February 2017 is the final month of NSF funding for the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network, which would prompt a sort-of sad note if we didn’t have so many projects going on under the umbrella of the National Informal STEM Education Network. For many of us, the nano project was unlike anything we had experienced before, stretching over 11½ years and involving over 600 institutional partners and 2,700 individuals from museums, universities, and a range of other organizations. The outputs and outcomes of the project are amazing. Our initial NSF program director, David Ucko, says that "NISE Net has exceeded my most ambitious expectations." And it’s all because of the hard work you have all done and your commitment to engaging public audiences in this new and unfamiliar field of scientific research.
We are in the process now of writing the final evaluation reports, our reflections on leading and managing the Network, and an updated version of the NISE Net Report to Partners. At the same time, we are busy with Network projects on space and Earth science, synthetic biology, and chemistry, while dreaming up new projects for the years ahead. In the meantime, informal educational products about nano are scattered throughout the country and continue to engage audiences in future NanoDays events and throughout the year. Thanks for all that you have done, are doing, and will continue to do to engage the public in current science research. In this day and age, we need it more than ever.
As a final farewell to the nano project, we've created a short video highlighting some of the amazing work our partners have done over the years. From professional development workshops to hosting NanoDays events and the Nano exhibition, together we've engaged the public in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. And we've had so much fun!
Click on the image above to view the video or go directly to https://vimeo.com/201702121
Sincerely,
Larry Bell