The COVID-19 pandemic prompted every ASTC-member science and technology center and museum to close to the public temporarily. However, all of them have continued to serve their missions and their community including by engaging a wide audience with educational programming, resources, and materials offered virtually or at a distance.
Below is a sampling of the activities which have been offered by our community. Follow each institution on social media for a steady stream of ideas for exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). If you have other resources to suggest, please let us know at info@astc.org.
The Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE), a resource center funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and based at ASTC, has curated a list of NSF-funded digital learning resources that are informed by research, evaluation, and best practices.
- Arizona Science Center (Phoenix, Arizona, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) and #SariOnScience are providing resources for Science at Home, bringing science to life at home. From crafts to experiments, they are striving to be a resource for fun science activities that spark curiosity and motivate learning. Materials are easy to find, most activities take an hour or less, and the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning is limitless.
- Asheville Museum of Science (Asheville, North Carolina, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) is delivering daily doses of play in a new digital way, the museum shares simple STEM-activity sessions for learning at home.
- Boonshoft Museum of Discovery (Dayton, Ohio, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) offers virtual programming throughout the day and releases a daily do-it-yourself science activity, with easy to get materials, step-by-step instructions, and a basic science explanation for families to download.
- Boston Children’s Museum (Boston, Massachusetts, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) is sharing 100 Ways to Play and its Beyond the Chalkboard website with hundreds of free activities designed for afterschool settings.
- Brookhaven National Laboratory’ Science Learning Center (Upton, New York, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) has compiled a number of science at home activities at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels.
- California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco, California, United States ｜Facebook｜Twitter ) has Academy @ Home, with live webcams that let you virtually frolic with the penguins, plunge into the Philippine Coral Reef, or marvel at the stormy Farallon Islands from afar; watch videos highlighting the latest discoveries and scientific breakthroughs; explore Flipside Science, an upbeat, engaging video series hosted by youth volunteers; try engaging, STEM-friendly activities; and much more.
- Center of Science and Industry (Columbus, Ohio, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) has developed COSI Connects, a “digital doorway” for fun at-home science discovery and learning. Every day, they will post “fresh, exciting and engaging science through COSI videos and hands-on science you can try with your family at home.”
- Children’s Creativity Museum (San Francisco, California, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) explains how to build a Creativity Toolbox that will fuel hours of creative expression, innovation, and critical thinking.
- In China, where some science centers are beginning to re-open, more than 100 institutions joined forces during closures to launch a do-at-home Science Experiment Challenge across the country from January 31 to February 14. Through the country’s WeChat social-media platform, people could emulate science-experiment videos or submit their own. ASTC members among the group of organizing science centers and museums included the China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing, Guangdong Science Center in Guangzhou, and Shanghai Science & Technology Museum.
- Ciência Viva Science Centre – Pavilion of Knowledge (Lisbon, Portugal｜Facebook｜Instagram｜Twitter ) has developed #CienciaVivaemCasa (CiênciaVivaatHome), a website where families will find hands-on science activities to try at home, short talks by scientists, one-minute podcasts for children, book suggestions, and much more.
- Coca-Cola Space Science Center (Columbus, Georgia, United States｜ Facebook ) is utilizing Meteor Moments to share articles, fun DIY videos and recordings of virtual events.
- Connecticut Science Center (Hartford, Connecticut, United States｜ Facebook｜ Twitter ) has developed a menu of online Science at Home offerings with new features posted every day. These include Science at Play 3-minute DIY videos, #MuseumFromHome, Movie Monday, Facebook LIVE events, and Field Trip Friday. The center’s Mandell Academy for Teachers also offers two online programs and an online community for educators. (news release)
- Discovery Center at Murfree Spring (Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States｜ Facebook｜ Twitter ) has launched Discovery at Home, which includes weekly videos, an activity blog, art lessons with an artist, and a Facebook live science and literacy program every Tuesday for early learners and their caregivers.
- Discovery Center Museum (Rockford, Illinois, United States｜ Facebook｜ Twitter ) is offering a variety of programs as Playful Learning at Home on their Facebook page including story time and sing-a-long for youngest visitors, some at home science activities for elementary age students that have been used by local teachers, a weekly live chat on Mondays, and even their our own super hero.
- The DoSeum (San Antonio, Texas, United States｜ Facebook｜ Twitter ) has compiled a number of interactive experiences under Do It At Home, including DIY activities, storytimes, and questions from kids.
- ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain (Burlington, Vermont, United States｜ Facebook｜Twitter ) has developed a suite of programs, compiled under its ECHO at Home portal, including Engineer It! at Home, Science & Stories online, and Take Action! Citizen Science Challenge, where local residents can get involved in ongoing scientific research projects.
- Exploration Place (Wichita, Kansas, United States｜ Facebook｜Twitter ) is offering Stay at Home STEM including three different online experiences per day, Monday–Friday, TikTok, and a mix of prerecorded and live videos.
- Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium (St. Johnsbury, Vermont, United States｜ Facebook｜Twitter ) has partnered with Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital for a weekly livestream on COVID-19 where they answer questions, offer advice, and guide their community through this difficult time. The Zoom and YouTube Live broadcasts are later rebroadcast on Kingdom Access Television.
