Association of Science and Technologies Centers

Association of Science and Technology Centers

Resources & Learning

New Community Science Resources on Community Engagement & Relationship Building

/ Community Science, Impact & Initiatives, Resources & Learning /

Community engagement is at the heart of our work in science centers and museums. From education to exhibit development, visitor services to visitor studies, community engagement is both a means and an end to everything we do. ASTC’s Community Science Initiative is dedicated to helping science centers and museums partner more effectively and equitably with […]

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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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Funding Opportunity: Environmental Literacy for Community Resilience

/ Issues, Policy, and Advocacy, Resources & Learning /

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program is partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Environmental Literacy Program on a funding program to use place-based education to enhance community resilience and increase environmental literacy among residents of the U.S. Gulf States. The Environmental Literacy for Community Resilience program will

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Recent NASEM reports relevant to science engagement

/ Issues, Policy, and Advocacy, Resources & Learning /

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) have released several reports in recent weeks that are relevant to the work of science centers and museums—and others committed to engaging the public with science and technology. NASEM are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex

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Announcing the Community Science Civic Engagement & Policymaking Toolkit

/ Impact & Initiatives, Resources & Learning /

We are thrilled to announce the newest resource from our Community Science Initiative, the Civic Engagement & Policymaking Toolkit! Our team developed this toolkit with museum and science center professionals in mind who want to start, expand, or improve civic engagement work with their local communities. Read on for a sneak peak of what’s inside…

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New Community Science Resources on Planetary Health

/ Resources & Learning /

Are you interested in engaging your local community to combat climate change? We’ve heard from our members that many institutions are looking to start or deepen their involvement in co-creating solutions to climate change and other environmental issues. In response to this growing priority across the field, our most recent additions to the Community Science

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NASA TEAM II funding opportunity opens with expanded options

/ Issues, Policy, and Advocacy, Resources & Learning /

NASA is now accepting applications for its Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) program, which has been expanded with a new third tier of funding. TEAM II is a competitive award program that enables non-profit museums, planetariums, libraries, and youth-serving organizations (“Informal Education Institutions” or “IEIs”) to propose NASA mission-inspired STEM projects

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Funding Opportunity: NIH Science Education Partnership Award

/ Issues, Policy, and Advocacy, Resources & Learning /

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is accepting applications for its Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) Program, which supports educational activities for pre-kindergarten to grade 12 (P–12) to ensure that students and teachers from all communities and regions of the country have the opportunity to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). SEPA

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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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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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With appreciation for CAISE and its many contributions

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Resources & Learning /

The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) has been proud to serve as the host for the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) for the past 15 years. Since it was established in 2007, CAISE has provided essential resources and support to the informal science learning community. Operating under a cooperative agreement

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Calling all makers! New resources for children and families available

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

By engaging in engineering design activities, children have the opportunity to bring together scientific and mathematical concepts to solve real world problems. However, sustaining children’s interest in engineering can be a challenge. Some students lack opportunities to learn about engineering in the first place; a 2010 report found that only 10% of K-12 students were

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IMLS awards ASTC members more than $7 million in Museums for America program

/ Issues, Policy, and Advocacy, Resources & Learning /

The U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services has announced the recipients of nearly $30 million in its largest competitive grants program, Museums for America, and its two special initiatives, Museums Empowered and Inspire! Grants for Small Museums. Included are 42 ASTC-member institutions who have received 45 awards for a total of more than $7.3 million.

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IMLS awards 2021 National Leadership Grants for Museums

/ Issues, Policy, and Advocacy, Resources & Learning /

Five ASTC members will receive more than $2.1 million from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, among the 17 organizations receiving fiscal year (FY) 2021 National Leadership Grants for Museums. In total, 15 projects were selected from 74 applications to share almost $6.4 million in Federal grants, which are supplemented by more than

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