Collaborations

NISE Network encourages partnerships among museums, universities, and other organizations that support lifelong STEM learning. By collaborating, we can leverage our complementary strengths and resources and achieve outcomes we couldn't do alone!

Collaborating with Community and Youth-Serving Organizations

Collaborating with an existing youth-serving organization on STEM activities is an effective way for museums and university outreach programs to connect with audiences they may not regularly reach, particularly underserved audiences. We have compiled profiles of national youth-serving organizations in Museum & Community Partnerships: Collaboration Guide to assist museums and university outreach programs in developing partnerships with a community organization or a local chapter of a national youth-serving organization. These profiles are intended to provide a brief introduction to each organization: 4-H, Afterschool Alliance, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Girls Inc., Girl Scouts, libraries, National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP), Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Y (YMCA), and YWCA.

Collaborating with Community and Youth-Serving Organizations

cover of the collaboration guide on blue background

Museum & Community Partnerships: Collaboration Guide and additional resources

Professional development guide for educators, researchers, and network leaders from the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network

Girls in STEM

A compilation of resources for engaging girls and young women in STEM as well as resources for collaborating with Girl Scouts.

Online Workshop Recording: Museum Community Partnerships - Part 1: Libraries

Online professional development workshop recording (2017).

Online Workshop Recording: Museum Community Partnerships - Afterschool Programs: Advocating, Collaborating and Bringing Earth and Space Content to Out-of-school Time

Online professional development workshop recording (2018).

Collaborating with Local Scientists and Experts

Working with STEM Experts Guide cover including an image of expert puring a liquid and using a strainer with a girl and her family at a museum public event

Working with STEM Experts: A Guide for Educators in Museums and Other Informal Learning Settings

Professional development guide to help informal STEM educators find, prepare, and work with STEM experts to engage with the public.

Finding astronomy volunteers: Solar System Ambassadors Program, Night Sky Network, and Astronomy Ambassadors

Tools and online workshop recording focused on finding space science experts including Solar System Ambassadors Program, Night Sky Network of astronomy clubs, and AAS Astronomy Ambassadors.

Research Center - Informal Science Education Partnerships (RISE)

Resources for cultivating partnerships between nanoscale science and material scienceresearch centers with informal science education institutions.

Online Workshop Recording: Museum Community Partnerships - Part 3: Working with the Solar System Ambassadors and Night Sky Network

Online professional development workshop recording (2018).

More Resources for Finding and Partnering with Local Scientists and Experts by Kit

Each kit event planning guides includes specific local partnering suggestions connected with the activities and content.

Partnering with Diversity Serving Professional Societies

Professional STEM societies designed to support under-represented groups are eager to foster interest in STEM careers and diversify the STEM workforce. Many of these societies have local chapters located across the United States; opportunities for collaboration on local public engagement include special events, community outreach, and mentoring programs.

American Association of University Women www.aauw.org
American Indian Science and Engineering Society: www.aises.org
LGBTQ+ STEM: https://lgbtstem.wordpress.com
National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering: www.nacme.org
National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE): www.nobcche.org
National Society of Black Engineers: www.nsbe.org
MAES - Latinos in Science and Engineering: mymaes.org
Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM) for LGBTQ+ people in STEM: ostem.org
Out to Innovate™, formerly known as National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP): www.noglstp.org
Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS): sacnas.org
Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers: www.saseconnect.org
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers: www.shpe.org
Society of Women Engineering: www.swe.org
Women in Engineering Program Advocates Network: www.wepan.org
Women in Technology International: www.witi.com

More about Collaboration

Collaboration occurs when organizations and individuals make a commitment to work together and contribute resources and expertise to achieve a common, long-term goal. There are a many reasons to collaborate, but they can be boiled down to just a few: 1. To share resources, expertise, and connections, 2. To build upon existing strengths, and 3. To reach new audiences.

Communities face a variety of challenging and complex problems that can be addressed through collaborative public, private, and nonprofit partnerships. Many of these challenges simply cannot be addressed effectively by one organization acting alone, and require the diverse resources and expertise of government agencies, community-based organizations, state and national organizations, businesses, schools, and individuals. When surveying case studies of local communities who have successfully addressed complex problems, collaborative strategic partnerships are almost always a key ingredient in these success stories. Partnerships can ultimately improve the health and welfare of children, families, and communities.