February 2025
NETWORK NEWS
Navigating Change
We want to acknowledge that many of us are adapting and responding to rapid changes and uncertainty related to the change in federal administration. As we all navigate this changing landscape, thank you for your continued efforts to engage the public in STEM topics throughout the United States. We appreciate you and the work you do.
Advice about rapid change and uncertainty:
News from trusted sources:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAS)
- National Council of Nonprofits
- Nonprofit Quarterly
- The Chronicle of Higher Education
Upcoming Lunar Eclipse visible in North America March 13-14, 2025
If skies are clear, the lunar eclipse will be visible to the unaided eye. It is safe to view a lunar eclipse without any eye protection.
Check https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/ for exact timing for your location.
Learn more
UPCOMING EVENTS
Online Workshops
The NISE Network hosts free online workshops as professional development opportunities for our partners to share with and learn from each other. Online workshops take place on select Tuesdays at 2pm-3pm Eastern. View upcoming online workshops at nisenet.org/events
• Museum Experiences Participating in STEM Learning Ecosystems
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
2-3pm Eastern
Join us as we hear from NISE Network partners about their experiences engaging with their local STEM Learning Ecosystems. During this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to learn about a variety of types of STEM learning ecosystems and stages of relationship development, as we highlight the work of three different STEM ecosystems from across the US. Whether you are already involved in a STEM ecosystem, looking for ways to get more involved, or simply want to create stronger partnerships within your community, don't miss this opportunity to learn first hand from your peers in the field about museums and community-wide partnerships that foster authentic STEM learning.
Learn more and register
• Creating Relevant and Meaningful STEM Experiences
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
2-3pm Eastern
Join us as we explore the importance of relevance in STEM learning experiences. We will start with an introduction to the principles of relevance, sharing strategies found to be successful during a study of place-based learning in the NISE Network's STEM Learning Ecosystems project. We will talk about the process of how to approach your community and find out what is truly relevant to your audiences. We will also hear from NISE Network partners already co-creating with their communities to engage audiences more meaningfully in STEM. Whether you are already involved in a STEM ecosystem, looking for ways to get more involved, or simply want to create stronger partnerships within your community, don't miss this opportunity to learn how to take the first steps towards creating more relevant and meaningful STEM experiences.
Learn more and register
FEATURED ON THE WEBSITE
Online Workshop Recordings:
• Introduction to STEM Learning Ecosystems - Principles and Practices for Community-wide Partnerships
(recorded on 2-11-25)
Learn more
• STEM Identity & Career Interest for Students Traditionally Underrepresented in STEM
(recorded on 1-14-25)
Learn more
• Co-creation & You - Inspiring Partner Stories from Participants of the Co-Created Public Engagement with Science Project
(recorded on 12-3-24)
Learn more
• More online workshop recordings
Looking for an easy way to discover resources on the nisenet.org website?
Check out our “Browse by Themes and Topics,” featuring curated collections of hands-on activities and resources by themes and STEM topics:
nisenet.org/browse-topic
PARTNER HIGHLIGHT
Toledo Tinkers: Through a Child’s Eyes Takes Tinkering into the Community!
In 2019, Imagination Station in Toledo, Ohio recognized a need in their community for high quality STEAM education. However, there was a transportation barrier in many of the areas that needed it most. With this in mind, Imagination Station set off to develop a mobile tinkering lab, with high quality STEAM curricula, that would take the program to those communities. With the generous support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), along with several other funders, Toledo Tinkers: Through a Child’s Eyes was born.
Learn more
COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Invitation to review and provide feedback on museum activity training videos ($50 honorarium)
Invitation to review and provide feedback on museum activity training videos ($50 honorarium provided)
The independent evaluators of an NSF-funded informal science education project are looking for science center or museum educators to review and provide feedback on a set of three short activity training videos via online survey. The total time commitment for watching the videos and completing the survey is 30-40 minutes. As a thank you, you will be provided with a $50 Amazon gift card, emailed within one week of your completion of the survey. Note that space is limited and that the survey will close once the evaluation is full. Open to educators at science centers or museums in the United States.
Learn more
NNOCCI Crash Course
The National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI) is excited to announce registration for our Spring 2025 Crash Course! This is a 7-week, 25-hour, online course for those interested in gaining strategic framing skills. Registration closes March 21.
Learn more
Apply for an EZIE-Mag Magnetometer Citizen Science Kit
EZIE (Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer) is a NASA mission to explore the Sun and the system that drives space weather near Earth. EZIE-Mag is a NASA-funded citizen science magnetometer program that will enable learners to capture science data similar to that obtained by the EZIE mission. Apply to participate and receive a free kit and magnetometer.
Learn more
National Rural STEM Learning Summit
Session proposals for the National Rural STEM Learning Summit, August 26-29 in Fort McDowell, AZ are due March 21, 2025.
