Upcoming Events

NISE Net has organized a series of regional workshops aimed primarily at newer Network partners to integrate them into the network and into regional relationships.

NISE Net has organized a series of regional workshops aimed primarily at newer Network partners to integrate them into the network and into regional relationships.

NCDD’s biennial conferences, which are highly participatory, highly innovative and surprisingly affordable, bring together leaders and future leaders in public engagement and conflict resolution to share resources and strategies, build lasting relationships, increase the visibility and effectiveness of their work, tackle challenges facing this emerging field, and initiate collaborative projects. Many people have told us they’re the best conferences they’ve ever attended.

Dialogue and Deliberation: Building a Better Forum

Forums engage the public in dialogue and discussion around science topics. Workshop participants will work together to advance best practices within this format. Members of the NISE Net Forums team will share their experiences with hosting and evaluating recent forums. Together, attendees will address the challenges and potential of forums.

Agenda:

• Introductions
• Overview of forums, NISE Net and the catalog
• Overview of the Forums How to manual
• Debriefing and Evaluating Forums
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International statesman and Scientist, Inventor and Printer, Benjamin Franklin played many roles during his lifetime. Propelled by his belief in the power of science to lead to social improvement around the world, Franklin created a public image—that of the civic scientist. Today, at a time when areas of science and technology may find themselves at odds with segments of society, science centers are positioned to strengthen our role as “civic scientists.” Our place in our society is at the crossroads of the scientific community and the general public.

2008 ASTC Conference session

In 2007, more than 20 museum professionals joined forces with disability experts to develop criteria for the universal design of museum programs. This session will present the guidelines that resulted from this effort, as well as examples of how educators from four institutions used those guidelines to revise their programs.

Session leader: Christine Reich, Manager, Research and Evaluation, Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts

ASTC 2008 Conference session

When was the last time you visited an R-rated museum? In a world of fake news and sarcastic children’s programming, museums remain resistant to ambiguity, irony, and even humor. Join us for lively discussion about the tradeoffs of edge, irreverence, and aberration in museum branding and design.

Session leader: Nina Simon, Experience Designer, Museum 2.0, Santa Cruz, California

ASTC 2008 Conference Session

Experts argue that the public should be brought into shaping science and science-based policy. Should science museums be the place where this happens? This forum will engage participants in lively dialogue and deliberation about possible new roles for science museums and what it would take to get there.

Session leader: Larry Bell, Senior Vice President, Senior Vice President, Research, Development, and Production, Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts

ASTC 2008 Conference Session

How can we create exhibits around phenomena too fast, too slow, too large, or too small for visitors to directly see or experience? This session will explore how new tools, such as scientific visualizations and interactive data explorations, are empowering visitors to experience phenomena outside their perception. Topics will include vast spatial scales (from nano to planetary) and immense temporal scales (attoseconds to billions of years).

Session leader: Jennifer Frazier, Project Director, The Exploratorium, San Francisco, California

Looking for new ways to keep your museum offerings up-to-date with the hottest topics in science and technology? Seeking connections with researchers to help engage your audiences? Looking for new sources of funding? This session will help you plan education outreach partnerships with federally funded science, health, and engineering research centers.

Session leaders: Carol Lynn Alpert, Director, Strategic Projects, Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts, and Philip Hammer, Vice President, Benjamin Franklin Center, The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania