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NanoDays: A NISE Network Guide to Creating Activity Kits, Building Communities, and Inspiring Learning

Professional development training tool to prepare staff and volunteers to create their own activity kits, build a community network, create an event, and engage visitors about nanotechnology and other science topics.

DESCRIPTION

NanoDays is NISE Net’s signature event—an annual celebration that mobilizes hundreds of organizations across the country to engage staff, volunteers, and members of the public in learning about nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. NanoDays kits are the Network’s most widely used set of resources, reaching over a million visitors throughout the year. About this guide: NanoDays is a complex effort that includes multiple Network teams working together to create resources and coordinate the participation of hundreds of partners. This guide focuses on the tools, ideas, and processes that are specific to creating a nationwide event such as NanoDays, which is supported by physical and digital kits that include professional resources and educational products. The guide describes the planning and development of NanoDays resources by a cross-organizational team, fabrication and distribution of the physical kits, implementation by hundreds of partners across the country through annual NanoDays events, and the impact of the initiative on public audiences. It is a complement to *NISE Network Program Development: A Practical Guide to Creating Effective Learning Opportunities for Public Audiences,* which provides an overview of the approaches, methods, and tools the Network uses to create all of our educational programs for public audiences.

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  • nanodays guide cover
  • Group of learners tie a string around a capsule holding DNA solution
  • page from the nanodays guide
  • a girl playing with large nanoblock puzzle
  • nanodays guide cover
  • Group of learners tie a string around a capsule holding DNA solution
  • page from the nanodays guide
  • a girl playing with large nanoblock puzzle

DESCRIPTION

NanoDays is NISE Net’s signature event—an annual celebration that mobilizes hundreds of organizations across the country to engage staff, volunteers, and members of the public in learning about nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. NanoDays kits are the Network’s most widely used set of resources, reaching over a million visitors throughout the year. About this guide: NanoDays is a complex effort that includes multiple Network teams working together to create resources and coordinate the participation of hundreds of partners. This guide focuses on the tools, ideas, and processes that are specific to creating a nationwide event such as NanoDays, which is supported by physical and digital kits that include professional resources and educational products. The guide describes the planning and development of NanoDays resources by a cross-organizational team, fabrication and distribution of the physical kits, implementation by hundreds of partners across the country through annual NanoDays events, and the impact of the initiative on public audiences. It is a complement to *NISE Network Program Development: A Practical Guide to Creating Effective Learning Opportunities for Public Audiences,* which provides an overview of the approaches, methods, and tools the Network uses to create all of our educational programs for public audiences.

JUMP TO BROWSE RELATED RESOURCES

Credits

YEAR CREATED
2016
OWNING INSTITUTION

Science Museum of Minnesota

FUNDING

Developed for the NISE Network with funding from the National Science Foundation under Award Numbers 0532536 and 0940143. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

PERMISSIONS

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US).
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DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

NISE Network products are developed through an iterative collaborative process that includes scientific review, peer review, and visitor evaluation in accordance with an inclusive audiences approach. Products are designed to be easily edited and adapted for different audiences under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license. To learn more, visit our Development Process page.