May 1st, 2015
For the past several years, CAISE has been working with NSF to help STEM researchers and directors of education/public outreach connect to and leverage informal STEM learning strategies, programs, and projects as part of the “broader impacts” requirement of their National Science Foundation (NSF) grants. All NSF grantees are required to state the intended “broader impacts” of their research projects, which can range from training graduate students to participating in community events to partnering with education organizations to develop and deliver learning experiences. Informal STEM Education represents a unique and rich set of opportunities for engaging the public in STEM research, but there is much work to be done in making connections. One outcome of a recent convening on this topic was identifying ISE professional networks and associations that directors of education/public outreach can leverage for resources, partnerships, and project expertise (see an in-depth profile of one such network in New Mexico here). Below is a list of such organizations. CAISE is interested in identifying and tracking other associations that may exist—including local/regional, statewide, and national organizations. If you know of any not included on the list below, please let us know about them at caise@informalscience.org.
Informal science education (statewise/regional):
- Arkansas Discovery Network
- New Mexico Informal Science Education Network
- North Carolina Grassroots Science Museum Collaborative
- Oklahoma Museum Network
- Oregon STEM Hubs
- Informal Science Education Association of Texas
- Washington Informal Science Education Consortium
Informal science education (national):
- Teen Science Café Network
- Science Festival Alliance
- Mott Afterschool Networks
- Portal to the Public
- Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network
- QUEST Beyond Local
Sector-Specific Professional Associations: