Newsletter - Issue 11, December 2009

Registration for ISE Summit 2010 is now open

Registration is now open for the second Informal Science Education Summit, coming up March 3–5 in Washington, D.C. Join colleagues from across the field as we work together to build a shared picture of the contributions of informal science education. Taking as its theme "Surrounded by Science,” title of a book forthcoming from the National Research Council, the ISE Summit 2010 is designed to mobilize, energize, and empower the ISE community.In addition to providing opportunities for networking and showcasing outstanding ISE projects, the ISE Summit invites participants to join in investigations launched by CAISE Inquiry Groups, which are addressing questions like these: What are the scope and scale of the ISE field? What opportunities and barriers do current public policies present to the realization of the full potential of ISE? How can we build a compelling case for the value of ISE? The ISE Summit takes place at Washington, D.C.'s Hilton Washington, north of Dupont Circle. For more information, visit the CAISE website.

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News and Updates

  • Join the CAISE Forum: Participate in an ongoing series of online discussions hosted by CAISE Inquiry Groups and others who've organized NSF-funded conferences and workshops about issues and topics in informal science education. Go to connect.astc.org, set up an account, find the "CAISE Forum," and enroll yourself using the word "informal" as the enrollment key. If you need help, contact Terri Gipson at tgipson@caise.insci.org.
  • Contribute an interview—or several: "Everyday Science & Technology" interviews are being collected now, using guidelines developed by John Falk of Oregon State University, Scott Randol of UC Berkeley, and other members of the CAISE Infrastructure Inquiry Group. The goal is to help build a picture of where and how people develop and pursue interests in science and technology, broadly defined, over the course of a lifetime. Results are coming in steadily, with topics ranging from space travel to birds to the science of hair. You can find the interviewing guidelines and questions to use here Guidelines for Collecting Interviews (PDF) and Interview Guide (PDF). Survey results should be entered in this SurveyMonkey form (this allows for notes of any length). We encourage you to get involved. Results will be shared at the ISE Summit 2010.
  • Surrounded by Science: Learning Science in Informal Environments can be preordered now from the National Academies Press. Based on the National Research Council study Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits, this 220-page book provides case studies, questions, and illustrative examples for ISE practitioners. The book's release will be highlighted during the forthcoming ISE Summit 2010.

About the image

  • Photo courtesy of Astronomy from the Ground Up, Astronomical Society of the Pacific

In the Spotlight:

Astronomy from the Ground Up

ISE Spotlight

Astronomy from the Ground Up (AFGU) provides informal science educators at science and nature centers, museums, and other informal education venues with new ways to communicate astronomy content to their visitors. AFGU is a growing community of educators actively enhancing their capacity to address astronomy topics. The site was developed by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in collaboration with the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, with funding from the National Science Foundation (#0451933).

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About CAISE

The Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) works to strengthen and connect the informal science education community by catalyzing conversation and collaboration across the entire field—including film and broadcast media, science centers and museums, zoos and aquariums, botanical gardens and nature centers, digital media and gaming, science journalism, and youth, community, and after-school programs. Founded in 2007 with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), CAISE is a partnership among the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), Oregon State University (OSU), the University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments (UPCLOSE), and the Visitor Studies Association (VSA). CAISE is housed at ASTC’s Washington, D.C. offices.

CAISE