JANUARY 2026
NETWORK NEWS
Happy New Year!
As we reflect on the past year, we want to extend our gratitude for you and your work to engage people in your community in STEM experiences. The NISE Network would not be possible without the amazing work of our funders and partners, and we are excited to continue our work together with you in 2026 and beyond.
NISE Network Year in Review 2025
This past year we continued to work with our partners to increase our capacity as professionals and organizations to engage public audiences throughout the United States in science, technology, engineering and math topics. Our strength as a Network comes from our collaborations, and our impact comes from the work we all do to engage our local communities in STEM.
Here are some of our favorite Network moments of 2025.
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
• Online Workshop: How to Be a Part of 2.50 Million Acts of Science with SciStarter
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
2-3pm Eastern
Are you interested in being a part of a global effort to engage the public in 2.50 Million Acts of Science during April 2026? Then join us as we welcome SciStarter for a discussion about how to get involved in Acts of Science: CONNECTED. SciStarter is providing everything you need to make it easy to connect your community directly with real research, all while contributing to 2.50 million Acts of Science in one month to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
Learn more and register
• Online Workshop: Young People Co-creating STEM Engagement Projects
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
2-3pm Eastern
Join us as we explore the intersection of co-creation, positive youth development, and futures thinking. During this online workshop, we will hear from partners who have developed and implemented a variety of programs, exhibits and games that have empowered youth to help shape the future for their communities. Presenters will discuss strategies for working with young people, including how to build their confidence to engage the public in science exploration and how to create a sense of ownership, belonging, and STEM identity.
Learn more and register
FEATURED ON THE WEBSITE
Professional Learning Resources:
• Talking with Children about Tragic Events in the News
Parents, caregivers, and educators can all play an important role in helping children recover from exposure to tragic events in the news as well as traumatic experiences. Navigating these conversations isn't easy, but these resources can be helpful for both children and adults.
• What Values Do You Share? Conversation Starter
Successful collaborative plans and actions are grounded in values. Values shape the behavior and decision-making of an organization or collaborative group. This activity is designed to help people working together consider how their efforts align with their values and share what values are important for them, their organizations, and their community.
• Co-creating with Communities Project Videos
These seven videos feature transformative community partnerships creating opportunities to learn about Earth and space science in ways that are locally relevant and inclusive of everyone. Videos feature communities in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Mesa, Arizona; Houston, Texas; Brownsville, Texas; Bay Area, California; and San Diego & San Ysidro, California.
Recent Publications:
• Uniting Under the Eclipse: A Mega-Collaboration to Activate Science Learning Across the Penumbra and Beyond has been published in the Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society (BAAS). The paper describes how NASA's Science Activation (SciAct) program collaborated to reach learners across the nation during the 2023-24 solar eclipses.
Learn more
More publications:
nisenet.org/publications
Online Workshop Recordings:
• DIY NASA Exhibits with Earth Information Center & ViewSpace
(recorded 10-7-25)
Learn more
• Co-Creating with Communities - Inspiring Partner Stories
(recorded 10-28-25)
Learn more
• The Climate Action Playbook - Resources Focused on the Developmental Needs of Early Learners
(recorded 12-2-25)
Learn more
• More online workshop recordings
Navigating Changing Federal Priorities:
Resources to help your organization navigate changing federal priorities for STEM, public engagement, and education.
Learn more
United States 250th “Semiquincentennial”
Resources to help plan relevant programming for the United States' 250th anniversary (Semiquincentennial)
nisenet.org/america250
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
The Journey to Decarbonisation: We the Curious in Bristol, England Shares Post Sustainability Fellowship Progress
In 2020, We the Curious participated in the NISE Network’s Sustainability Fellowship as a mentor and fellow, hosting a workshop for the program. At the time, our organisation had a goal to become carbon net zero by 2030. Now in 2025, halfway along that journey, we’ve had to revise that target, learning a lot and wanting to share our experience with others on the decarbonisation journey.
