Informal Learning Experiences

08/30/2021

The July/August ILR is out!

Articles inside include: “New Science: An Exhibit Telling the Stories of LGBTQ Scientists” by Lauren A. Esposito; “Memory and Museums” by Charlie Trautmann and Anjali Ghosh; “How Can Science Centers Strengthen Lifelong Health and Wellness Initiatives in their Communities?” by Lisa Roberts and Rita Mukherjee Hoffstadt; “The New World: and how science museums need to evolve to meet societies’ needs: Part 2” by David Chesebrough and Robert Mac West and “Mandela: The Official Exhibition” by Robert Mac West.

04/30/2021

The March/April issue of the ILR is out!

Articles inside include: “Bringing Language to Life: The Creation of Planet Word” By Emily Gref; “Starting a Movement to Help Save UK Urban Biodiversity: Natural History Museum, London” By Victoria Thomson; “I-WISE: A Foundational Conference on Indigenous Worldviews in Informal Science Education” By Nancy C. Maryboy, Isabel Hawkins, Laura Peticolas, Jill Stein, Shelly Valdez, and Ka’iu Kimura; “Paradise Lost: What We’re Missing...and How to Get it Back” By David Whitemyer; “NE STEM 4U: An 8-year Reflection on Building the Next Generation of The STEM Workforce via Professional Development Experiences” By Nikolaus Stevenson, Amie Sommers, Neal Grandgenett, William Tapprich, and Christine Cutucache; and “A Museum at War: Book Review” By Robert Mac West.

02/26/2021

The January February Issue of the ILR is out!

Articles inside include:
"Engaging Latinx Audiences Through the Cultural Roots of STEM” by Isabel Hawkins and María Ávila Vera; “Public Library Response to COVID: Part 2” by Stephanie Vierow-Fields, Anne Holland and Paul Dusenbery; “A pair of Unique Dinosaurs to Take Off in North Carolina” by Robert Mac West; “Transforming Undergraduate STEM Education via Informal Learning” by David A. Ucko; and “A New Role for Science Centers and Museums During the Pandemic” by Sarah Reed.

06/12/2020

The ILR Special Issue 2020 #2 is out! The pieces that follow were written in May 2020 while most museums were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As we were putting them together, the murder of George Floyd, a black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis sparked unprecedented civil unrest in the United States, with echoes around the world.

We recognize that this, our second special issue of the ILR, may not be as timely or relevant as it might have seemed two weeks ago. We offer it in the hopes that it will still be of use, and with gratitude to the authors.
You can find ILR Special Issue 2020 # 2 for free here:http://informallearning.com/assets/publicpdf/ILR-Special-Issue-2020-2.pdf

04/30/2020

We are excited to announce that we are partnering with the Traveling Exhibitions Network!

Join us on Wednesday, May 6th, 8am PST/10am CST/11am EST

"AAM Traveling Exhibitions Network and Informal Learning Experiences Presents: New Traveling Exhibitions Forum"

Informal Learning Experiences (ILE) is excited to collaborate with the Traveling Exhibitions Network to bring the ILE forum to a digital platform due to the absence of an in-person conference this May.

Presenters will focus on any of the following:
• NEW exhibitions touring in North America
• Host venues with availability
• Exhibitions with near-term availability
30 presentation slots, 2 minutes each (if there are more than 30 participants, a second forum will be scheduled). Participants can reserve a slot on a first-come, first-served basis. If you indicate on your registration that you would like to present, TEN will contact you with your confirmed slot and instructions on how to participate.

Register to join us on Wednesday!

The Traveling Exhibits Network (TEN) is excited to collaborate with Informal Learning Experiences (ILE) to bring the ILE forum to a digital platform due to the absence of an in-person this May. Presenters will focus on any of the following: -NEW exhibitions touring in North America -Host venues with...

04/21/2020

ILR Special Issue 2020 is out!

We offer this Special Issue of the ILR in the hopes that the pieces in it – all written in the midst of the first weeks of the Covid-19 crisis, will help us come together as a field, keep learning from one another, and build collaborations, especially across field specializations and professional networks.

We are pleased to share this Special Issue with you and encourage you to share it with your colleagues via your social media channels or email using this link: ttp://informallearning.com/assets/publicpdf/ILR-Special-Issue-2020.pdf.

