The 2014 International Public Science Events Conference (IPSEC)
IPSEC 2014 met in Chicago on February 12 – 13, and was organized as an official preconference to the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Over 175 participants from countries around the world, as well as most US states, joined the third iteration of this conference. The energy that attendees brought to the meeting can’t be captured in a program, but below is a schedule of events and sessions:
Tuesday evening, February 11
Nerd Nite Chicago
(Independently organized: conference attendees will receive instructions about purchasing tickets for this event separately)
Wednesday, February 12
8:00 – 9:00 Conference Check In
Session location: Grand B
9:00 – 10:00 Science Events and the Evolving Culture of Science Engagement
The lines between science and popular culture are blurring, changing the practice of science outreach nationally and internationally. Peter Linett and John Durant discuss how these changes are reflected in public science events today and debate the wider implications of this changing landscape.
Session leaders: Peter Linett, Founder, Culture Kettle; John Durant, Director, MIT Museum
Session location: Grand B
10:00 – 10:25 coffee break and Partner Pod meetups
10:25 – 11:10 concurrent sessions
11:15 – 12:00 concurrent sessions
12:00 – 1:15 lunch
1:15 – 2:45 Event Organizing is Community Organizing, Part 1
Learn invaluable lessons from the field of community organizing in this interactive workshop designed for IPSEC by the Association for Community Organization and Social Administration (ACOSA). Topics will include: the community organizing philosophy and approach, seven reasons for community participation, assessing and mapping community resources, and creating and maintaining partnerships.
Session leaders: Dorlisa Minnick, Assistant Professor, Social Work & Gerentology, Shippensburg University; Lee Staples, Clinical Professor, Boston University School of Social Work
Session location: Columbus IJ
1:15 – 2:00 Serving Adult Audiences
For too long innovative science education was only for the kids. Against that backdrop it now seems we are enjoying a renaissance for science events designed specifically for the 21+ crowd. How do we make the most of this wonderful new-found enthusiasm for adult science programming?
Session leaders: Erin Dragotto, Executive Director, Chicago Council on Science and Technology; Gerri Trooskin, Strategic Initiatives Director, The Franklin Institute
Session location: Columbus AB
1:15 – 2:00 Surprise! You’re Organizing an Event
All live events involve too many variables to control, but what about when that variable is lead-time? Events built around a surprise appearance by a celebrity and the discovery of a king under a parking lot provide two case studies for a conversation about seizing the moment.
Session leaders: Cas Kramer, Director, Genetics Outreach and Public Engagement, University of Leicester; Patrick “Tod” Colegrove, Director, DeLaMare Science & Engineering Library, University of Nevada, Reno
Session location: Grand D North
2:05 – 2:45 Serving Student Audiences
Discuss how to design extra-ordinary experiences that capture the full force of a school groups’ attention, with examples that shake up normal, ranging from workplace-authentic experiences to live links with the International Space Station.
Session leaders: Graeme Lawrie, Head of Science and Technology, Sevenoaks School; Bryan Rebar, Associate Director, STEM CORE, University of Oregon
Session location: Columbus AB
2:05 – 2:45 Events as Interventions: What to do when the audience doesn’t expect you
Rather than trying to draw people to science events and museums, how do you bring science content into the spaces people already visit in their everyday lives? Do such efforts lead new people to seek out science events and museums? What other measures of success make sense for pop-up science outreach?
Session leaders: Jesse Billingham, Science on the Street Coordinator, MIT Museum; Mark SubbaRao, Director of Visualization, Adler Planetarium
Session location: Grand D North
2:45 – 3:10 coffee break
3:10 – 4:40 Event Organizing is Community Organizing, Part 2
Continue to this workshop presented by leaders in the field of community organizing. Topics will include: engaging and recruiting participants, creating participatory structures and processes, developing partnership commitment, and building leadership capacity among your collaborators.
Session leaders: Dorlisa Minnick, Assistant Professor, Social Work & Gerentology, Shippensburg University; Lee Staples, Clinical Professor, Boston University School of Social Work
Session location: Columbus IJ
3:10 – 3:55 The Network Effect: Finding inspiration from other event organizers
In recent years, networks of science events have sprung up across the world. Hear from three such groups as they discuss points of entry for participants in their networks, how networks foster innovation across multiple sites, and what it might take for networks to stay vibrant over time.
Session leaders: Jaime Bell, Project Director, Center for the Advancement of Informal Science; Lee Bishop, Boss, Nerd Nite Madison; Julie Fooshee, Coordinator, Science Festival Alliance; Matt Wasowski, Big Boss, Nerd Nite
Session location: Grand D North
3:10 – 3:55 Working with Scientific Societies
Ever wish that the scientists in your region were already identified and organized by discipline no matter where they work? You’re in luck: scientific societies have been doing this for decades. Join this session to consider how to navigate scientific societies, and what they can and can’t do as event partners.
Session leaders: Sheri Potter, Director of Membership and Public Programs, American Institute of Biological Sciences; Susan Chapman, Director of Member Services, Alliance of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science Societies
Session location: Columbus AB
4:00 – 4:40 Tapping into ScienceOnline
Curious about building professional relationships online? We’ll share stories from ScienceOnline and its satellite groups (found in many US cities and overseas), and you’ll find out how to get involved in an existing group, how to start up your own satellite group, and how to connect with the broader ScienceOnline community. Bring your questions. We’d love to try to answer them!
Session leaders: Karyn Traphagen, Executive Director, ScienceOnline; William Gunn, Co-Organizer, ScienceOnline Bay Area
Session location: Grand D North
4:45 – 5:15 “And Then That Happened…”: Stories from the Event Organizer Experience
Session location: Grand B
6:30 – 9:00 Evening Dinner Reception (open to all conference registrants: food included, cash bar)
Thursday, February 13
9:00 – 10:00 The State of Science Events: Reports from across the world and across sectors
Session leaders: Simon France, Program Manager, Inspiring Australia; Imran Khan, Chief Executive, British Science Association; Arata Manuela, President, Associazione Festival della Scienza; Jan Riise, Director, European Science Events Association; Ben Wiehe, Manager, Science Festival Alliance; Yang Lijun, Director, Division of Public Science Events, China Association of Science and Technology
Session location: Grand B
10:00 – 10:30 Innovative Events Showcase
Session location: Grand B
10:45 – 11:45 concurrent sessions
11:45 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 1:50 concurrent sessions
2:00 – 3:30 concurrent sessions
3:45 – 5:00 Working Together: Addressing issues of importance for public science events
(All conference registrants will have the opportunity to nominate topics and/or lead working groups. There will be time for participating in up to two working groups during this session.)
Session location: Columbus IJ
5:00 – 5:15 IPSEC 2014 Closing
6:00 AAAS Annual Meeting opens with President’s Address
8:00 AAAS Associated Public Events begin