The digital publication of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC)
The ASTC Dimensions Resource Library provides peer-reviewed guides, articles, and insights written by science engagement colleagues about topics relevant to science centers and museums and other organizations committed to engaging the public in science and technology. Interested in contributing to the resource library? Learn more about our quarterly submission cycle and our submission guidelines.
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The organizational and contributor characteristics reflect the ways that ASTC classifies member organizations and individuals in our data collection and reflect categorization at the time the article was originally published.
By TM Lim From Dimensions November/December 2014 In September 2013, Singapore’s Minister for Education Swee Keat Heng shared his vision of making “Every School a Good School.” His idea of a good school is one that provides a solid education to all students and encourages them to become confident, self-motivated,
IN THIS ISSUE September/October 2014 Download the full issue. Science centers and museums are community-focused institutions. In this issue, we explore many ways science centers are engaging and empowering people in all parts of their communities. Working alongside community members and partners, science centers are addressing key issues, from protecting
This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the September/October 2014 issue of Dimensions magazine. A growing number of science festivals are now taking place across the world every year. In the United States alone, around four dozen new science festival initiatives have emerged in just the
By Nalini Nadkarni From Dimensions September/October 2014 Science belongs everywhere. Although informal science learning typically takes place in the bright spots of society—our museums, botanical gardens, and science centers—some science educators are creating programs for individuals who live in the darker parts of our communities, such as prisons. Over 2
By Brad McLain From Dimensions July/August 2014 “Once language was available to describe social scenarios from memory and anticipations, we became Homo narratus. We have become psychological beings who are incapable of not narrating our experiences both to ourselves and each other.” —Alan Parry, 1997 People are natural storytellers. We
By Christine L. Goforth, Julie M. Urban, and Julie E. Horvath From Dimensions May/June 2014 At the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS), Raleigh, we’ve made citizen science a priority, because we recognize its power to teach people about the natural world and the role of science in their
This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the May/June 2014 issue of Dimensions magazine. Many people think that cities, especially ones as large and stereotyped as Los Angeles, are devoid of nature, and certainly devoid of any nature worth studying. Scientists at the Natural History Museum
This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the May/June 2014 issue of Dimensions magazine. Making and tinkering are not fads. Their presence in science centers and museums may be a fad for many, but “making” is a human biological imperative. We are
By Conchi Quintana From Dimensions March/April 2014 According to current forecasts, world agricultural production will have to increase by 70% by 2050 to meet the food demands of a world population of over 9 billion. The good news is that there is no need to invent anything new to respond
IN THIS ISSUE March/April 2014 Inspired by the International Year of Family Farming 2014, this issue of Dimensions examines how science centers and museums are addressing the diverse, complex, and sometimes controversial issues surrounding agriculture. We all depend on agriculture—whether we live in a rural or urban area, in a