02/28/2020

The January/February issue of the ILR is out!

Articles inside include: “The Emotion-Based Museum Experience” by Diane Porthouse Lochner; “Let’s Talk Sh*t” by Eugine Wambeck; “Lessons Learned from a Decade of STEM Exhibitions in Libraries” by Paul Dusenbery, Anne Holland, Keliann LaConte, James Harold, Lainie Castle and Ginger Fitzhugh; “Assessing Museum Impacts: Summary of Findings” by John W. Jacobsen, Laura Roberts, David W. Ellis, George Hein and Lynn Baum; and “Navigating Change as the 21st Century Unfolds” by Rolf Johnson.

12/27/2019

The November/December issue of the ILR is out!

Articles inside include: "Speak Up, Add Up, Join Up” by Patrick Hamilton; “Blended Language Programming: An Emerging Model to Promote Inclusion and Learning” by Amparo Leyman Pino, Beth Redmond-Jones, and Vicki Wawerchak; “Middle Ground: The Exploratorium’s Exhibition at Civic Center Plaza, San Francisco” by Karen Wise; “Updated Euphemistic Terminology at a History Museum” by Adam Lyon; “Science Center Capacity Building in Developing Countries: Is it Time for Less Talk and More Action?” by Graham Durant and “The Tech Interactive: Changing the Name of a Beloved Silicon Valley Institution” by Rachel Wilner.

10/31/2019

The September/October issue of the ILR is out!

Articles inside include: "Virtual STEM Programs at Public Libraries Featuring Scientists” by Anna Johnson, Carolina Chambers, Ginger Fitzhugh, Carrie Liston, Keliann LaConte and Paul Dusenbery; “Palaces For The People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and The Decline of Civic Life by Eric Klinenberg, as a Spark for Museums, Science Centers and Related Organizations to Reconsider Mission [A Book Inspired Essay]” by Karen Wise; “Museums Confronting Extinctions and Environmental Stresses” by Robert Mac West; “Fostering Serendipity: How Informal Residencies Create Opportunities and New Ideas” by Claire Pillsbury; and “Continuing Evolution of University Natural History Museums” by Robert Mac West.

08/30/2019

The July/August issue of the ILR is out!

Articles inside include: "Announcement and Call for Submissions: Themed Issue on the Anthropocene in Museums" by Robert Mac West and Karen Wise; "New Examinations of the Fossil Record" by Robert Mac West; "Book Review: Equity, Exclusion and Everyday Science Learning: The experiences of minoritised groups by Emily Dawson" by Karen Wise; "Establishing a Culture of Access and Inclusion through Museums for All" by Wendy Taylor; "Promoting Informal Learning: The Science Museum Group Academy on Science Capital and Engagement Tools" by Maren Krumdieck; "Mistakes Were Made" by Kathy Gustafson-Hilton; and "Exploring the Future in Museums and Science Centers" by Peter Bishop, Meredith Doby, Orlando Graves Bolaños, and Mikko Myllykoski.

06/28/2019

The May/June issue of ILR is out!

Articles inside include: "Sowing seeds of Intercultural Collaboration & Exchange: a review of Cosmopolitan Ambassadors: International Exhibitions, Cultural Diplomacy and the Polycentral Museum by Lee Davidson and Leticia Pérez Castellanos" reviewed by Karen Wise; "All Together Now: Using Cross-Departmental Collaboration to Articulate, Achieve,and Measure Impact at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences" by Stephanie Downey, Randi Korn, and Katie Chandler; "Museums as Second Responders? How U.S. museums and science centers are responding to trauma, disasters and disruptions in our communities" by Karen Wise; "Book Review: The Museum Manager’s Compendium, 101 Essential Tools and Resources by John W. Jacobsen with Victor A. Becker, Duane Kocik, and Jeanie Stahl" reviewed by Robert Mac West and "Summary of the 2019 Welcome! Profile of International Visitors to America by PGAV Destinations" by Colby Dorssey.

05/17/2019

We can't wait to see everyone at our Traveling Exhibitions Forum on Sunday May 19, 2019 at AAM 2019 in New Orleans! Make sure to get there early to grab a free drink courtesy of The Shipping Monster!