Association of Science and Technologies Centers

Aquariums as a Force for Change: New Roles in Conservation and Social Impact

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By Julie Packard From ASTC Dimensions September/October 2009 The last quarter century has brought with it unprecedented and disturbing changes in the health of our aquatic environment, from the collapse of fisheries to dead zones in the oceans. In response, aquariums worldwide have evolved in their missions, and many of us have launched initiatives to […]

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In Other Words: Developing Bilingual Exhibitions

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By Carlos Plaza From ASTC Dimensions July/August 2009 Over the course of 10 years, the exhibit team at the Miami Science Museum, Florida, has developed general guidelines and strategies for writing and designing bilingual exhibitions. These guidelines result from our experience producing Spanish-language interpretation for more than 40 bilingual exhibitions, and from much trial and

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Dimensions, July/August 2009—In Any Language: Serving Multilingual Communities

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IN THIS ISSUE July/August 2009 As science centers and museums welcome increasingly diverse audiences, many of them are working to accommodate the linguistic needs of their visitors and to foster a sense of ownership and belonging. Immigrants, indigenous populations, and visitors who are Deaf bring a variety of languages with them to science centers around

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Moms, Museums, and Motivations: Cultivating an Audience of Museum Advocates

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By Susie Wilkening From ASTC Dimensions January/February 2009 Go to any science museum on a Saturday morning, and a sight awaits you. Children, in particular, are exploring science while having a great time. But what is going on in the heads of the adults, especially the parents, at the science museum? Are they equally engaged,

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Nine Free or Nearly Free Ways Museums Can Take Advantage of Web 2.0

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By Jim Spadaccini From ASTC Dimensions July/August 2008 As the Internet continues to evolve, it seems like I hear about a new web site or software service just about every day. The vast majority of these are free to use. Many of these sites or software packages are produced by start-ups looking to gain first-time

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To What End? Achieving Mission Through Intentional Practice

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By Randi Korn From ASTC Dimensions May/June 2008 At museum conferences these days, people are talking about accountability, public impact, and relevance. These ideas are not new. A decade ago, in a 1997 keynote address for the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums’ 50th anniversary, the late Smithsonian scholar Stephen Weil spoke of the “in-your-face, bottom-line, hard-nosed

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Wild Music: Making the Most of Sound in an Exhibition

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By Wendy Pollock and J. Shipley Newlin Sound in an exhibition? Most of the time, exhibition planners think of sound as something to be dampened, controlled, or contained. The very term “sound bleed” suggests exhibits battling for attention in an atmosphere of cacophony. In planning Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life, the exhibition team—an

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Dimensions, May/June 2006—Blockbusters: Asset or Liability

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IN THIS ISSUE May/June 2006 What have science centers learned in the past decade about the effect of blockbusters, those wildly popular traveling exhibitions and large-format films that drive attendance and inspire media “buzz”? Do blockbusters help museums reach broader audiences, increase visibility in the community, grow membership? Is the boost in income and attendance

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Dimensions, September/October 2005—Engaging Citizens: Science Centers and Social Responsibility

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IN THIS ISSUE September/October 2005 At the 4th Science Centre World Congress, held April 11—15, in Rio de Janeiro, attendees considered how science centers might succeed in “breaking barriers [and] engaging citizens” by providing the public with interactive, informal, capacity-building access to science and technology education. In this issue, we have chosen to continue some

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Dimensions, November/December 2000—After School: A Window of Opportunity

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IN THIS ISSUE November/December 2000 CONTENTS • After School Hours: A Time for Children and Science Centers, by DeAnna Banks Beane • Students Teaching Students: Applying the YouthALIVE! Model in a School-Based Program, by Jane Finkenbine • Science Centers and the 21st CCLC Initiative: A View from the Mott Foundation, by Marianne Kugler • A

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