NISE Network Blog

In September, professionals from 30 different museums joined forces to help create a sustainable future. They represented the first cohort of NISE Network’s Sustainability Fellowship program, which will include over 90 organizations in 2019-2020. This program is a key part of the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability in Science and Technology Museums initiative, which provides professional development, educational materials, and other resources to help museums integrate sustainability into their public engagement work, operations, and community partnerships.

This past August, members from the NISE Network's Explore Science: Let's Do Chemistry project participated in the American Chemical Society's (ACS) Fall Meeting in San Diego, CA, which included presenting project activities and findings as part of a half-day symposium about chemistry education beyond the classroom. Additionally, during this year's ACS ChemLuminary Awards, a special ChemAttitudes Partnership Award was presented to the Kentucky Lake Local Section for their use of the Explore Science: Let's Do Chemistry kit, serving and engaging over 500 children across their rural region in hands-on chemistry activities.

Trois, deux, un…blast off! This past July, visitors from as close as next door and as far away as Paris, France gathered around the upper plaza of the EcoTarium in Worcester, Massachusetts to celebrate 50 years since Apollo 11 headed into space. Along with cheering on two chemical rocket launches, attendees of the Lunar Launch Party also sent stomp rockets flying, blew the tops off film canister rockets using a mix of acids and bases, drove model rovers through an obstacle course, designed and tested small-scale parachutes for astronauts, and watch planetarium shows. Read more about Worcester on the Moon events and festivities.

Congratulations to Paul Martin - the 2019 recipient of the ASTC Leading Edge Award for Leadership in the Field (non-CEO). Paul has tirelessly served on the leadership team of the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Network) since 2005. Kudos...

In mid-July, the 23rd annual GLOBE meeting took place in Detroit just a few miles from the Michigan Science Center (MiSci). MiSci had spent months planning Apollo 11 50th Anniversary programs between July 16th-20th, from the Global Rocket Launch Challenge...

The Frontiers of Flight Museum’s “Moon Day” in Dallas celebrates the past, present, and future of space flight and has become the largest annual space-themed exposition in Texas. Moon Day was established in 2009 by the Museum, in collaboration with the National Space Society of North Texas, as a family-oriented annual event on the Saturday closest to the anniversary of the first Moon landing. This year, the Museum’s 10th Anniversary Moon Day focused on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission and was held on July 20th—the exact date of the first landing on the Moon.

Have you received an Explore Science: Earth and Space toolkit or are you using the digital version of the toolkit? If so, the NISE Network is partnering with the Museum Alliance to moderate a new Ryver forum space to allow...

When Michele Wiles, Director of Play and Discovery for the emerging Children’s Museum of St. Augustine spearheaded our partnership with NISE Network last winter, it paved the way for bringing truly unique STEAM-based learning experiences to our community. From our first Exploring Earth and Space family workshop event to an event for Big Brothers Big Sisters and their littles, the Earth & Space toolkit has brought enthusiasm and new partnerships into our emerging children's museum and community.

NISE Network partners all across the country celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing all throughout July. Here are just a few samples of partner events that were shared online through social networking sites with the NISE Network.

When the Student Chapter of the American Chemical Society (Chemistry Club) received the NISE Net's Explore Science: Let’s Do Chemistry kit in September of 2018, it was like early Christmas! The Eastern Oregon University (EOU) Chemistry Club has a long standing tradition of bringing hands-on science activities to the local community and the region. We are located in the northeastern corner of Oregon, in a largely rural area where often schools have limited resources to provide lab-based activities, and the kit seemed immediately the perfect match for our outreach events.