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The 21st Century Learning in Natural History Setting Project will host two online ASTC Connect forums and a conference in order to share information, resources, evaluation and research results, and best practices, to identify and consider what we know about learning in natural history settings. The forums will initiate ongoing dialogue to identify the best opportunities to harness the unique resources of natural history museums and environments for learning in the 21st Century. 

The first online forum will be held September 28-October 4, 2011. Building on the first forum and resources available through the resource website, a second forum will be held November 30-December 6, 2011, in order to explore more specifically opportunities for innovation in learning in natural history settings and the research questions we will need to address to learn more about them.
 
From this series of interconnected events, a schedule, topics, and agenda will emerge for a conference to be held February 12-15, 2012, in Washington, D.C. We anticipate that topics like the following will be considered:

•    New models for interaction among educators, curators, collection managers, exhibit professionals, and museum leadership;

•    Research to more fully understand audiences and their needs;

•    Leveraging new technologies for discovery, learning, and social engagement;

•    Rapid response programming, current science, and current events;

•    The role of public participation in scientific research in natural history learning; and

•    Collaboration in learning research and innovative programming across the Natural History field.

We will identify the best opportunities and a research and evaluation agenda to advance our progress toward them.  For a description of the project, please view the project profile on informalscience.org. If you have questions or would like to be added to an email distribution for information about the conference and the project, please email NMNHeducation@si.edu.