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The NASA’s Astrophoto Challenge provides learners of all familiarity levels authentic experiences using real astrophysics data, including those from NASA space-based missions. Participants engage in the scientific practices of a scientist through accessible data tools and experiences while they create and share their composite images. Learn more.

Find Your All at the National Afterschool Association (NAA24) Convention from March 17-20, 2024 at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas, Texas! Find your people in a place where being authentic, brave, and curious is encouraged and supported. This is THE event that OST professionals come to for human connections, inspired learning, and meaningful recognition. Learn ... Read more

The National Alliance for Broader Impacts (NABI) will be convening this April 25-27 for the 2018 Broader Impacts Summit. Held in Providence, Rhode Island and hosted by Brown University, the theme of this year’s summit will be “Creative Communication and Scholarship.” Speakers for this event include Sylvester James Gates, Jr., Jill Pipher, and Cornelia Dean, ... Read more

The American Horticultural Society is excited to announce that the 2023 NCYGS, in partnership with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and UT Gardens, will be held in Knoxville, Tennessee, July 12 – 15. The 2023 Symposium offers 30 interactive learning sessions, eight field experiences, and a never-ending bond to peers who are also ... Read more

Research suggests that integrating concepts from the humanities into science educational experiences can help to strengthen learning. Fortunately, many informal learning institutions have facilities, collections, exhibits, programs, and in-house staff expertise that can support science content and non-cognitive learning outcomes—like motivation, curiosity, and interest in science—through humanities-based experiences. At the 2014 Association of Science-Technology Centers ... Read more

The National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) is pleased to announce that applications are now open to join NGCP Youth Advisory Board (YAB) for the 2023-2024 school year! The YAB is a collective of high school students from diverse regions and backgrounds who have a passion for STEM. The YAB’s mission is to provide input on current NGCP initiatives ... Read more

NAME (Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators) is excited to be the host for the NMEA 2023 annual conference—a special event that brings together hundreds of professional educators dedicated to teaching about our marine, coastal and aquatic environments. NMEA members are a group of inspired, passionate people who promote the conservation, enjoyment, and wise use of ... Read more

For more than 50 years, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Annual Conference has been the premier meeting of the park and recreation community. Annual Conference attendees get an inside look at the latest products and services at the interactive Exhibit Hall, have the chance to connect with colleagues and experts in the field, ... Read more

Register Now! June 3-4, 2014 at the National Academy of Sciences, 2101 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC (directions) The National Research Council’s (NRC) Board on Science Education has assembled a 13-person expert committee, which will host a 2-day workshop on Successful Out-of-School STEM Learning. The workshop, along with previous NRC reports and evidence from a ... Read more

A new funding opportunity is available from the National Science Foundation. The EHR Core Research (ECR) program establishes a mechanism in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) to provide funding in foundational research areas that are broad, essential and enduring. EHR seeks proposals that will help synthesize, build and/or expand research foundations in ... Read more

The National Science Foundation (NSF) released its FY 2014 Budget Request. For more information relating to the interests of the informal science education field in the NSF budget – and those at other federal agencies who provide support for the field – please visit the Government Relations section of the ASTC website at http://www.astc.org/about/government/index.htm and ... Read more

Participation in citizen science programs has the potential to increase science literacy and interest among a variety of public audiences and enhance scientific research through the wide-scale collection of data, says the National Science Foundation (NSF).  In a recent media brief and webcast the NSF recognized how a growing number of citizen science projects have ... Read more

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Education & Human Resources (EHR) requests proposals for funding in the EHR Core Research (ECR) program. This program, first established in early 2013, provides funding for foundational research that is “broad, essential, and enduring.” ECR seeks proposals that address one or more of four core research areas ... Read more

  The National Science Foundation is seeking qualified candidates for program officer/director positions.   STEM Education Equity and Inclusion Program Officer/Director (temporary/rotator position) The Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) announces a nationwide search for temporary Program Directors with expertise in research and development related to equity and inclusion in ... Read more

The National Science Foundation is seeking qualified candidates for program officer/director positions.   The Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) within the Education and Human Resources Directorate (EHR) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) announces five nation-wide searches for Program Officers (i.e., Directors.) Program Directors in DRL have an unparalleled ... Read more

On March 18, 2020 the National Science Foundation released the blog Seven NSF-supported STEM resources that are perfect for at-home learning. In addition to those projects, NSF has funded a wide range of innovative informal STEM education work across a variety of settings, resulting in online learning opportunities and resources that are informed by research, evaluation and best practices. CAISE has curated ... Read more

For the United States to capitalize on the investments made in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, the Nation requires intentional education pathways that will meet microelectronics workforce needs in the near- and long-term. Come participate in this NSF-organized virtual workshop that brings together members of different communities involved in microelectronics education to discuss ... Read more

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Grants Conference is designed to give new faculty, researchers, and administrators key insights into a wide range of current issues at NSF. NSF staff will provide up-to-date information about policies and procedures, specific funding opportunities and answer attendee questions.  Highlights include:  New programs and initiatives Proposal preparation   NSF’s merit review ... Read more

The U.S. Department of Education, in partnership with EXPLR, will co-present the first-ever National STEM Festival to celebrate student achievements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This festival is dedicated to showcasing innovative student solutions to urgent global challenges. Learn more.

This post was co-written by Michael Brody, Christine Rogers Stanton, and Art Bangert, Department of Education, College of Education, Health and Human Development, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA; Shane Doyle, Native American Studies Program; and Cliff Montagne, Department of Land Resources and Environmental Science, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA; and Natalia Yurkova, Gorno-Altaisk ... Read more

The Nature-Based Early Learning Conference brings professionals together to explore and promote nature-based learning for young children. Attendees include teachers, program administrators, higher education faculty, researchers, education consultants, landscape designers, and others who are committed to or interested in bringing nature, outdoor learning, and environmental education to young children’s education. The program focuses on nature-based ... Read more

Spending time in nature is essential for cognitive development. Nature play stimulates creativity and problem solving skills integral to executive function development. Children who play and spend time in nature have increased concentration and cognitive skills, including mitigation of ADHD/ADD symptoms. Findings from Research & Evaluation Spontaneous, open-ended, play in natural surroundings offer unrivaled opportunities ... Read more

Over the past decade, there has been increased interest in the details and depth of visitors’ experiences in informal educational settings. National Science Foundation (NSF) and other agencies have funded research projects studying visitors in museums, zoos, aquaria and parks. Evaluation studies, as well, now more often examine visitor behavior and attitudes, rather than just ... Read more

Each year, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) funds projects that explore the connections between science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and the humanities. We recently coordinated with the NEH to make these project descriptions searchable on InformalScience.org. The newly cataloged projects, funded through the Division of Public Programs, are multidisciplinary and often address ... Read more

We recently added a number of articles from the current issue of Afterschool Matters to the informalscience.org collection. Afterschool Matters is a peer-reviewed publication of the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST). The journal serves professionals who are developing, managing, and/or researching programs for youth that take place during the out-of-school time hours. Here’s a ... Read more