosity is a powerful starting point. When we give young visitors tools to explore their questions, we help them develop the skills they need

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Inside the Institute for Science & Policy at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science

/ Community Engagement, Community Science, Issues, Policy, and Advocacy, Leading Edge Awards, Planetary Health, Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /
Tricia Waddell
March 4, 2026

This project from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science was a 2025 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awardee. The awards—presented each year by ASTC—honor member institutions and/or their staff and volunteers whose work represents exceptional achievement. These awards celebrate efforts that not only enhance the performance of an individual institution but also advance the

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Reframing Succession Planning: A Practical, Equitable Approach to Organizational Continuity

/ Human Resources, Museum Workforce, Strategic Planning /
Preeti Gupta | Rena Dorph
March 2, 2026

Succession planning isn’t planned extinction; it’s a collective look towards the horizon. — Photo courtesy of The Lawrence Hall of Science For science centers and museums, succession planning is a strategic response to longstanding workforce challenges, including staff recruitment, turnover, and professional growth. Disruptions over the past six years—from the pandemic to present day—have exacerbated these

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With Passion and Innovation, Linda Kekelis Charts a Path for Girls in STEM

/ Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion, Leading Edge Awards /
Dr. Linda Kekelis | Jennifer Stancil
February 25, 2026

Linda Kekelis was a 2025 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awardee for her body of work in the field of informal education, including her role in founding Techbridge Girls. The awards—presented each year by ASTC—honor member institutions and/or their staff and volunteers whose work represents exceptional achievement. These awards celebrate efforts that not only enhance

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Empowering One Million Teachers to Close the STEM Gap

/ Leading Edge Awards, School Partnerships /
Jessica Kilpatrick | Sherry Burch | Shital Patel
February 17, 2026

This project from The Tech Interactive was a 2025 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awardee. The awards—presented each year by ASTC—honor member institutions and/or their staff and volunteers whose work represents exceptional achievement. These awards celebrate efforts that not only enhance the performance of an individual institution but also advance the entire field of informal

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North Carolina STEM Boxes: Delivering Curiosity and Comfort Amidst the Storm

/ Community Engagement, Leading Edge Awards, Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /
Jamie DeMent Holcomb
February 5, 2026

This project from the North Carolina Children’s Museum and Hands On! Children’s Museum was a 2024 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awardee. The awards—presented each year by ASTC—honor member institutions and/or their staff and volunteers whose work represents exceptional achievement. These awards celebrate efforts that not only enhance the performance of an individual institution but

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From a Small Island to the World: Rethinking Science Engagement Through Youth Voices and Climate Action

/ ASTC Annual Conference, Planetary Health, School Partnerships, Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /
Dr. Bhamini Kamudu Applasawmy
January 27, 2026

Dimensions invited Bhamini Kamudu Applasawmy, PhD, the 2025 Lee Kimche McGrath Worldwide Fellow, to share about a project important to her work in Mauritius, while reflecting on her experience attending the ASTC 2025 Annual Conference in the San Francisco Bay Area. The McGrath Fellowship is a key part of ASTC’s global outreach, strengthening international dialogue

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Play the Game, Save the World! Using an Immersive Escape Game to Teach Families Evolutionary Thinking

/ Exhibits, Leading Edge Awards, Research and Evaluation, Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /
Anna Thanukos | Lisa D. White | Teresa MacDonald
January 27, 2026

This project from the University of Kansas Natural History Museum and the UC Museum of Paleontology was a 2025 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awardee. The awards—presented each year by ASTC—honor member institutions and/or their staff and volunteers whose work represents exceptional achievement. These awards celebrate efforts that not only enhance the performance of an individual

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Brilliant on a Budget: How Mar Dixon Connected Millions to Museums

/ Casemaking and Advocacy, Community Engagement, Engaging All Visitors /
Caroline Nickerson | Darlene Cavalier | Jacqueline Lewis
January 12, 2026

The late Mar Dixon helped millions of people see themselves in cultural spaces. Her legacy continues through #MuseumSelfieDay. Mar Dixon’s Legacy of Good Troublemaking Mar Dixon, a self-proclaimed “troublemaker for sectors that need a kick up the bum,” was a self-taught digital strategist who became a global champion for cultural access. She did not merely

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Evolving Together: ASTC’s New Natural History Network

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Collections, Community Engagement /
Jamie Bell | Jenny Crayne
December 4, 2025

The Osher Rainforest inspires awe at the California Academy of Sciences “The work taking place in natural history museums has never been more important, and the role that they play in safeguarding humanity’s future is only just starting to be realized.” (Jack Ashby, in Nature’s Memory, 2025) With the launch of ASTC’s Natural History Network

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