Learn more
COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Tactile Panels of Uranus
The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) is offering tactile panels (12" x 12") of the first images of Uranus by the James Webb Space Telescope at no cost to museums, science centers, libraries, and other sites of informal learning in the United States.
Learn more
Science Across America - Opportunity for Libraries
As America celebrates its 250-year anniversary in 2026, STAR Net has launched a new campaign to help libraries highlight the history of scientific achievement in our country and the local connections to science in our communities.
Learn more
Moments That Made US Customizable Exhibition Panels
As part of the commemoration of America’s 250th, Moments That Made US is a free, customizable, print-on-demand exhibition exploring defining moments in U.S. history through the lens of the Declaration of Independence. Developed as an exhibition at the History Colorado Center and adapted for sharing through a multi-state collaboration, the exhibition will feature 21 modular, ready-to-use panels with the option to add local content. Materials will be free to download so the only cost is printing and mounting in your space, making it ideal for museums, libraries, schools, community spaces and anyone looking for a meaningful and affordable way to participate in America’s 250th.
• Fill out the interest form
• Download the user guide
Citizen Science Month
During April and in celebration of America’s 250th birthday in 2026, SciStarter will rally thousands of volunteers worldwide to complete 2.50 Million Acts of Science. SciStarter is looking for libraries and museums to host events.
Learn more
Register for January 13th online workshop
Free Worm Composting Bin Kit Applications
Let’s Go Compost is offering United States schools, libraries, gardens and museums a free public education kit including an indoor worm bin, a certificate for worms, STEM activity guides, a children’s book, and technical support. Kits ship in early 2026.
Application for libraries
Museums & gardens email [email protected]
NNOCCI Upcoming Trainings
The National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI) has set training dates for the calendar year ranging from one hour to longer format online courses.
Learn more
Interested in one of our exhibitions? Join the waiting list!
If you are interested in hosting the Nano exhibition or the Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition, please reach out to Christina Leavell, NISE Network Community Manager, to be added to a waiting list.
Contact us
SCIENCE IN THE NEWS
NEUROSCIENCE NEWS
Recent research links the shingles vaccine to decreases in dementia. Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is the same virus that causes chickenpox.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• Brain and neuroscience resources
• Vaccine resources
GENETICS NEWS
CBS TV’s iconic news program, 60 Minutes, featured a high school iGEM team developing a better way to detect and treat Lyme disease using CRISPR technology.
Learn more
Watch the videos of iGEM competition finalists presentations.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• Building with Biology: Introduction to Synthetic Biology and Society Video
HEALTH NEWS
For the first time in six years, New York has confirmed a locally acquired case of the mosquito-borne illness chikungunya virus.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• Should We Engineer the Mosquito? Forum
• Health resources
SPACE NEWS
In addition to capturing video of Martian dust devils, NASA’s Perseverance rover also recorded the sounds of electrical sparks and mini-sonic booms in dust devils on Mars.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
ENGINEERING NEWS
Most humanoid robots are being built for work in factories, communities, or homes. Foundation, a Silicon Valley startup, is planning to build 50,000 humanoid robots with lethal weapons designed for the military by the end of 2027.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• Engineering and robot resources
• Exploring the Universe: Pack a Space Telescope
NANOTECHNOLOGY NEWS
Researchers have been able to directly observe molecules of water undergoing the shift from liquid water to ice at the nanoscale. Even though ice forms in a perfectly hexagonal lattice, it is surprisingly flexible and malleable, which explains why ice so often has trapped gas bubbles.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• NISE Network water and ice resources
• NanoDays activities
• NISE Network Size, Scale, & Measurement resources
BIOLOGY & CHEMISTRY NEWS
"Mirror life" refers to synthetic organisms built from mirror-image molecules, with reversed chirality or handedness from natural molecules. More debate has been taking place this year about potential risks and the need for regulation.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• Chemistry Makes Scents
• Chemistry resources
STEM Career Pathways
A group of STEM professionals reflect on their most memorable gifts and how these gifts shaped their careers.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• NISE Network STEM career pathways resources
SCIENCE & ART NEWS
The 2025 Agar Art contest winners have been announced! Creators use either naturally colorful microbes or genetically modified microbes to create images while using various types of agar as a canvas.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION NEWS
The annual "Dance Your Ph.D." contest is again accepting submissions. If you missed the 2025 winners, here are some videos of the 2025 winners to brighten your day.
