Association of Science and Technologies Centers

New Community Science Resources for Civic Engagement & Policymaking 

/ Impact & Initiatives /

As a part of ASTC’s Community Science Initiative, we have been maintaining a library of relevant resources for science center and museum professionals interested in community science. Community science is a way of working on issues at the intersection of science and society, which centers community priorities, strengths, and leadership to co-create solutions.   ASTC’s Community […]

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10 science centers and museums receive awards to support STEM-career engagement for youth

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Impact & Initiatives, Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) has awarded ten science centers and museums around the United States $15,000 each in support of STEM-career engagement for youth in grades 4-8 through Voya STEM Futures. The program is a competitive selection process which is generously funded by the Voya Foundation.  Recipients will use the awards

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Announcing Our New Cultivating Community Science Stipend Teams

/ Impact & Initiatives /

ASTC’s Community Science Team is excited to launch our Cultivating Community Science Stipend Program. ASTC’s Community Science Initiative defines Community Science as a way of working on issues at the intersection of science and society, which centers community priorities, strengths, and leadership to co-create solutions. Through community science, community members collaborate, often with scientists and

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Updates to the ASTC Community Science Resource Library

/ Impact & Initiatives /

As a part of ASTC’s Community Science Initiative, we have been maintaining a library of relevant resources for science center and museum professionals interested in community science. Community science is a way of working on issues at the intersection of science and society, which centers community priorities, strengths, and leadership to co-create solutions. Through community

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Seven ASTC members support youth interest in STEM learning and careers 

/ Impact & Initiatives, Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

Since 2017, ASTC has awarded $385,000 to member science centers and museums through Voya STEM Futures, the ASTC initiative funded by the Voya Foundation to support science centers and museums in engaging career discovery-focused STEM learning programs. Last year, seven ASTC members offered youth programming as part of Voya STEM Futures. Institutions in seven geographic regions received

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New Resource from ASTC’s Leadership and Field Development Committee

/ Impact & Initiatives, Resources & Learning /

The ASTC Leadership and Field Development (LFD) Committee is excited to present their 2023 report, Priorities, Challenges, and an Action Plan for Strengthening the Science Center and Museum Workforce. This report covers some of the key priorities for the future of the field, some of the critical challenges that will need to be addressed, and

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ASTC launches Seeding Action to cultivate a culture of planetary health action

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Impact & Initiatives /

ASTC is proud to announce the launch of Seeding Action, a new initiative to support science centers, museums, and other public engagement networks in their efforts to cultivate a culture of hope and action on planetary health issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Any institution with a commitment to prioritizing planetary health

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New Plans for Community Science from Partnership Planning Seed Grant Teams

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Impact & Initiatives /

Credit: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County ASTC’s Community Science Team is proud to share the work resulting from our Partnership Planning Seed Grant Program. Successful community science begins with establishing trust among collaborative partners and ensuring that all partners are working toward shared goals. To that end, our newest grant program was designed

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ASTC-Thriving Earth Exchange Fellowships Available to Support Community-Centered Science 

/ Impact & Initiatives /

We are excited to continue our relationship with the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) Thriving Earth Exchange. Together we will support up to 7 science center and museum staff (and their community partners) to participate in Thriving Earth’s 12-month fellowship and training program. Thriving Earth connects communities with scientists and supports their partnership as they tackle

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Announcing Our New Community Science Partnership Planning Seed Grant Teams

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Impact & Initiatives /

ASTC’s Community Science Team is excited to launch our Partnership Planning Seed Grant Program. Successful community science begins with establishing trust among collaborative partners and ensuring that all partners are working toward shared goals. To that end, our newest grant program is designed to support new and emerging collaborations between ASTC member institutions and community-based

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Explore Our New Dialogue & Deliberation Toolkit

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Impact & Initiatives /

Our society is rife with challenging problems for our communities to solve–from public health, to environmental justice and beyond. A neighborhood might identify the need to address flooding challenges impacting their community. Or a group may want to gather and brainstorm how to improve food access in their city. As neighbors come together to solve

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ASTC members offer diverse programming on planetary health

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Impact & Initiatives /

Globally, members of the public are increasingly concerned about climate change and other threats to our planet’s health, including biodiversity loss and air, soil, and water pollution. Science centers and museums provide unique opportunities for visitors and their broader communities to learn more about the issues that concern them and how we can address them,

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Understanding science center and children’s museum workforces: ACM–ASTC Workforce Survey

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

The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) are again partnering to look at the workforce of our member institutions. This ACM–ASTC Workforce Survey, most recently conducted in 2011 and 2016, will provide a snapshot of the field’s current staffing, including job roles, salaries, benefits, and more. Response

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Digital Engagement: 10 Tips for Science Centers and Museums

/ Impact & Initiatives, Resources & Learning, Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories /

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, some science centers and museums had developed online and digital programs, but more often science museums’ digital engagement efforts focused on incorporating technology into exhibits within museum walls. During the pandemic, the closure of public spaces prompted science museums to be innovative in their approach to reaching their audiences digitally—and often

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IF/THEN arrives at the Smithsonian

/ Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion, Impact & Initiatives /

One hundred twenty statues of inspiring women in STEM are now on display at the Smithsonian on the National Mall in the center of Washington, D.C. This past weekend, the orange life-sized 3D-printed statues of the AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadors were unveiled in the Enid A. Haupt Garden, adjacent Smithsonian Castle, and the Arts + Industries

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Introducing ASTC’s new Community Science platform

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Impact & Initiatives /

As communities work together to face global and local challenges, and as the role of science and technology in our society continues to evolve, it is more important than ever for all people to have the opportunity to engage with, participate in, contribute to, and benefit from science, technology, and innovation. Community science approaches often

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