- Great Lakes Science Center (Cleveland, Ohio, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) is supporting families and educators with a new web-based series of STEM curriculum and programming. Every weekday, the science center will post new content to its YouTube channel, including experiments that can bed done at home, exclusive content filmed at the science center, quizzes, games, and more.
- IMAG History & Science Center (Fort Myers, Florida, United States｜Facebook ) launched IMAG at Home, a daily schedule of science demonstrations, interviews, and fun, including a 9:00 p.m. show for adults only, “Beers and Gears.”
- Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences (Children’s Museum & Science Center) (Rocky Mount, North Carolina, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) shifted its popular Yoga in the Galleries program to an online position.
- International Centre for Life (Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom｜Facebook｜Twitter ) is providing #LifeGoesONline—science experiments and other fun activities people can try at home. Life is also adding virtual programming to its suite of events for adults, including a Science Speakeasy debate.
- Kentucky Science Center (Louisville, Kentucky, United States｜ Facebook｜ Twitter ) is sharing Do Science at Home moments every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with more than 30 videos published to date.
- MadaTech, The Israel National Museum of Science, Technology, & Space (Haifa, Israel｜Facebook｜Twitter ) has a collection at MadaTech Online, of home experiments, videos, further reading, games, and more for at-home or from-phone exploration.
- Michigan Science Center (Detroit, Michigan, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) has an ECHO Distance Learning Program that is offering live science experiments from MiSci’s Distance Learning studio every week day at 2:30 PM Eastern. They will show off some of our biggest and most exciting large-scale science demos that you can tune into from home! Programs are broadcast live on the Michigan Science Center Facebook page.
- Museum of Discovery (Little Rock, Arkansas, United States｜ Facebook｜ Twitter ) and its outreach program, The Discovery Network, are offering a series of activities called “At Home Discoveries” that can easily be recreated at home.
- Museum of Discovery and Science (Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States｜ Facebook｜ Twitter ) has developed the MODS Challenge, a multi-week curriculum for students from preK to grade 12 to solve real-world problems through STEM and project-based learning.
- Museum of Science (Boston, Massachusetts, United States｜ Facebook｜ Twitter ) has developed a suite of activities under the #MOSatHome banner. The museum also produces engineering and (coming soon) computer science in-school curricula and are developing a virtual learning series that will adapt hands-on learning into a remote space.
- National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) (New York, New York, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) is offering online sessions and events for children and adults of all ages, including MoMath Mini Camps.
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory (Charlottesville, Virginia, and Magdalena, New Mexico, United States / Facebook / Twitter) is inviting the community to make a virtual outing to their Very Large Array telescopes, including a live webcam, an online video tour, and interactives to make your own multiwavelength images and radio astronomy array.
- New York Hall of Science (Corona, New York, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) is offering a collection of free at-home resources including games, activities, experiments, and projects which encourage open-ended exploration, imaginative learning, personal relevance, deep engagement and delight for all age ranges.
- Oakland Museum of California (Oakland California, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) has developed OMCA at Home, including virtual tours and the opportunity learn at home. They’ve also moved their Friday Nights at OMCA program online, with mixes from favorite DJs and the invitation to share your Cupid Shuffle from home; among those accepting the challenge was the Oakland Ballet Company!
- Orlando Science Center (Orlando, Florida, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) has developed OSC At Home, a collection of resources and activities for engagement and education while at home. This includes videos, try this at home, and resources from a range of partners.
- Pacific Science Center (Seattle, Washington, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) created an Understanding COVID-19 page, with resources for understanding the disease and a March 24 livestream event with experts, and the institution also has Curiosity at Home, a collection of activity-related videos.
- PBS SoCal | KCET has partnered with the Los Angeles Unified School District and other California PBS stations to offer broadcast programming and accompanying digital resources that adhere to California’s state curriculum to provide continued at-home learning.
- Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (Chicago, Illinois, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) moved from an eight-week in-person sustainability leadership training course with community partners (Chicago Conservation Corps) to short weekly webinars with the same community partners to reach a wider audience until they can start up trainings again. The museum also started a new email series, dedicated to a day’s worth of nature and science facts, activities, guiding questions to ask kids, and more.
- Sci-Port Discovery Center (Shreveport, Louisiana, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) started TodayAtSciport video series on their Facebook page (search #TodayAtSciport) which hosts one video per day, including Storytime w/activities, Planetarium Programs, and a combination between Home Activities, Mini Demos, and Virtual Tours.
- Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C., United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) gives access to millions of digital resources from across the Smithsonian’s museums, research centers, libraries, archives, and more. The Smithsonian Learning Lab has pre-packaged collections that contain lessons, activities, and recommended resources made by Smithsonian educators as well as thousands of classroom teachers like you.
- The Tech Interactive (San Jose, California, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) has compiled a variety of “at home” resources that are accessible to a wide range of educators and parents alike.
- Turtle Bay Exploration Park (Redding, California, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) offers Turtle Bay TV, with four channels for exploring animals, exhibitions, and gardens.
- The Witte Museum (San Antonio, Texas, United States｜Facebook｜Twitter ) has launched Witte Where You Are, virtual experiences that can be done at home as a family, Background Scientist to really discover your own backyard, and History Detective, to connect the past to today.
This list is provided as a service to the community and inclusion of a resource does not necessarily imply endorsement by ASTC.