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 David A. Ucko From Dimensions January/February 2019 Science centers may seem commonplace today. However, that was not so four decades ago, when total attendance at my first ASTC conference was about 50. Reviewing the history of the field, beginning with those institutions that influenced its development, can offer perspective for
By Pat Hamilton From Dimensions November/December 2018 Something momentous happened on December 12, 2015. After years of negotiations, 197 nations came together in Paris and agreed by voice acclamation to the world’s first binding commitments to fighting climate change. Then something alarming happened on June 1, 2017. President Trump announced
ASTC is proud to be part of the ever-growing We Are Still In coalition supporting climate action, an alliance of U.S. cultural institutions, businesses and investors, cities and counties, colleges and universities, faith groups, health care organizations, states, tribes, and other non-federal actors. We Are Still In, at nearly 3,600
Interviewed by Susan Straight This interview appeared in the November/December 2018 issue of Dimensions magazine. Ed Yong is an award-winning science writer for The Atlantic magazine. His work has appeared in National Geographic, the New Yorker, Wired, Nature, New Scientist, and Scientific American. He is originally from the United Kingdom
By Lesley Markham From Dimensions November/December 2018 Why is it important for science center and museum professionals to cultivate soft skills? What is their relevance to our work and to the wider informal science learning field? For more than a century, researchers have recognized that soft skills—critical thinking, communication, and
IN THIS ISSUE November/December 2018 General skills, soft skills, 21st-century skills: simple names for critical proficiencies. They include communication, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, curiosity, cultural competency, caring, empathy, the ability to listen, and the capacity to support and be supportive of colleagues and mentors. Whether we excel at them or
By Cristin Dorgelo In this issue, we explore 21st-century skills,often called general skills or soft skills. To thrive in today’s workforce, and to play a part in solving the tough challenges facing society, each of us must develop and demonstrate curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, persistence, and teamwork. As science center
IN THIS ISSUE September/October 2018 The articles in this issue feature organizations and individuals who have worked to broaden participation in some way. Broadening participation is widely regarded as a worthy goal in our industry, but to what end? Why does broader participation matter? It matters because we need the
By the Center for the Advancement of Informal Science Education’s Broadening Participation Task Force From Dimensions September/October 2018 There is widespread agreement about the urgent need to broaden the diversity of people who participate in, contribute to, and benefit from science, technology, engineering, and math—the disciplines collectively known as STEM.
By Cristin Dorgelo The theme of this issue is “Broadening Participation.” What we at ASTC mean when we talk about broadening participation is our commitment to increasing diversity, accessibility, inclusion, and equity in all aspects of our work—paramount values in our increasingly connected global society. Our field has made strides