Watch now
FUTURES NEWS
Future Tense Fiction is a speculative fiction series that uses imagination to explore how science and technology will shape our future. It features short stories that are written by authors across a range of styles.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
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 2026
Winter
- NISE Network Snowflakes: Nano at its Coolest program
- NISE Network Exploring Fabrication - Self-Assembly program
- NISE Network water resources including ice and snow
JANUARY
- What’s Up Skywatching Tips from NASA
- National Mentoring Month (January)
- New Years (January)
- An opportunity to imagine the future of science, technology, and society (as well as reflect on past predictions)
- NISE Network activities and programs exploring societal aspects of STEM and futures thinking
- National Science Fiction Day (January 2)
- National Bird Day (January 5)
- Some bird feathers (such as peacock feathers) are iridescent due to nano-sized structures within the feathers
- NISE Network biomimicry resources including iridescence
- National Static Electricity Day (January 9)
- Martin Luther King Day (third Monday in January) (January 19, 2026)
- MLK Day of Service - make it a day on, not a day off, by creating and find volunteer opportunities through matching programs
- https://www.volunteermatch.org
- https://www.idealist.org
- https://www.justserve.org
- https://www.pointsoflight.org/mlk-jr-day-of-service/
- Museum Selfie Day (third Wednesday in January) (January 21, 2026)
- Encouraging museum visitors and staff to sharing their #MuseumSelfie photos on social media platforms to inspire fun in museums and stimulate accessibility and learning
- Radon Awareness Week (last week in January)
- International Day of Education (January 24)
- Crayola Creativity Week (January 26- February 1, 2026)
February
- 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
- Black Lives in Astronomy: A Resource Guide compiled by Andrew Fraknoi
- Celebrating Black Innovators poster from SPIE the international society for optics and photonics
- HistoryMakers ScienceMakers biographies and oral histories of African American scientists
- Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture Black History Month toolkit
- Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture Talking about Race
- PBS African American Quotation posters
- Groundhog Day (February 2)
- Use Exploring Earth: Bear's Shadow activity to make and experiment with shadows
- STEM topics to explore include: signs of spring (animals emerging from hibernation), signs of winter (clear, cold days), and seasons (February 2 lies midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox)
- NASA Space Place seasons resources
- International Day of Women and Girls in Science (February 11)
- National Inventors Day (February 11)
- Inspire and encourage young inventors; February 11 is the birthday of the inventor Thomas Alva Edison
- National Inventors Hall of Fame list of inductees
- NISE Network engineering resources
- Digital Learning Day (February 12, 2026)
- World Radio Day (February 13)
- Great Backyard Bird Count (mid-February) (February 13–16, 2026)
- Some bird feathers (such as peacock feathers) are iridescent due to nano-sized structures within the feathers
- NISE Network biomimicry resources including iridescence
- Valentine's Day (February 14)
- Galileo Day (February 15th)
- National Battery Day (February 18)
- Engineers Week (Third week in February)
NATIONAL MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES
- ASTC List of Conferences in the Community
Learn more - Association of Children's Museums (ACM) InterActivity, April 21-23, 2026, San Diego, CA
Learn more - American Alliance of Museums 2026 AAM Annual Meeting May 20-23, 2026, Philadelphia, PA
Learn more - National Rural STEM Summit, August 26-29, 2026, Fort McDowell, AZ
Learn more - ASTC Conference, September 16-19, 2026, Phoenix, AZ
Learn more - National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Conferences
Learn more