More than 1,800 science center professionals from 31 countries gathered in Philadelphia, October 18–21, for the 2008 ASTC Annual Conference. Over 140 conference sessions challenged participants to explore their responsibility to both their scientific and public constituencies. Keynote speaker Steven Berlin Johnson, a journalist, cultural critic, and web developer, encouraged science centers to become places... Read More
Last year, ASTC members served millions of students through school outreach programs. That work continued this morning at the ASTC Annual Conference with an off-site session, Outreach Live. Presenters from around the region brought their science centers’ best outreach programs to the Friends Select School in Philadelphia for both students and museum colleagues. A roundtable discussion followed to review and evaluate... Read More
The Live Demonstration Hour has been an ASTC Annual Conference event for over 20 years. A hallmark of science centers, science demonstrations date back to the 17th century. Later, Benjamin Franklin entertained his friends and neighbors with his own experiments. This morning, presenters from across the United States wowed conference goers with their stretch rope walking skills, musical abilities,... Read More
Journalist and cultural critic Steven Berlin Johnson gave the keynote address at the ASTC Annual Conference in Philadelphia on October 18. His talk, entitled “Thinking Across Boundaries: Inspiration from The Ghost Map,” drew upon his most recent bestselling book. The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How it Changed Science, Cities, and... Read More
ASTC presented its highest award today to Dennis Wint, president and chief executive officer of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Wint has served the Franklin Institute since 1995, but the museum community overall for over 35 years. Prior to his work at the Franklin Institute, Wint served as president of the Saint Louis Science Center,... Read More
As science center professionals began gathering in Philadelphia for the ASTC Annual Conference, participants from five continents took part in a day-long workshop, “Measuring Our Carbon Footprint and Fingerprints on Climate Change,” hosted by the Academy of Natural Sciences. ASTC’s International Action on Global Warming (IGLO) initiative invited representatives from various research institutions including the... Read More
ASTC has received a major grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a three-year collaborative project entitled Communicating Climate Change. The grant, awarded by NSF’s Informal Science Education Program, will enable ASTC to advance the informal learning sector’s contribution to public engagement with climate science and the implications of global warming. Partners include the... Read More
The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was honored yesterday at a White House ceremony as a 2008 National Medal for Museum and Library Service recipient. The award is given annually by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in coordination with the White House, to 10 museums and libraries in recognition of their extraordinary civic,... Read More
With great sadness, we report that Joel N. Bloom, a founder of ASTC and its first board chairman, died on September 23 after a long illness. He was 83. Joel played a pivotal role in ASTC not only as a founder, but also as a passionate champion of science centers among national leaders and within... Read More
Two years after breaking ground, the new California Academy of Sciences opens its new green building’s doors to the public on September 27. The building, designed by architect Renzo Piano, features a 197,000-square-foot green roof that dips and slopes, mirroring its surroundings in Golden Gate Park. After experimenting with 30 native species, nine species were chosen to... Read More
