IN THIS ISSUE
May/June 2017
Science centers and museums touch lives, spread awe and wonder, and inspire scientists and science enthusiasts of the future. But they can do none of these things without a solid, sustainable business model.
Science centers’ business models are as diverse as the communities and nations in which they reside, with some relying primarily on public funding, others benefiting from the generosity of private donors, still others creating innovative sources of earned income, and many relying on a mix of many different revenue streams.
This issue contains stories of how science centers around the world have constructed their business models in a variety of contexts, including some words of wisdom from two recently retired leaders in our field, David E. Chesebrough and Charlie Trautmann.
Features
- Sustainable Science Center Business Models, by Linda Conlon
- Mission Versus Money: Must Science Centrs Choose Just One?, by David E. Chesebrough
- The Business of Science Centers, by Charlie Trautmann
- Leveraging Public Funding for Robust Development of Science Centers and Museums in China, by Ou Jiancheng
- Three Perspectives on Public Funding in Science Center Business Models, by Sarah B. George, Diego Golombek, Guadalupe Díaz Costanzo, and Robert Firmhofer
Departments
- From the CEO: Thanks and reflections, by Anthony (Bud) Rock
- Spotlights—Brand new buildings (and a treehouse!)
- Notes from ASTC—Looking ahead to ASTC 2017 and ISCSMD 2017 and presenting the new digital Dimensions
- Viewpoints—What misconceptions about science centers and museums do you wish you could correct?
- What We Learned—What’s the buzz with words?
- People—Comings and goings
- Grants and Awards
- Q&A with Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication