JUNE 2026
NETWORK NEWS
America at 250 Resources
As the United States commemorates its 250th (Semiquincentennial) anniversary, there are many opportunities for us all to be involved. The journey toward this historic milestone gives every American an opportunity to pause and reflect on our nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look ahead toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond.
The 250th anniversary is not just about 1776, the Declaration of Independence, and the Revolutionary War. It is an opportunity to share all of America’s history, beginning long before 1776 and continuing to the present day. Many events are planned for 2026, and celebrations will continue for several years.
This historic event is far more than a lesson in history; it is a celebration of American craft, innovation, technology, local stories, and much more. Every museum and every community has a part to play in this celebration 250 years in the making. The NISE Network has created a compilation of resources emphasizing connections to STEM learning and engagement.
Learn more at nisenet.org/America250
We will be holding another America at 250 online workshop on June 9th which will be recorded.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES
ASTC Conference
We are looking forward to seeing many NISE Network partners at the upcoming ASTC conference in Phoenix this September. Check out our list of NISE Network events at the conference:
nisenet.org/astc2026
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
• America at 250 - Just in time resources you can use at science centers and children's museums
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
2-3pm Eastern
Learn more and register
• Practical Approaches to Immersive Digital Experiences in Museums
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
2-3pm Eastern
Learn more and register
• Ready for Roman -
Resources for Celebrating the Launch of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
2-3pm Eastern
Learn more and register
FEATURED ON THE WEBSITE
Artemis Moon Joy
Looking for ways to keep that Moon joy feeling going? Check out these
Moon activities and resources
New Professional Learning Video:
Perspectives on STEM Learning Ecosystems, Belonging, and Authentic STEM Engagement
A new video is available from the STEM Learning Ecosystems project. This is the sixth video in our professional learning series that introduces practitioners to STEM Learning Ecosystems. In this video, we ask professionals from across the country who are involved in STEM learning ecosystems to tell us about their experiences and to reflect on why community partnerships matter when creating opportunities for learners to engage in STEM.
Watch the new video
Learn about the six-part video series
Recent Publications:
• “Communities of transformation: an example from the museum field,” by Rae Ostman and Nich Weller has been published in Museum Management and Curatorship. This peer-reviewed journal article explores the Sustainability Fellowship as a community of transformation.
Learn more
More publications:
nisenet.org/publications
Online Workshop Recordings:
• Library Collaborations to Engage Local Public Audiences
(recorded 5-19-26)
Learn more
• Finding and Collaborating with NASA Experts - Solar System Ambassadors and Night Sky Network
(recorded 4-14-26)
Learn more
• Museums Share Experiences Participating in STEM Learning Ecosystems
(recorded 3-31-2026)
Learn more
• More online workshop recordings
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
Bringing the Universe to Schenectady, New York Libraries - The Children’s Museum at Saratoga’s Summer Exhibition Collaboration
The Children’s Museum at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, New York is currently working with the Schenectady County Public Library System to coordinate sharing of the NISE Network’s Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition across six local libraries in the region. In this unique collaboration, the Museum’s copy of Sun, Earth, Universe will be intentionally split up across six libraries, and patrons will be encouraged to participate in a scavenger hunt spanning all six locations.
Learn more
COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Host a Roman Space Telescope event
With launch planned for September 2026, NASA invites organizations to host community events for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Get access to free resources, webinars, and support to bring space science to your audience.
Learn more
Sign up to participate
More resources
nisenet.org/roman
Celebrate the World Cup with NASA's Cosmic Pitch
Developed by NASA’s Universe of Learning and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, these resources use the physics of soccer—spin, speed, acceleration, and collisions—to explain the science of the universe. The resources are evergreen and suitable for youth soccer anytime.
Learn more
More resources
nisenet.org/sports
New COVES
Visitor Report Available
The Collaboration for Ongoing Visitor Experience Studies (COVES) systematically collects, analyzes, and reports on visitor experience data to better understand and improve museum visitor experiences. The new Understanding Our Visitors: A Closer Look report shares data about who visits, why they visit, and how they rate their visits.
Learn more
International Observe the Moon Night 2026
Save-the-date for this year’s event taking place on Saturday, September 19.
• Learn more
• Moon activities and resources
America250: Celebrating American Innovation
Poster Exhibition, Planetarium Show, and Resource Guide
The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science (Frost Science) is offering the following resources to institutions interested in celebrating innovation: poster exhibition, short planetarium show, resource guide highlighting 250 American scientists, innovators, and engineers, and a lesson plan for grades 9-12.
• 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. 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 are free to download so the only cost is printing and mounting in your space.
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
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION NEWS
Happy 100th Birthday to David Attenborough, the acclaimed naturalist, storyteller, and beloved voice who revolutionized how we connect with the natural world. Attenborough’s journey is one of curiosity, passion, and an unshakable love for the natural world.
Learn more and more
NISE Network resources:
• Brain and neuroscience resources
NEUROSCIENCE NEWS
The cocktail party problem is how we understand what one person is saying when you are in a loud room filled with sounds and voices. Scientists are working on a “brain-controlled hearing aid” to help choose what sounds to focus on.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• Brain and neuroscience resources
GENETICS NEWS
Colossal Biosciences has made progress towards its goal of resurrecting the dodo and another extinct flightless bird called the giant moa, by hatching chickens with a 3D-printed plastic egg.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• Building with Biology resources
HEALTH NEWS
NOAA research offers ways to improve West Nile Virus forecasting and prevention. Since the first cases were detected in New York in 1999, West Nile Virus carried by mosquitoes has caused over 30,000 cases of severe illness and nearly 3,000 deaths in the U.S.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
SPACE NEWS
Sonic booms heard and felt across New England on May 30th were caused by a meteor. Unfortunately for meteorite-hunters, it appears that pieces of the space rock all fell into the middle of Cape Cod Bay.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• Asteroids, Comets, and Meteorite resources
SPACE NEWS
Students at University of North Dakota are testing a NASA wastewater system designed to convert human waste into plant food in a trial designed to simulate a lunar habitat.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
ENGINEERING & AI NEWS
In a document entitled "Magnifica Humanitas" (Magnificent Humanity), Pope Leo issued a callf for robust regulation of artificial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than profit, in order to safeguard humankind.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• Engineering and robot resources
ENGINEERING NEWS
Scientists are experimenting with tiny, soft robots capable of leaping meters into the air and diving back down into soil - making them promising for planting seeds. Made from kevlar and a liquid crystal elastomer, the materials store energy when twisted and knotted, then release it all at once when heated.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• Engineering and robot resources
NANOTECHNOLOGY NEWS
Carbon nanotubes have proven difficult to work with for many reasons, including their chirality or “handedness” with a left- or right-handed twist. Scientists have now been able to sort carbon nanotubes for a single handedness which holds promise for electronics and photonics.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
• Carbon activities
• NISE Network Size, Scale, & Measurement resources
RADIO NEWS
Typically solar radio bursts last a few hours to days. But a recent radio burst from our Sun lasted 19 days — far exceeding scientists’ expectations and the previous record.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
WEATHER NEWS
Meteorologists around the world are predicting a strong El Niño this year which could lead to extreme weather events including flooding and droughts.
Learn more
NISE Network resources:
EARTH SCIENCE NEWS
A new study connects NASA satellite data on vegetation condition, topography, and weather conditions to examine the predicted versus actual burn severity of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.
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
SUMMER
- Summer Camp Resources
- Outside Activities
- Summer Reading
- NISE Network books, reading, and storytelling resources
- Summer reading themes (2026 theme: Unearth a Story)
- Summer reading programs and resources
- Sun and Sand
JUNE
- What’s Up Skywatching Tips from NASA
- Pride Month (June) - celebrate people in STEM
- Lightning Safety Awareness Week (June)
- National Dairy Month (June)
- International Nature Journaling Week (first week in June)
- World Environment Day (June 5)
- World Oceans Day (June 8)
- International Day of Play (June 11)
- Juneteenth (June 19)
- Summer Solstice (June 21 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)
- Moon resources
- NASA Space Place seasons resources
- National Selfie Day (June 21)
- National Week of Making (June 17-23)
- International Women in Engineering Day (June 23)
- Asteroid Day (June 30)
JULY
- Plastic Free July (July)
- Flush Smart Month (July)
- National Ice Cream Day (July 18)
- Moon Landing - anniversary of Apollo 11 first step on the Moon July 20, 1969 (July 20)
- World Brain Day (July 22)
- National Intern Day (July 30, last Thursday of July)
AUGUST
- Perseid Meteor Shower (August)
- The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower as they peak on warm August nights as seen from the Northern Hemisphere
- NISE Network Asteroids, Comets, Meteors, and Meteorites resources
- National Immunization Awareness Month (August)
- National Sand Castle Day (first Saturday of August)
- International Infinity Day (August 8)
- The mathematical infinity symbol looks like a sideways number 8.
- NISE Network size, scale, & measurement resources
- Howtosmile.org infinity activities
- World Photography Day (August 19)
- NISE Network light activities and resources
- NISE Network scientific images gallery
- NISE Network publicity photo gallery
- Selfies and photo ops: DIY Solar System App
- Selfies and photo ops: Radio Futures: I Spy Radio (Let’s Send a Selfie in Wavetown PDF)
- Selfies and photo ops: Exploring Tools - Dress Up Like a Nanoscientist activity
- National Aviation Day (August 19)
- National Radio Day (August 20)
- World Mosquito Day (August 20)
- Frankenstein Day (August 30)
- Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was born on August 30, 1797; she wrote the novel Frankenstein in 1816, and published it in 1818
- Frankenstein200 kit of activities
NATIONAL MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES
- ASTC List of Conferences in the Community
Learn more - Smithsonian National Education Summit, July 14-16, 2026, free for virtual attendees
Learn more - National Rural STEM Summit, September 3-4, 2026, Glendale, AZ
Learn more - ASTC Conference, September 16-19, 2026, Phoenix, AZ
Learn more - Association of Children's Museums (ACM) InterActivity, May 12-14, 2027, Tulsa, OK
Learn more - National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) Conferences
Learn more