NISE Network Blog

NanoDays Public Reach: How Even the Smallest Partner Contributions Lead to Big Network Impacts

February 2, 2016

Kayla Berry and Elizabeth Kollman, Museum of Science; Gina Svarovsky, University of Notre Dame

Since its inception in 2005, the NISE Network has developed a wide range of activities, programs, and exhibits for public audiences that have been implemented within over 500 institutions across the country. Two of the Network’s largest educational products are...

Explore Science - Zoom into Nano kits being prepared for shipment

Museum & Community Partnerships Explore Science - Zoom into Nano kits shipping out

January 27, 2016

KC Miller

In 2015 the National Science Foundation generously awarded additional supplementary funds to the NISE Network with the specific purpose of engaging underserved audiences and expanding local museum-community partnerships. To that aim, the NISE Network has created the Explore Science –...

Carbon Nanotube, Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

Carbon Bonds: Clarifying Confusion with the “Build a Giant Carbon Nanotube” model in the Nano mini-exhibition

January 22, 2016

Christina Leavell

We have received questions asking why there aren't four bonds for each carbon atom in the "Build a Giant Carbon Nanotube" component of the Nano mini-exhibition.

Partner Highlight: Museum on the Move: Traveling Nano Exhibition to Reach a New Audience in Maryland

January 4, 2016

Sarah Zimmerman, Port Discovery Children’s Museum

Nanoscience and technology were found in an unlikely location when Port Discovery Children's Museum partnered with The James and Anne Robinson Nature Center in Columbia, Maryland. Part of Port Discovery’s mission states that we "extend our impact by taking our...

NISE Network is Transitioning to the National Informal STEM Education Network

January 1, 2016

Larry Bell, Museum of Science; Paul Martin, Science Museum of Minnesota; and Rae Ostman, Arizona State University

Dear NISE Net Participants and Supporters, Thank you for all the great work you have done over the past decade. It has opened up totally new possibilities for the decade ahead. We are excited to let you know that with...

Happy New Year!

December 24, 2015

Catherine McCarthy

The NISE Network wishes all its partners a peaceful end to 2015. We look forward to working with you in 2016! More about this snowflake image: This ordinary hexagonal dendrite snowflake, has been highly magnified using a low-temperature scanning electron...

Partner Highlight: AmeriCorps VISTA Member Brings NanoDays to Montana State University’s Family and Graduate Housing

November 25, 2015

Suzi Taylor, Montana State University

An annual Halloween festival for children received an infusion of Nano when an AmeriCorps VISTA member based at Montana State University brought NanoDays activities to the university’s Family & Graduate Housing (FGH). FGH hosts an annual Pumpkin Festival near Halloween...

Partner Highlight: A “viaje” (journey) to remember: A foundation of trust built between Adventure Science Center and Conexión Américas inspires Nano Family Science Event

November 5, 2015

Kayla Berry, Musuem of Science and Larry Dunlap-Berg, Adventure Science Center

The Adventure Science Center , located in Nashville, Tennessee, is a premier attraction and learning center for visitors throughout Middle Tennessee and lives its mission to "ignite curiosity and inspire the lifelong discovery of science!" Learning does not solely take...

Creating Conversations about Synthetic Biology Through Nationwide Building with Biology Events

November 5, 2015

Kayla Berry, Museum of Science, Boston

With the pilot year of the Building with Biology project now complete, we are excited to share with the community the experiences and accomplishments achieved throughout this initial year. Building with Biology - Activities and Conversations about Synthetic Biology - is a project that incorporates much of the knowledge and experiences gained through the NISE Network as a way to expand public education and outreach around a fast-growing research field - synthetic biology.

NanoDays at the 2015 International Beijing Science Festival

November 4, 2015

Brad Herring, Museum of Life and Science and Frank Kusiak, Lawrence Hall of Science

How do you go from doing NanoDays in the US to holding NanoDays in Beijing, China? The story starts simply enough. While facilitating activities at NanoDays 2015 in the Museum of Science, Boston, Pei Zhang was inspired by what she...