Making Science Matter: Collaborations Between Informal Science Education Organizations and Schools

Collaboration with the K12 sector, while ubiquitous through much of informal science education, is sometimes seen as secondary to, or even a distraction from, our main efforts to engage the public with science. But formal-informal collaborations are more than add-ons to the work of ISE. They are a critical part of organizational strategies for public engagement with science. Indeed, failing to develop strategic and sustained relationships with schools, teachers, and students, while at the same time attempting to develop public engagement with science, is like trying to fill a bath without closing the drain. That's the conclusion of a CAISE Inquiry Group that recently completed its study of collaborations between formal and informal science education institutions. By taking advantage of "the particular affordances and strengths of different institutional types," the authors suggest, formal-informal collaborations can "meet shared goals of making science learning more accessible and compelling to young people in our communities."

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News and Updates

• Surrounded by Science: Learning Science in Informal Environments: Now available from the National Academies Press, this latest book from the National Research Council's Board on Science Education, intended for ISE practitioners, builds on the 2009 report Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, & Pursuits. For readers of the CAISE Newsletter, the National Academies Press is offering a 25% promotional discount off the list price. Use code SXCAIS to receive the discount. Order here: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12614.
• Online discussions in the CAISE Forum: Go to connect.astc.org, set up an account, find the "CAISE Forum," and enroll yourself using the word "informal" as the enrollment key.
  • April 19-23: Learning Science in the Third Age:
    ISE for Adults Ages 50 to 100.
  • May 10-14: ISE and Learning Sciences
    (continuing discussion).
  • May 17-21: Inclusion, Disabilities, and Informal Science Learning.
• Get ready for Earth Day. At the request of the White House, NSF's public affairs office is planning a special edition of the Science360 News Service and content for LiveScience.com for Earth Day, Thursday, April 22. All stories are welcome, but of special interest are NSF-funded research stories under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that could be tied to Earth Day news. Send written stories (not necessarily breaking news), audio, video, images, and blogs to: editor@science360.gov

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