SFA at ASTC 2022

Thanks all who attended, and especially those who co-presented, the Science Festival Alliance's two sessions at the Association of Science and Technology Centers annual conference. For a summary of these presentations, see below.

Go Where the People Are and Do What the People Do: Experimenting With Situated Engagement

From neighborhood gatherings to parades, open-air markets to fantasy conventions, communities always get together on their own terms. What would it look like if you put down your usual bag of science tricks and joined in? Learn about our experiences with prioritizing cultural context with the practice of situated engagement.

Presenters: Becky Carroll, Senior Researcher; Ben Wiehe, Manager, MIT Museum; Benjamin Dickow, President & Executive Director, Columbia Memorial Space Center; Emily Rice; Paul Martin,Co-Director, Arizona State University - Center for Innovation in Informal STEM Learning

ScienceNearMe.org: A New Infrastructure to Connect Audiences Across Silos ofInformal STEM Engagement and Learning

Looking for ways to deepen STEM engagement for your community, and reach a broader audience in your museum? Learn about ScienceNearMe.org, a new innovative National Science Foundation funded resource that allows people to search STEM opportunities across the U.S. including science centers, science festivals, out-of-school time programs, and citizen scientists.

Presenters: Ben Wiehe, Manager, MIT Museum; Darlene Cavalier, Director, SciStarter; KateDickerson, Interim Executive Director, Maine Discovery Museum; Martin Storksdieck, Director,STEM Research Center, Oregon State University Center for Research on Lifelong STEM Learning;Steven Snyder, President & CEO, Fleet Science Center