Learn more
Citizen Science: Theory and Practice journal
Call for Abstracts (Due: February 28, 2025)
The Citizen Science: Theory and Practice journal has a call for abstracts for a special issue titled “Lessons, Challenges, and Opportunities in Participatory Science from a Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM) Perspective.”
Learn more
SCIENCE IN THE NEWS
NEUROSCIENCE NEWS
A new study explores why some people vividly recall dreams while others forget them. Lighter sleep stages also increased the likelihood of waking up with dream memories, with younger individuals recalling dreams more often than older ones.
NISE Network resources:
• Brain and neuroscience resources
GENETICS & HEALTH NEWS
Grapefruits, as well as pomelos and bitter oranges, contain compounds that interfere with the action of many common medications. A new study found that a single gene in citrus fruit controlled the production of this compound, giving hope that medication-safe grapefruit could be cultivated in the future.
NISE Network resources:
SPACE NEWS
Studies of rock and dust from asteroid Bennu delivered to Earth by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft have revealed molecules that are the key to life on Earth. The findings do not show evidence for life itself, but they do suggest the conditions necessary for the emergence of life were widespread across the early solar system.
NISE Network resources:
• Asteroids, Comets, Meteors, and Meteorites resources
WEATHER NEWS
In honor of Groundhog Day and in the spirit of fun, groundhog predictions from all over the United States were compared with actual weather data to see who’s the most accurate. First place went to Staten Island Chuck of NY (85% accuracy), second place to General Beauregard Lee of Georgia (80%), and Third to Lander Lil statue in Lander, Wyoming (75%).
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• Climate and weather resources
CHEMISTRY NEWS
A group of scientists have tinkered with the traditional recipe for cacio e pepe, the challenging Roman dish consisting of pasta, pecorino cheese and black pepper. Thee scientists claim to have “scientifically optimized” the recipe by adding an ingredient: cornstarch.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
NANOSCALE NEWS
Computer animators and video game designers may soon have a better way to create the purple-green sheen of a grackle’s wing, or the pink flash on a hummingbird’s throat, thanks to a new method for rendering iridescent feathers.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• Biomimicry and iridescent activities
STEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
Discover activity ideas for incorporating current science, engineering, and technology content into events, special programming, holidays, and seasonal activities by visiting: nisenet.org/seasons
Year-long 2025
Winter
- Snow and Snowflakes:
February
- What’s Up Skywatching Tips from NASA
- Black History Month / African-American History Month (February)
- NASA Modern Figures Toolkit
- African Americans in Science and Technology internet resources from the Library of Congress
- Celebrating Black Innovators poster from SPIE the international society for optics and photonics
- HistoryMakers ScienceMakers biographies and oral histories of African American scientists
- HistoryMakers toolkits of hands-on activities connecting to scientists
- Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture Talking about Race
- PBS African American Quotation posters
March
- Women's History Month (March)
- International Women's Day (March 8)
- Severe Weather Awareness Weeks (March, dates vary by state)
- Severe weather may include flood, fire, lightning, hurricane, tornados, tsunami, earthquake, heat, and cold
- Please note that dates of awareness weeks vary by state
- Climate resiliency and extreme weather forum programs about heat waves, sea level rise, extreme precipitation, and drought
- NISE Network climate change and weather resources
- World Futures Day - Young Voices (March 1)
- Dr. Seuss Day (March 2)
- Exploring Materials - Oobleck activity
Oobleck gets its name from the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck where a gooey green substance, Oobleck, fell from the sky and wreaked havoc in the kingdom - Horton Hears a Who! Storytime activity
- Horton Senses Something Small activity
- NISE Network books, reading, and storytelling
- Exploring Materials - Oobleck activity
- World Wildlife Day (March 3)
- World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development (March 4)
- Groundwater Awareness Week (March 9-15, 2025)
- Brain Awareness Week
- Lunar Eclipse (March 13-14, 2025)
- International Day of Mathematics (March 14)
- Pi Day (March 14)
- National Learn about Butterflies Day (March 14)
- National Ag Day (March 18, 2025)
- Earth Hour (March 22, 2025)
- Spring Equinox (March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere)
- Solstices and equinoxes provide opportunities for planning quarterly programs related to the Earth, Sun, and Moon (astronomical seasons) or your local environment (meteorological seasons)
- NASA Space Place seasons resources
- NISE Network Moon resources
- World Water Day (March 22)
- World Meteorology Day (March 23)
- National STEM Week 2025 (March 14-23, 2025)
- National AI Literacy Day (March 28, 2025)
- NanoDays (March 29-April 6 2025)
NATIONAL MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES
- ASTC List of Conferences in the Community
Learn more - Association of Children's Museums (ACM) InterActivity, May 14-16, 2025, Albuquerque, NM
Learn more - 2025 Science Events Summit, June 8-10, 2025, Philadelphia, PA
Learn more - National Rural STEM Learning Summit, August 26-29, 2025,
Fort McDowell, AZ
Learn more - ASTC Conference, September 6-9, 2025, San Francisco, CA
Learn more National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Conferences