Association of Science and Technologies Centers

Museum community requests additional COVID-19 relief for museums

/ Issues, Policy, and Advocacy / By

A coalition of national museums associations—including ASTC—are speaking up on the continuing need for relief to museums as a result of the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter sent to the bipartisan leadership of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate, the museums associations asked for additional funding through …

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A year of data on science center attendance and operations provides signs of hope

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Issues, Policy, and Advocacy, Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories / By

In response to the continuing impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on science centers and museums, ASTC has been conducting a Weekly Attendance and Operations Survey since June 2020. This ongoing survey project contains a data-benchmarking tool for members to collect and report on their visitor attendance and operational status. We have now completed analysis …

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Smithsonian-led Vaccines & US Initiative launches

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

Earlier today, a new Smithsonian-led nationwide initiative was launched to activate museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions in supporting efforts to provide Americans with accessible and trustworthy resources related to COVID-19 vaccination: “Vaccines & US: Cultural Organizations for Community Health.” The new VaccinesAndUS.org website includes free resources that cultural organizations can use to help their …

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National Endowment for the Humanities offers emergency relief grants

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The U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has released details of a new funding program as a result of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. These emergency relief grants will provide direct grants to individual institutions, designed to help the humanities community—broadly defined—recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. (A separate …

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American Rescue Plan includes provisions helpful for museums

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Later today, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to approve the version of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 which recently passed the Senate on a party-line vote. House approval will send the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 recovery bill for President Biden’s signature. While much of the media has focused on the direct payments …

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UK science center is first to serve as large vaccination location

/ Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories / By

The International Centre for Life in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, opened last week as a COVID-19 vaccination location operated by England’s National Health Service (NHS). It is believed to be the first large-scale vaccination site hosted by a science center. The vaccination clinic, which has the capacity to vaccinate up to 1,000 people per …

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Three ASTC members receive $100k COVID relief grants from the Mass Cultural Council

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Last week, the Mass Cultural Council announced the recipients of its Cultural Organization Economic Recovery Grant Program. The program is part of Massachusetts’ economic recovery plan in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a release, Karyn Polito, Lt. Governor of the state, said “these grants will bring relief to many of our cultural institutions …

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Additional provisions in the December COVID relief and appropriations bill

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ASTC is reading through the text of the almost 5,600-page omnibus spending and COVID relief bill for provisions relevant to the ASTC community. This is the third in a series of blog posts about the legislation in which we highlight other COVID relief provisions beyond changes to the Paycheck Protection Program including the opportunity for …

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Congress poised to extend Paycheck Protection Program and allow second draw

/ Issues, Policy, and Advocacy / By

ASTC is reading through the text of the almost 5,600-page omnibus spending and COVID relief bill for provisions relevant to the ASTC community. This is the first in a series of blog posts about the legislation in which we highlight changes to the Paycheck Protection Program. Please also see another post discussing the new Grants …

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Lessons learned from a COVID summer

/ Dimensions, Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories / By

The variety of activities ASTC members conducted in the summer of COVID-19 have provided valuable lessons for all members of the ASTC community. With a bit of time to reflect on successes and not-so successful activities related to summer camps, a few U.S. ASTC members were willing to share their perspectives on what worked, what …

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Science center visits down almost 75% from 2019, but slowly increase after reopening

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Issues, Policy, and Advocacy, Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories / By

Members of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) that have reopened to the public after closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic have seen visitor attendance that is down 74 percent from the same time period in 2019. This is one example of the sobering information shared in a recent ASTC report detailing the …

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Children’s COVID-19 questions, worries, and information needs: Insights for the ISE field from research with families

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

This post was contributed by Evelyn Christian Ronning, Amy Grack Nelson, Marjorie Bequette, and Choua Her of the Science Museum of Minnesota. During the COVID-19 pandemic, up-to-date and accurate information is key—and kid-friendly information is often hard to come by. Knowledge and communication within families can help kids feel more secure and less worried about …

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Science centers have lost more than $600 million in revenue due to the pandemic

/ ASTC News & Announcements, Issues, Policy, and Advocacy, Science and Technology Center and Museum Stories / By

A new report from the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) estimates that ASTC museum members around the world have lost more than $600 million in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, almost overnight, every one of the ASTC’s nearly 500 member science and technology centers and museums closed their doors to …

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