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.

The REU Science Communication Workshop is designed to enhance the science communication skills of undergraduate students participating in research programs such as NSF's Research Experience for Undergraduates. The REU SCW has been implemented and evaluated quite successfully at more than...

This Guide provides information and resources for planning and hosting a Sharing Science Workshop & Practicum for early career researchers that will enhance their science communication skills, engage their interest in education and outreach, and prepare them for providing effective...

"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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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

Click2Science Professional Development is an easy-to-use, online training resource for out-of-school-time professionals. Click2Science’s interactive platform builds stronger out-of-school time programs by helping staff deliver quality, well-facilitated STEM activities in a way that "clicks" in the minds of youth.

The Museum Alliance is a community of practice comprising informal science educators at museums, science centers, planetariums, NASA Visitor Centers, Challenger Learning Centers, observatories, zoos, aquariums, parks, and nature centers who wish to share NASA information with their visitors. It...

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...

This workshop on scientific journalism and interviewing skills was prepared and given by a team of scientists, educators and editorial staff at the Materials Research Society. The workshop is designed as a full-day, with a post-workshop assignment and individual follow-up...

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. Please feel free to distribute links to people volunteering at your NanoDays event. All of these videos may be downloaded from Vimeo simply by creating a free...