caise

Increasing the Impact and Communicating the Value of Informal Science Education

July 25–26, 2008

At the request of the National Science Foundation (NSF), CAISE is organizing a meeting for NSF Informal Science Education (ISE) Program principal investigators (PIs), July 25–26, in Washington, D.C. The ISE PI Summit 2008 will provide PIs of recent and active NSF ISE grants the opportunity to discuss the state of ISE with other leaders in the field and to get updates on the latest directions in NSF funding. ISE PI Summit 2008 will be held at the National Zoo and the nearby Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.

There is no registration fee for the ISE PI Summit 2008, and several meals at the event itself will be provided, including Friday dinner.  Individual projects are responsible for transportation, hotel, and all other costs. ISE PIs should check with their NSF program officers to learn more about how their grants may support participation.

Schedule

Friday–Saturday, July 25–26, 2008

The ISE PI Summit 2008 will begin at 8:30 a.m., Friday, July 25, 2008, and will conclude at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday July 26, 2008.

The ISE PI Summit 2008 will include working group sessions in which PIs  discuss cutting-edge issues and trends in ISE and its various sectors. The results of these sessions will inform the direction of CAISE as well as provide information to the NSF ISE Program.  In addition, PIs will be asked to prepare a “project profile” to be shared on the CAISE website prior to the PI Summit as well as at the PI Summit as part of Project Showcase sessions. PIs are encouraged include multi-media and other materials that communicate the value and the impacts of your project.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Visit Members of Congress (additional opportunity)
Members of Congress benefit from informational visits from constituents.  Similarly, constituents can benefit from getting to know their legislators better.  CAISE, in partnership with ASTC, can assist PIs or other project representatives with making appointments to talk with their Members of Congress about ISE-supported projects.  In the coming months, ASTC will offer an optional online training session on advocacy and how to best communicate the value of ISE and its impacts on individuals, communities, and society. For more information or to participate, contact Ellen McCallie, emccallie@caise.insci.org.

Online training session led by Sean Smith, Director of Government and Public Relations for ASTC: July 10 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time.

CAISE Fellows Program
The 2008 CAISE Fellows will meet in the afternoon and evening, Thursday, July 24.

Hotel

Based on projected participation, CAISE has secured a room rate of $159 a night for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at the Marriott Wardman Park. We ask that if participants need accommodation during the ISE PI Summit 2008 that they stay at the Marriott Wardman Park. This will allow us to keep our commitment to the hotel.

The hotel is the site of Friday’s meeting and is one-half mile from the National Zoo, where PIs will have dinner on Friday night and meet all day on Saturday.

• The hotel is conveniently located at the Woodley Park metro (subway) stop on the Red Line.
• To ensure this room rate for single/double at $159/night, triple at $179/night, and quad at $199/night, hotel reservations must be made by Monday, July 7, 2008.
• Marriott reservations at www.marriott.com/WASDT,(800) 228-9290 or (202) 328-2000. Reservation code CAICAIA for single/double occupancy and CAICAII for triple/quad occupancy

Who may attend?

Participation in the ISE PI Summit 2008 is by invitation only, based on recent and active ISE Program awards as determined by NSF. If you are a PI of an active NSF ISE grant and did not receive an invitation to the ISE PI Summit 2008, please contact John Baek, jbaek@caise.insci.org.

Photo credit

Giant pandas: Photo courtesy of Ann Batdorf, NZP photographer, National Zoo, Washington, D.C.