ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions. ***************************************************************************** Hi Julia, I appreaciate your dilemna. When I was looking for graduate programs a decade ago to apply learning theory to museums and other informal enviroments, I ended up in an education program that had great teachers (in my opinion, the most important consideration) but more of a school-based focus, so I always had to make the translation for myself. Here's an option that I wish had been around when I was looking - it's called The Center for Informal Learning and Schools (CILS) - a joint project involving UC Santa Cruz, Kings College London, and the Exploratorium. It's 5 year mission, amongst other things, is to establish the field of informal learning by supporting and educating researchers and practictioners who will have growing impact over the next several decades. It offers doctoral programs for students, post doc fellowships for reserachers and certificate programs for practitioners. The faculty in the program have broad research interests, which meets your desire to be applicable to the rest of the world beyond museums. Some of them include Barbara Rogoff, Mareen Callanan, Doris Ash, Sally Duensing, Jon Osborne, and Rick Duschle. See the CILS website at http://www.exploratorium.edu/CILS/ or contact me off the list if you have more questions. Best of luck in your decision-making, Fred Stein Fred Stein Science Educator Exploratorium Institute for Inquiry 3601 Lyon St. San Francisco, CA 94123 (415) 561-0332 [log in to unmask] *********************************************************************** More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org. To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the message SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to [log in to unmask]