Purpose
Science centers aims to connect people with science, give science a presence in the community and offer people of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to ask questions, discuss, and explore. Science centers goal is to provide firsthand experience and an opportunity to develop intuitions about the natural world. Hands-on activities hosted in some science centres, may include things such as feeling infrared radiation and experiencing angular momentum—so when people encounter these concepts in other settings, they will be likelier to understand. Many schools rely on science centers for field trips and auditorium programs, curriculum, science kits, and teacher training. Science centers also aim to encourage curiosity. In the words of Frank Oppenheimer, founder of San Francisco'sPassport Program
Some ASTC member institutions also participate in ASTC's Passport Program. The Passport Program allows members of a participating institution to visit other participating institutions for free, provided the member is visiting an institution more than 90 miles from their home institution. More than 300 institutions in over a dozen countries are currently participating in the Passport Program.Annual Conference
Each year, nearly 2,000 individuals representing science centers and museums from across the world, informal science educators, and companies collaborating with the museum field gather for ASTC's Annual Conference.Professional development
ASTC provides professional development opportunities for those who work in science centers and other institutions of informal learning. ASTC's professional development services include:Communities of Practice
Communities of Practice (CoP) provide informal science education professionals the infrastructure they need to meet the field's challenges. ASTC provides CoPs with resources and support for connecting with colleagues, convening meetings, and organizing workshops, among other activities. The current CoPs include: * Public Engagement with Science * Research & Evaluation * Visitor Services * Volunteer Managers on LinkedIn * Youth Programs Advocates for Diversity * ASTC Development Professionals LinkedIn Group * ASTC Information Technology LinkedIn Group * ASTC Membership Managers LinkedIn Group * Network for Leaders of Interpreters, Facilitators and Explainers (NetLIFE) * Afterschool Programs * Intersection of Technology, Art, Science, and Culture (TASC)Partnerships and programs
ExhibitFiles
ExhibitFiles is an online community of exhibit practitioners building a shared collection of exhibition records and reviews. It is a place to connect with colleagues, find out about exhibits, and share your own experiences. ExhibitFiles was developed to preserve and share experiences and materials that are often unrecorded, temporary, and hard to locate. Visitors to the site can also search for, and post exhibitions rentals and sales.''Dimensions''
ASTC publishes ''Dimensions'', which features in-depth analysis of news and trends in the science center and museum field, in addition to articles about noteworthy events and resources. ''Dimensions'' readers include directors and staff of ASTC-member institutions around the world, as well as those with an interest in informal science education. Until 2020, ''Dimensions'' was a bimonthly print and online magazine; since mid-2020, it is an exclusively online publication that publishes continuously.Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education
ASTC is home to the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE). CAISE's charge is to strengthen and connect the informal science education (ISE) community by creating and disseminating resources, as well as catalyzing conversation and collaboration across the ISE field—including film and broadcast media, science centers and museums, zoos and aquariums, botanical gardens and nature centers, digital media and gaming, science journalism, and youth, community, and after-school programs. Founded in 2007 with support from the National Science Foundation (NSFReferences
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