Association of Science and Technologies Centers

Association of Science and Technology Centers

ASTC Staff

ASTC Announces Four Recipients of the 2026 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards

/ ASTC News & Announcements /

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 […]

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ASTC Announces 2026 Board of Elections Results

/ ASTC News & Announcements /

WASHINGTON, DC – The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) is pleased to welcome new members of its Board of Directors, who will assume their positions at the conclusion of the ASTC Annual Conference on September 19, 2026. The Board provides direction to ASTC, which represents organizations committed to public engagement with science, including

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From Seeing to Doing: How Sacramento Children’s Museum is Bringing STEM Role Models to Life

/ Impact & Initiatives /

By Shannon Sullivan At Sacramento Children’s Museum, role models don’t just live on a wall or in a single exhibit. They’re built into the interactive ecosystem where children, caregivers, staff, and community partners experience STEM together. Deputy Director Meghan Toland says joining the IF/THEN® Champions Network has helped the museum create new ways to emphasize

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Association of Science and Technology Centers, Collaborators Debut ‘Future Systems’ Policy Proposals to Build Upon Colorado’s Success

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Policy /

Coloradans deliver new policy ideas to strengthen the workforce, leverage the economic benefits of emerging technology, and increase land, climate and energy resilience Washington, DC – With the shape of federal policymaking uncertain, and as midterm elections fast approach, states have a golden opportunity to experiment with policy and provide testing grounds for worthy policy

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New draft rule threatens to undermine existing merit-based government investment in science by creating a more opaque, politicized, and inefficient funding process

/ Policy /

By Erica Kimmerling and Amanda Vernon The United States has historically been at the forefront of science and technology innovation. This leadership is in large part due to decisions to build an infrastructure that allows any motivated parties to engage in a merit-based funding process. This competitive process requires a significant upfront investment of time

New draft rule threatens to undermine existing merit-based government investment in science by creating a more opaque, politicized, and inefficient funding process Read More »

New Survey Shows High Air Quality Concern Among Parents, Yet Gaps Remain Between Worry and Action

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Planetary Health /

Nearly 9 in 10 U.S. parents worry poor air quality is affecting their families, but few know what steps to take A new, nationally representative survey of parents found that 87% are concerned about how air quality affects their own health and that of their family. Nearly two-thirds (63%) believe their children have already experienced

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Seeding Action and iNaturalist Announce the Members of the 2026-2027 Cohort

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Planetary Health /

Seeding Action and iNaturalist are delighted to announce a new group of science centers, museums, and public engagement organizations selected to develop creative planetary health initiatives using iNaturalist, a free app that connects people and nature. With the generous support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Seeding Action and iNaturalist have partnered as part of a multi-year program designed to promote planetary health action through engagement with iNaturalist.  

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The Air We Share: New Partnership between ASTC and Sanofi US

/ ASTC News & Announcements /

ASTC is delighted to announce a new partnership with Sanofi—The Air We Share, a program to support science centers and museums in the United States to engage with their local communities on the ways that environmental challenges like air pollution, wildfires, and extreme heat affect human health. Extensive research shows that these environmental threats harm

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ASTC Announces 2025 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Award Winners

/ ASTC News & Announcements /

Washington, D.C. (August 29, 2025) — The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards. This year, five individuals and six organizations are being recognized for their extraordinary achievements in advancing informal science learning, community engagement, and organizational innovation.  The Roy

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ASTC requests proposals to host 2028 and 2029 conferences

/ ASTC Annual Conference, ASTC News & Announcements /

The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) is requesting proposals to host the ASTC Annual Conference in the Fall of 2028 and/or 2029. The ASTC Annual Conference is one of the premier professional development events for science and technology centers and museums, as well as the broader science engagement field. This conference brings the

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Open the Door to Future STEM Leaders AND Funding Opportunities!

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Impact & Initiatives /

Representation in STEM matters. When young people see adults who look like them thriving in science, technology, engineering, and math, they begin to see those futures as possibilities for themselves. The IF/THEN® Champions Network is working to make that vision a reality for girls and women in the STEM field. A collaboration between the Association

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ASTC Members Get Fresh Perspectives on Organizational Challenges at Voya ScopeAthon Event

/ ASTC News & Announcements /

As community-serving institutions as well as nonprofit organizations, science centers and museums experience unique business challenges. These range from mundane and everyday issues (How can we keep all the sand in the sandbox, and out of the exhibit hall?) to fundamental questions underlying organizational purpose and operations.  At the second annual Voya National Days of

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Don’t miss these summer 2025 STEM funding opportunities!

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Impact & Initiatives, Resources & Learning /

We know the funding landscape is tough right now. That’s why we are even more pleased than usual to share three funding and resource opportunities for Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) members*. These opportunities are exclusively for ASTC members that join the IF/THEN® Champions Network—a national U.S. collaboration between ASTC and the National

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Several private funders offer Rapid Response Bridge Funding Program for those with cancelled NSF education grants

/ Issues, Policy, and Advocacy /

Recent actions by the National Science Foundation (NSF) have led to terminations of many grants that supported STEM education initiatives, including at ASTC member organizations. Now, a group of private foundations has stepped up to offer a rapid response bridge funding opportunity that is designed to mitigate some of the immediate impacts on scholars, projects,

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AAAS elects ASTC members and science engagement leaders as Fellows

/ Dimensions /

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named its new class of AAAS Fellows. Election as a AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor in recognition of diverse accomplishments, including, research, leadership, teaching, mentoring, fostering collaborations, and advancing public understanding of science. Fellows are nominated by AAAS’ 24 disciplinary sections, three Fellows who are current AAAS members, or by

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The LEGO® Playful Learning Museum Network enters its biggest year yet!

/ ASTC News & Announcements /

The LEGO Group’s Playful Learning Museum Network is celebrating its fourth—and biggest—year yet! Hosted by the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and funded by the LEGO Foundation, the program brings 21 leading children’s and science museums together with a shared mission: to unlock the power of play for children. Since 2021, the network

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ASTC welcomes eight new members

/ ASTC News & Announcements /

At its first meeting of the year, the ASTC Board of Directors approved eight organizations for membership in the association. Consistent with ASTC’s Bylaws, all members must be approved for membership by a majority vote of the ASTC Board of Directors. Organizations wishing to apply for membership should consult the Membership section of the ASTC website. Applications may

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