2012 Network-Wide Meeting Sessions

Concurrent Sessions

  1. Nano for Everyone: Expanding Your Reach Through Partnerships
  2. Nano for School Groups
  3. The Family Nano: Engaging Family Audiences through Festivals and Evening Events
  4. Highlighting Nano in Existing Museum Graphics, Exhibits, and Facilities
  5. How to Prepare Researchers for Working with Public Audiences
  6. A Fireside Chat at the Nano Mini-Exhibition
  7. Reaching Out: Nano in Rural Outreach
  8. Engaging the Public in Conversations about Nanotechnology and Society
  9. Creating Nano Exhibits and Self-Guided Visitor Experiences
  10. NISE Network Evaluation: What We’ve Learned, and Where We’re Headed
  11. Bilingual NanoDays y Más: Tools and strategies to start, or enrich, your bilingual programs
  12. Summer Programming for Reaching New Audiences
  13. Team-Based Inquiry: Making Evaluative Thinking Part of Your Work
  14. Teacher Professional Development
  15. Partnerships on the RISE: Spotlighting Collaborations Between Research Centers and Museums
  16. Making the Most of your Nano Mini-Exhibition through Promotion and Programming
  17. It’s Not Just Pink: Strategies to Help Girls Investigate Nanotechnology
  18. Integrating Theatre into Existing Programs
  19. Training Volunteers and Staff to Present Nano-Related Programs
  20. After the Bell Rings: Adapting Nano for After-School Programs and Libraries
  21. Sustaining the Benefits of the NISE Network

Return to Main Network-Wide Meeting 2012 Page

 

Session Descriptions, Presenters, and Resources

1. Nano for Everyone: Expanding Your Reach Through Partnerships

Creating meaningful and equitable partnerships can be an exciting and challenging endeavor. Join us in this interactive session as we take a look at the successes, challenges, and lessons learned when different institutions use partnerships as a strategy for working with underserved communities. Come share your partnership thoughts and experiences!

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Priya Mohabir, New York Hall of Science (Session Organizer)
  • David Brown, National Science Foundation
  • Marilyn Johnson, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
  • Stephanie Robinson, NISE Network Inclusive Audiences Advisor
  • Andrew Spence, Louisville Science Center

2. Nano for School Groups

Wondering how to integrate nano into your school group visits, school outreach efforts, and homeschool programs? A panel will share programming and activities that work in a variety of formal education contexts. Try out a number of hands-on activities, and take home ready-to-use lesson plans and activities.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Kevin Dilley, Sciencenter (Session Organizer)
  • Anika Taylor, The Bakken Museum
  • Kristi Jean, North Dakota State College of Science
  • Sara Bogotch, South Florida Science Museum
  • Debbie Williams, Oklahoma WONDERtorium

3. The Family Nano: Engaging Family Audiences through Festivals and Evening Events

Family-friendly programming requires creativity and flexibility, especially when it’s related to a complex topic like nanotechnology. This session will explore a variety of formats used to engage families in nano-programming. NISE Net partners from museums and universities will discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with evening events, festivals, community events, and more!

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Liz Kelley, The Franklin Institute (Session Organizer)
  • Jayatri Das, The Franklin Institute
  • Regina Hall, Museum of Natural History & Science, Cincinnati Museum Center
  • Jill Kary, Arkansas State University Museum
  • Denise Leblanc, The Discovery Museums

4. Highlighting Nano in Existing Museum Graphics, Exhibits, and Facilities

Join us to learn more about different ways you can highlight nanoscale science, technology, and engineering in existing exhibits and facilities. Presenters will share a variety of strategies including additional graphic signage, podcasts, and brochures. The session will also feature signage included in the NanoDays 2013 kits and online.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Ali Jackson, Sciencenter (Session Organizer)
  • Sarah Fisk, Children's Museum of Science and Technology
  • Jennifer Rei Cameron, Arizona Science Center
  • Kelli Isenhour, SciWorks Science Center
  • Gertrud Plummer, Maine Discovery Museum

5. How to Prepare Researchers for Working with Public Audiences

Find out how some science museums, universities, and government science agencies are working with scientists, engineers, and graduate students to help them become more effective communicators and partners in outreach. Learn about resources and implementation strategies you can adapt for local use. Bring your own ideas for discussion.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Karine Thate, Museum of Science, Boston (Session Organizer)
  • Carol Lynn Alpert, Museum of Science, Boston (Session Organizer)
  • Heather Armstrong, University of New Mexico
  • Rick Borchelt, National Cancer Institute
  • Andrew Greenberg, University of Wisconsin, Madison

6. A Fireside Chat at the Nano Mini-Exhibition

Join us at the Nano mini-exhibition on the Museum's floor and hear the story of how the mini-exhibition came to be in its current form. The presenters will discuss how the development and evaluation processes informed each other and also share some early findings from the summative evaluation.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters:

  • Gina Svarovsky, Science Museum of Minnesota (Session Organizer)
  • Juli Goss, Museum of Science, Boston
  • Paul Martin, Science Museum of Minnesota
  • KC Miller, Science Museum of Minnesota
  • Rae Ostman, Sciencenter
  • Nelda Reyes, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

 

7. Reaching Out: Nano in Rural Outreach 

Session will share successes and challenges in creating nano programming with NISE Net resources for rural outreach education. Partners will highlight methods for reaching rural audiences such as through video conferencing, social media, traveling programs, and county fairs. Evaluation studies will also share how institutions can better support rural communities.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Anders Liljeholm, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Session Organizer)
  • Tim Hecox, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Session Organizer)
  • Sonya Darter, Orpheum Children's Science Museum
  • Diane LaFollette, Arkansas Discovery Network/Museum of Discovery
  • Jessie Herbert, SpectrUM (University of Montana)
  • Mariah Romaninsky, Delaware Museum of Natural History

 

8. Engaging the Public in Conversations about Nanotechnology and Society

This session will introduce key concepts and resources that were presented at a series of national workshops for engaging the public in conversations about the relevancy of nanotechnology in their lives. These workshops were developed by the NISE Net in collaboration with the Center for Nanotechnology in Society and involved fifty partner organizations across the United States. This session is intended for those who did NOT attend the Nano & Society Workshops.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Brad Herring, Museum of Life + Science (Session Organizer)
  • Rae Ostman, Sciencenter
  • Jamey Wetmore, Arizona State University
  • Ira Bennett, Arizona State University
  • Heather Barnes, Museum of Science and Industry
  • Stephanie Long, Science Museum of Minnesota

 

9. Creating Nano Exhibits and Self-Guided Visitor Experiences

Learn about how NISE Network partners have been creating their own self-guided museum visitor experiences. Presenters will share a variety of creative projects including stand-alone exhibits, a nano-themed gallery, and discovery room kits. Learn how this emerging science content can be added to your facility leveraging existing NISE Network resources.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Catherine McCarthy, Science Museum of Minnesota (Session Organizer)
  • Sarah Heath, Imaginarium Science Center
  • James Owens, Headwaters Science Center
  • Douglas Borzynski, Buffalo Museum of Science
  • Paul Freiling, Saint Louis Science Center
  • Victoria Scalise, Palouse Discovery Science Center

10. NISE Network Evaluation: What We’ve Learned, and Where We’re Headed

We asked for your feedback and you delivered! Come hear what we’ve learned about the NISE Network through recent evaluations. We’ll share what we learned about how partners communicate in the Network and give you a look at how the Nano mini-exhibition is working in different places.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters:

  • Liz Kunz Kollmann, Museum of Science, Boston (Session Organizer)
  • Juli Goss, Museum of Science, Boston
  • Liz Rosino, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
  • Gina Svarovsky, Science Museum of Minnesota

 

11. Bilingual NanoDays y Más: Tools and strategies to start, or enrich, your bilingual programs.

Want to reach Spanish-speaking or bilingual audiences and don’t know where to start? Already have bilingual programs and want to enhance what your institution is offering? This session is for you! Learn about the resources that are available and ways to promote and increase participation. Hear what other organizations are doing to reach new audiences and bring simple strategies back to your institution.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Verónika Núñez, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Session Organizer)
  • Veronica Garcia-Luis, Exploratorium
  • Aaron Guerrero, Children’s Museum of Houston
  • Renee Guerrero, WOW! Children’s Museum
  • Laura Huerta Migus, Association of Science-Technology Centers

12. Summer Programming for Reaching New Audiences

Presenters will share experiences in creating nano summer programs with NISE Net mini-grant funding in an effort to reach traditionally underserved and underrepresented audiences. Topics will include how to create bilingual content, successful marketing for full enrolment, and how to adapt and utilize a wide variety of NISE Net resources.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Anders Liljeholm, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Session Organizer)
  • Tim Hecox, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Session Organizer)
  • Karlisa Callwood, Miami Science Museum
  • Ruomei Gao, Jackson State University
  • Nick Spicher, Science Factory Children's Museum
  • Christine Stull, Regional Science & Discovery Center

 

13. Team-Based Inquiry: Making Evaluative Thinking Part of Your Work

How can you improve your nano education programs to effectively engage audiences and support learning? In this session, presenters will introduce a tool, team-based inquiry, to help build your team's evaluation capacity and make data-based decisions when developing new programs, adapting educational materials, and training staff.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Scott Pattison, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Session Organizer)
  • Gabby Burlacu, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
  • Sarah Cohn, Science Museum of Minnesota
  • Ali Jackson, Sciencenter
  • Liz Kunz Kollmann, Museum of Science, Boston
  • Sookram Ramsaroop, New York Hall of Science

