professional development

Staff and Volunteer training materials for NanoDays including orientation slides and materials as well as videos on best practices for how to interact with museum visitors.

"Engaging the Public in Nano" provides an overview of key concepts in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology, as identified by the NISE Network. This document is intended as a resource for educators and others who engage the public in informal...

All of the games included in this guide are designed to be played with NASA’s Solar System and Beyond Trading Cards (available from solarsystem.nasa.gov). For some, you may need to print and assemble additional decks based on the number of...

This comedic training video highlights a few facilitation strategies and best practices that facilitators and volunteers can use while engaging a variety of museum visitors with STEM related content. The video follows three competitors in the highly anticipated Edu-Cathalon as...

Gum and Chocolate is a fun (and gross!) activity in which participants can experience a chemical reaction in their mouths.

This activity involves real gum and real chocolate, which could conflict with your organization's policies around food, allergens, or chokeables...

Atoms to Atoms is an activity that can be used as a engaging game for training facilitators in talking about chemistry and our perceptions around it, or as a longer activity to supplement the hands-on activities in your kit.

Atoms...

This funny video will help you and your facilitators run activities in a way that encourages participation and positive attitudes towards learning about chemistry.

These materials will help your facilitators run engaging, enjoyable chemistry activities at your event. Facilitator guides for individual activities are included on each activity's NISENet page, but this section includes additional resources for longer or more complex supplementary activities, including Atoms...

These resources will help you and your facilitators run a fun, successful Let's Do Chemistry event and to encourage positive attitudes toward learning chemistry. Included is guide entitled, "Let’s Do Chemistry: A Framework and Strategies to Encourage Positive Attitudes Toward Learning...

Training videos for each of the Explore Science: Let's Do Chemistry hands-on activities intended for staff and volunteer educators.

Hands-on activities include:

• Build a Battery 
• Cleaning Oil Spills with Chemistry
• Chemistry is Colorful 
• Chemistry Makes Scents 
• Molecules in Motion...

This online discussion provides a demonstration and overview of the hands-on STEM activities in the 2018 Explore Science: Earth & Space toolkit, tips for using training materials, forming local collaborations, and suggestions for marketing your events and programs. This online...

Join NISE Network partners to learn more about the Space and Earth Informal Science Education (SEISE) project, and how your organization can become more involved in this exciting opportunity. In this online workshop, NISE Net SEISE project team members present...

On August 21st, 2017, communities all across the US will gather to witness a truly historic event, a total solar eclipse. Do you have your plans finalized for the big event? It's not too late! If you’re still looking for programming...

These short films to help train staff and volunteers for engaging the public in a museum setting.These professional development videos "Museum Presentation (How NOT to Interact with Visitors", and "How to Interact with Visitors" can be used as a tool...

This online workshop provided an overview of the hands-on STEM activities in the Explore Science: Earth and Space toolkit, tips for using training materials and forming local collaborations, and suggestions for marketing your events and programs. Presenters in this workshop...

This training and orientation slideshow presentation (with accompanying notes) acts as a quick overview of your Explore Science: Earth & Space toolkit and the individual activities contained within.

This is designed to be used with educators, scientists, and volunteers who may be...

The NISE Network Professional Impacts Summative Evaluation is a longitudinal examination of individual professionals over the final three years of NISE Net funding. This investigation is based on the NISE Network goals for professionals and explores how involvement with NISE...

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...

Hear the highlights from the NISE Network Professional Impacts Summative Evaluation. This longitudinal study explored how the Network impacted museum and university professionals’ sense of community, understanding of nano content, and implementation of nano education. Members of the NISE Net's...

Anders Liljeholm from OMSI reviews key aspects of how to make your own how-to instructional training videos including many simple tips. This short fun 2:36 minute video quickly covers the basics of making an instructional video ranging from using a...

These short videos are perfect for staff and volunteer training on NanoDays activities.  All of these videos may be downloaded from Vimeo simply by creating a free "basic" account at www.vimeo.com/join, for more assistance please see FAQ # 10.