September 21st, 2026
Authors: Dr. Pati Ruiz (Co-PI, REVISE Center), Jaime Bell (ASTC), Kim Descoteaux (REVISE Center), and Valeria Aderete (REVISE Center)
From September 16–19, 2026, the global science and technology center community gathered in Phoenix, Arizona for the Association of Science and Technology Centers’ (ASTC) Annual Conference hosted by Arizona Science Center. At this gathering, the Association launched its new strategy focused on strengthening the science and technology field’s impact in a rapidly changing world. For those who could not attend ASTC 2026, here is a high-level overview of some memorable moments and key takeaways.
Keynotes: Future Trends and “Robot-Proofing” Humanity
Futurist Sheryl Connelly opened the conference with a captivating keynote, offering a visionary look into the global trends, demographic shifts, and consumer behaviors that will shape our collective future.
The second keynote brought Vivienne Ming to the stage. Ming’s presentation centered around the themes of her book, Robot-Proof: When Machines Have All the Answers, Build Better People. She explored the deeply resonant question of what it means to be human in an increasingly automated world. Her exploration of maximizing human capacity focused on the importance of perspective-taking, curiosity, fluid intelligence, and intellectual humility “when the right answers are free,” as she so aptly put it. With both keynotes, attendees were inspired to think about how we educate and empower our communities in the age of AI.
Resources: Federal Funding Landscape
- Updates on NSF Priorities: This page provides updated guidance on the priorities of the U.S. National Science Foundation.
- U.S. National Science Foundation Focus Areas
- Sam.gov: the Official U.S. Government System for: Contracting; Entity Information and Reporting; Federal Assistance and Hierarchy
- Prospective New Awardee Guide (June 2020)
Growing Connections: The Natural History Network
Beyond the plenaries, the conference was filled with rich strands of concurrent, extended, and poster sessions, as well communities of practice meet-ups.
One highlight included the continued growth of the ASTC’s Natural History Network. Now officially in its second year, the Network boasts a growing membership of natural history professionals in a variety of roles from a range of institution types, and has fostered robust, ongoing engagement through a series of in-person and online meet-ups. It is exciting to see this network and others such as Seeding Action and IF/THEN, creating dedicated spaces for collaboration among professionals within the broader ASTC community.
Celebrating Excellence: Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards
The 2026 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards celebrated the individuals and institutions that are pushing the boundaries of what science centers and museums can achieve.
We want to extend special congratulations to Darrell Porcello of the Children’s Creativity Museum in San Francisco, California. Porcello was honored this year for his exceptional work in leading national collaborations and designing interactive experiences that connect cutting-edge science with meaningful public dialogue. His dedication exemplifies the core mission of our field: making complex, cutting-edge science accessible, engaging, and highly relevant to everyday people.
Darrell led the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education’s (CAISE) early efforts to develop a metadata schema for the InformalScience.org repository. He wanted to create a tool that would be relevant for and be used by learning researchers, evaluators,and practitioners alike.
When the National Science Foundation supported the development and curation of open educational resources (OERs) through its National Science Digital Library program, Darrell was the first principal investigator to receive an award to build a digital collection of curated resources for informal STEM educators called the SMILE Pathway(and later Howtosmile.org).
Looking Ahead
Mark your calendar! The next ASTC Annual Conference will take place in Boston, MA November 10-13 2027.