NISE Network Blog

Building with Biology project receives supplemental funding from the NSF to develop dialogue program about human genome editing

September 6, 2017

David Sittenfeld and Katie Todd, Museum of Science

The Building with Biology project began in the fall of 2014, and through collaborative partnerships with scientists a kit of Building with Biology hands-on activities and public dialogue programs were created and disseminated to nearly 200 sites across the U.S. to help recipients incorporate public engagement with science (PES) activities about synthetic biology into their educational programming. While the initial project introduced new content (synbio) and practices (PES) into a variety of organizations, and with the current news around the gene editing technique CRISPR, the time is right to address this topic through the development of a brand new forum program on human genome editing.

Partner Highlight: L.C. Bates Museum Celebrates the Solar Eclipse on the Ground and in the Sky

September 1, 2017

Deborah Staber, L.C. Bates Museum

Since early 2017, with the help of the NISE Net's Explore Science: Earth & Space toolkit , the L.C.Bates Museum introduced the solar eclipse science to thousands of people and distributed over 3,000 pairs of solar eclipse glasses. The solar...

Partner Highlight: Kentucky Science Center's Eclipse Adventure - A Report from Three Sites

August 31, 2017

Andrew Spence, Kentucky Science Center

On a scale only previously seen at our gala fundraiser and the Thunder over Louisville extravaganza, Kentucky Science Center’s team joined forces on August 21, 2017 to deliver eclipse programming to three sites: two in totality and one at our...

Applications for free physical 2018 Explore Science: Earth & Space toolkits of hands-on activities due November 1, 2017

August 29, 2017

Catherine McCarthy, Science Museum of Minnesota

The National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Net) is pleased to offer 250 free Explore Science: Earth & Space 2018 toolkits to new and existing eligible partners in the United States. In collaboration with NASA, the NISE Network has assembled...

What can you do with solar eclipse glasses still in good condition:

August 29, 2017

Catherine McCarthy, Science Museum of Minnesota

Tips for solar eclipse glasses still in good condition: A) store them safely and reuse them the glasses will last for years of solar viewing and can be saved for the April 2024 solar eclipse B) donate them Astronomers Without...

Partner Highlight: NISE Net partners host stellar line-up of solar eclipse events all across the U.S.

July 31, 2017

Kayla Berry, Museum of Science

The continental U.S. hasn't seen a total eclipse like this since 1918 and so NISE Network partners have been busily preparing for the upcoming August 21st solar eclipse for months. Some, along or near the path of totality, have even...

You can participate in citizen science solar eclipse projects

July 27, 2017

Catherine McCarthy, Science Museum of Minnesota

The 2017 solar eclipse presents many opportunities for amateur astronomers and lifelong learners to get in on the fun of doing science. This includes research projects about the sun, the moon, other sun-planet-moon systems, and even eclipses in other stellar...

Partner Highlight: NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center's Office of Education Takes Flight with Earth & Space Regional Educator Workshops

July 5, 2017

Barbie Buckner, Educator Professional Development Specialist

NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center’s Office of Education at the AERO Institute in Palmdale, California, has presented multiple solar eclipse workshops to regional educators to provide the resources needed to teach students about the first solar eclipse to be visible across all of North America in nearly 40 years.

NASA’s Solar System Ambassadors Program – Don’t Miss Out on this Great Resource for Earth and Space Events and More with Visitors!

June 29, 2017

Christina Leavell

Here at the Science Museum of Minnesota, we just can’t stop talking about how successful our relationship has been with the Solar System Ambassadors program! If you haven’t heard of this program, it’s a public engagement program that works with...

Participants engaged in an astronomy activity

Partner Highlight: Using the Explore Science: Earth and Space toolkit to bring Astronomy “Down to Earth” at The Robinson Nature Center in Howard County, Maryland

June 6, 2017

By: Meagan Downey, Robinson Nature Center

Robinson Nature Center is a nature education facility in Columbia, MD whose mission is to facilitate the enjoyment and understanding of nature. Robinson includes a planetarium, dubbed the “NatureSphere” through which center staff interpret earth and space science concepts. Robinson was honored to receive a 2017 Explore Science: Earth & Space Toolkit to help patrons of the center discover phenomena studied by NASA in a whole new way.