Washington, DC — The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) announced today the recipients of the 2026 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards. This year, two individuals and two organizations are recognized for their extraordinary achievements in advancing informal science learning, community engagement, and organizational innovation.
The Roy L. Schafer Leading Edge Awards celebrate excellence that reflects ASTC’s vision of increased understanding of and engagement with science and technology among all people to enhance lives and livelihoods, strengthen communities, and sustain the planet. In 2026, the Awards Committee also emphasized achievements related to the annual conference theme, Forward, which encourages all of us to build an ambitious path forward for our field.
“Our Leading Edge awardees demonstrate the commitment to excellence and innovation that is a trademark of science engagement professionals,” said Christofer Nelson, President and CEO of ASTC. “Their leadership is inspiring at any time, but especially now as organizations across our field are embracing ambitious goals and carving new paths to serve their communities.”
“From flood-risk communication, to advancing public dialogue, to broadening access to hands-on STEM experiences – this year’s honorees found innovative and deeply personal ways to make a lasting difference in the communities they serve,” said Robin Gose, President and CEO of MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, and co-chair of the ASTC Awards Committee.
2026 Leading Edge Award Recipients
Individual Awardees
- Rachel Hogan Carr (Nurture Nature Center – Easton, Pennsylvania)
For creating an internationally recognized model for flood-risk communication and community resilience.
- Darrell Porcello (Children’s Creativity Museum – San Francisco, California)
For leading national collaborations and designing interactive experiences that connect cutting-edge science with meaningful public dialogue.
Organizational Awardees
- Kansas Children’s Discovery Center (Topeka, Kansas)
For the program Play Free at the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, which brings hands-on STEM experiences into correctional facilities, helping parents who are incarcerated and their children explore and create together.
- Imagination Station (Toledo, Ohio)
For the program Toledo Tinkers, which brings making, tinkering, and creative problem-solving directly to neighborhoods with limited access to hands-on learning opportunities.
The 2026 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards will be presented during the ASTC 2026 Annual Conference, taking place September 16–19, in Phoenix, Arizona.
For more information about ASTC’s awards program, visit: www.astc.org/awards
About the Association of Science and Technology Centers
Founded in 1973, the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) is a network of more than 600 science and technology centers and museums, and allied organizations, engaging nearly 110 million people annually across North America and in more than 35 countries. With its members and partners, ASTC works towards a vision of increased understanding of and engagement with science and technology among all people to enhance lives and livelihoods, strengthen communities, and sustain the planet.