14. Teacher Professional Development

Presenters will share several models for teacher professional development that immerse learners in the content of nanoscale science, and provide ready-to-implement lessons for integrating nanoscale science into curriculum. Participants will try out several classroom-ready activities.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Kevin Dilley, Sciencenter (Session Organizer)
  • Alex Eilers, Pink Palace Museum
  • Kimberly Hanson, Las Cruces Museum of Natural History
  • Mary Harper, Turtle Bay Exploration Park
  • Joyce Palmer, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Becky Wolfe, Children's Museum of Indianapolis

15. Partnerships on the RISE: Spotlighting Collaborations Between Research Centers and Museums

Five presenters will share their partnership stories—programs created, obstacles encountered, as well as tips for other research and informal science education organizations interested in working together beyond NanoDays. After the presentations there will be time for both whole group and one-on-one discussions to answer questions.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Aaron Guerrero, Children’s Museum of Houston (Session Organizer)
  • Larry Bell, Museum of Science, Boston (Session Organizer)
  • Hardin Engelhardt, Marbles Kids Museum
  • Donna Hammer, University of Maryland MRSEC
  • Anne Herndon, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
  • Glenda Kelly, Duke University CEINT
  • Dan Steinberg, Princeton University

 

16. Making the Most of your Nano Mini-Exhibition through Promotion and Programming

Presenters will share a variety of creative strategies they have used to engage local audiences with the Nano mini-exhibition. Hear about ways museums are promoting the mini-exhibition to different audiences using special events and media. Learn how to use the mini-exhibition as a platform to increase programming on your museum floor.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Christina Akers, Science Museum of Minnesota (Session Organizer)
  • Michael Garcia, Duluth Children's Museum
  • Jacie Hood, Science Spectrum
  • Emily Maletz, Emily Maletz Graphic Design
  • Nora Moynihan, Port Discovery Children’s Museum
  • Keith Ostfeld, Children's Museum of Houston
  • Carrie Schroeder, The Science Zone

 

17. It’s Not Just Pink: Strategies to Help Girls Investigate Nanotechnology

This session will introduce the general issues around gender equity in STEM engagement and research-based best practices for creating girl-friendly STEM learning experiences. NISE Net partners whose work reflects implementation of these best practices will share their program models and work with attendees to implement these processes in future programming.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Jayatri Das, The Franklin Institute (Session Organizer)
  • Jenna Blanton, Iridescent Learning
  • Laura Huerta Migus, Association of Science-Technology Centers
  • Dawn Kirchner, Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
  • Chip Lindsey, ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum
  • Lisa Regalla, Maker Education Initiative

18. Integrating Theatre into Existing Programs

Explore innovative solutions and projects for embedding theatre and improv into your existing programs. Hear from a variety of institutions about successful theatre pieces, large-scale productions, workshops, and puppet shows.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Stephanie Long, Science Museum of Minnesota (Session Organizer)
  • Heather Barnes, Museum of Science and Industry
  • Douglas Coler, Discovery Place
  • Karen Dewhirst, Creative Discovery Museum
  • Carla Thacker, Museum of Science and Industry

19. Training Volunteers and Staff to Present Nano-Related Programs

Presenters will share some of the training methods they use to prepare staff and volunteers to deliver nano-related programming. Participants will discuss methods they have tried and ways to adapt current training methods to deliver nano-related content in their own institutions.

Resources and Presentations

  • Download powerpoint presentation slides (PPTX) Note from session organizer: The powerpoint slides may not be the most helpful as the session was used as a working session. However, anyone with questions is welcome to email the presenters for more information.

Presenters

  • Shari Hartshorn, Science Museum of Minnesota (Session Organizer)
  • Traci Kallhoff, Exploration Place
  • Madlyn Runburg, Natural History Museum of Utah
  • Tifferney White, Lied Discovery Children’s Museum

20. After the Bell Rings: Adapting Nano for After-School Programs and Libraries

Presenters will reflect on their experiences organizing after school and library outreach nano programs. Afterwards, we'll breakout into groups centered around library and after-school programs. The groups will discuss then create a list of heuristics for establishing and maintaining these programs.

Resources and Presentations

Presenters

  • Frank Kusiak, Lawrence Hall of Science (Session Organizer)
  • Lynn Cole, Children's Library Discovery Center, Queens Central Library
  • Michael Rathbun, Discovery Center Museum
  • Joe Schwanebeck, Science Center of Iowa
  • Bethany Thomas, Children's Discovery Museum

21. Sustaining the Benefits of the NISE Network

Join us for an informal discussion about ways we can work to sustain the benefits that the NISE Net has brought to its members and to the fields we work in. What can each of the members do in the next three years and what can the leadership team do to sustain the resources created, the partnerships formed, and the knowledge gained, and help brainstorm ideas about how to repurpose the NISE Net after the end of the grant period.

  • Larry Bell, Museum of Science, Boston (Session Organizer)
  • Paul Martin, Science Museum of Minnesota (Session Organizer)