ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

COSI Columbus also considers their videoconference distance learning to
be outreach.  We are currently connecting to 42 states this way.  This
is in addition the the truck-based outreach that has an assembly-type
program and 10 hands on stations that go to a school for an entire day.



Gail Wheatley
Director of Electronic Education
COSI Columbus
333 West Broad Street
Columbus, OH  43215
614-629-3147

ANIMATION exhibition featuring Cartoon Network 
Learn how science and technology bring superheroes to life!  
June 9, 2007 - September 3, 2007
Visit www.cosi.org for more information.

COSI - Explore Science, Discover FUN!
GroupWise powered by Time-Warner Road Runner




>>> [log in to unmask] 5/23/2007 12:55 PM >>>
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology
Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
*****************************************************************************

I'll add to Jonah's list.  We consider our monthly radio show, and 
associated podcast to be outreach. Webcasts/blogs would be included
too.

Sue Ann
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Green Bank, WV

Jonah Cohen wrote:

>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology
Centers
>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
>*****************************************************************************
>
>Cannot... resist.... answering.... outreach questions!
>
>Ahem. What I meant to say is, there's a lot of variety, and with
>different centers' org charts, what might be considered "outreach" by
>one place, might be considered something else at another place. But a
>general overview of stuff that is offered and might be considered
>outreach by someone, somewhere:
>
>It could be anything offered outside the center building itself.
Schools
>are the most common recipient of outreaches, but libraries, scouts,
>community groups (ie Boys & Girls Clubs) and others are also places
that
>have outreach folks travel to them. There are a boatload of formats
this
>is done in.
>
>* Hands-on classes where (usually) small groups do an experiment or
>series of experiments.
>* Station-based experiments where a bunch of related experiments are
set
>up around a large room and kids get to mosey from one to another.
>* Outright exhibits which are set up in a big area, very similar to
>bringing a chunk of the museum to another location.
>* Presentations with specialized equipment (ie the STARLAB portable
>planetarium)
>* Demonstration-based presentations, often done for large groups;
these
>usually feature a few audience volunteers but mostly the audience
>watches while the outreach presenter does the demos. (Useful for
flashy
>stuff you wouldn't let kids use themselves, ie fire, or liquid
>nitrogen).
>* Bringing out full-blown labs and/or exhibits that are contained
inside
>a big ole vehicle. (Mobile Labs like this are done by a number of
>places, ie the American Museum of Natural History, or Science South)
>* Types of outreach where a presenter never leaves the center at all.
>These could involve sending out equipment and lesson plans in kits or
>trunks that the teachers use, then return (the Science Museum of
>Minnesota is one example) or "distance learning" where equipment is
sent
>out, but the lesson conducted by a museum staffer at the museum who
>communicates with the class via closed-circuit tv or the web (ie the
>Louisville Science Center)
>* Programs designed for specific groups/purposes. For example, an
>after-school program might be available for science clubs that involve
a
>series of presentations that occur over a number of weeks, possibly
one
>extended project (say, putting together robots or rockets) that
requires
>multiple visits. Or teacher training. (The Exploratorium's Institute
For
>Inquiry is one prime example.) Or things like the Science Museum of
>Virginia's SOL program (howdy, Summer n Kasey) for helping
>low-performing school improve their state test scores.
>* It's not unknown to have outsiders shanghaied into becoming,
>effectively, additional staffers for the museum's mission. I saw a
>wicked cool presentation at ASTC a few years back where SMM explained
>how part of their outreach includes recruiting and training
specialist
>community groups (say, your local rocketry, or bee-keeping or medical
>association etc) into how to do programming and/or exhibits of their
>own.
>* Some combination of the above. It's not uncommon for the bigger
places
>(your COSI/Pacific/OMSI/etc weight class) to do a type of outreach
>where, say, an assembly/demo for the whole school kicks things off,
then
>is followed up by mobile exhibits and/or smaller hands-on classes.
>* Some other stuff I'm sure I've foolishly forgotten.
>
>Things like the target audiences, how the programs are funded, how
long
>they last, how they travel etc all vary, a lot. As, of course, do the
>science topics covered. You name it, someone does it.
>
>Gosh, it's easy to see why NEON is the most exciting session at the
ASTC
>Conference! *kaff**kaff**shameless shill!*
>
>Jonah Cohen
>Outreach & Public Programs Manager
>The Children's Museum
>
>"The internet is not a thing you can just put stuff into, like a
truck.
>It's a series of tubes."
>         -Sen. Ted Stevens
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Informal Science Education Network
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ann M. Myers
>Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 6:06 PM
>To: [log in to unmask] 
>Subject: Outreach
>
>I was wondering if perhaps thoughts could be shared on what the word 
>Outreach means to the Science Center community. What types of programs

>are considered outreach? Any ideas and thoughts would be greatly 
>appreciated.
>
>***********************************************************************
>For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers
and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
>
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>

***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and
the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at
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For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

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