Association of Science and Technology Centers

06/06/2025

McWane Science Center welcomed Brandan Lanman as its new President and CEO last week. He joins from Orlando Science Center, where he served most recently as Vice President of Visitor Experience, launching a number of new projects and exhibits. Welcome to Birmingham!

Meet Brandan Lanman, the new CEO of McWane Science Center! Discover his passion for STEM and his go-to snack in this Q&A.

06/05/2025

This World Environment Day, join the global call to end plastic pollution.🌍

Plastic is everywhere, from our deepest lakes to the food we eat, but together with science centers and museums, we can tackle this crisis. ASTC Seeding Action Member UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center () is leading the way, fighting in Lake Tahoe through research, partnerships, community outreach, and education.

Explore their story map “Big Problems in Tiny Pieces” (https://tinyurl.com/mpck324k) and visit the “Tahoe’s Plastic Problem” exhibit engaging visitors in both the science of plastics as well as the solutions to the current global plastic crisis.

Seeding Action supports science centers and public networks, inspiring hope and action for a healthier planet. Ready to make a difference? Visit seeding-action.org to join the movement!

06/02/2025

🚨 Calling all creative STEM minds! 🚨

The IF/THEN®️ Exhibit Kit RFP is now open! We're looking for passionate designers, developers, and fabricators to create the next hands-on STEM exhibit kit for family audiences—featuring IF/THEN®️ Ambassadors and launching nationwide in 2026.

🔧 Design + build 2–4 interactive floor experiences for ages 6–12
📦 Fabricate & ship 50–60 kits across the U.S.
💰 Budget: Up to $207K
📅 Proposal deadline: July 10, 2025
📂 More information: https://www.astc.org/ifthen/champions-network/

📂 RFP:https://www.astc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IFTHEN-RFP-Kit-Three.pdf

👉 Need inspo? Check out the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center’s STEM Play Workbenches!

05/30/2025

ASTC’s New Leaders Fellowship program empowers and equips emerging leaders from across the science center and museum field. Applications for the 2025-2026 cohort are now open!

Learn more and apply by June 9 at www.astc.org/newleaders

05/29/2025

Union Station Kansas City has named Petra Kralickova, MBA, as its new Chief Experience Officer and Vice President of Customer Engagement, where she will lead efforts to fully integrate and align the customer experience and journey.

Kralickova most recently served eight years as the Executive Director of The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures after earlier roles at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library and the Kennedy Museum of Art at Ohio University.

05/28/2025

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History has been named to the Prix Versailles list of World’s Most Beautiful Museums for 2025. The museum recently completed a $150 million renovation and expansion whose design reflected the geological history of Northeast Ohio. According to the citation (https://www.prix-versailles.com/_files/ugd/a1118c_467038345ea344589a0c5d25dc35a5e7.pdf), “When architecture becomes an expression of the natural world, it fosters a sense of wonder and discovery. That primary mission of any museum is magnificently deployed here in Cleveland.” https://www.independent.co.uk/us/travel/museums-beautiful-awards-cleveland-nebraska-b2754668.html

The Unesco Prix Versailles architecture competition has named attractions in Cleveland and Nebraska on its list of the world’s most beautiful museums for 2025

05/23/2025

We are so excited to announce the keynote speaker for the Annual Conference, September 5–8 in the San Francisco Bay Area:

Ed Yong is a Pulitzer Prize-winning science reporter whose fascinating presentations on animals and the natural world are infused with humor, joy, wonder, and infectious enthusiasm.

After years of pandemic reporting left him burnt out, Yong turned to a new hobby—birdwatching—to help him heal and reconnect with his original beat of nature writing. In birdwatching, Yong found a much deeper connection to the natural world. He tells that story in An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us.

Yong is also the bestselling author of I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us, a groundbreaking, informative, and entertaining examination of the relationship between animals and microbes.

Register now for to hear from Ed Yong and hundreds of other inspiring and informative speakers.

ASTC 2025 Annual Conference September 5–8, 2025San Francisco Bay Area Plenary Sessions The ASTC 2025 Annual Conference will include several plenary sessions that will bring the entire community together. Information will be added here as sessions are announced. Saturday, September 6, 2025 Opening ...

05/22/2025

Join ASTC’s Community Science team for an interactive webinar focused on our newest tool: the Community Science Attributes Rubric. Whether you’re just starting a new partnership, in the midst of a collaborative project, or looking ahead, this practical tool can help teams assess and strengthen collaborative, community-based work. In this interactive webinar on May 29, we will introduce the tool and practice applying it to example and existing Community Science projects. https://www.astc.org/conference-event/community-science-attributes-interactive-workshop/

05/22/2025

🌿Happy International Day for Biological Diversity! Want to help protect wild nature? One of the easiest ways is by sharing your nature photos on !

And here’s something exciting: museums and science centers can now order FREE customizable signs through the ASTC program Seeding Action with iNaturalist! These signs inspire visitors to join the movement and take real action for local biodiversity. 🌎

Ready to make a difference? Details: https://seeding-action.org/seeding-action-with-inaturalist/

📷on iNaturalist:
1. Eastern American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus ssp. americanus) by andywilson
2. Teal Conifer-Pin (Dendrostilbella smaragdina) by arheyman01
3. Turkey-Tail (Trametes versicolor) by kenkneidel
4. Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) by artemis224

05/16/2025

A group of private foundations has stepped up to offer a rapid response bridge funding opportunity that is designed to mitigate some of the immediate impacts on those who have had STEM education grants recently cancelled by the National Science Foundation.

The Rapid Response program—offered by the Spencer Foundation, The Kapor Foundation, The William T. Grant Foundation, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation—will award grants of up to $25,000 to address “immediate needs following grant cancellations, including completing a wave of data collection, analyzing already collected data or writing, thoughtful project closure with community partners, or preparing grant proposals to continue the research.”

Applications can be submitted by either May 30 or June 13. See more in this blog post.

Recent actions by the National Science Foundation (NSF) have led to terminations of many grants that supported STEM education initiatives, including at ASTC member organizations. Now, a group of private foundations has stepped up to offer a rapid response bridge funding opportunity that is designed....

05/15/2025

Ready to inspire your community to connect with nature and protect our planet? 🌎

Seeding Action with helps museums and science centers engage visitors with the iNaturalist app - turning nature lovers into planetary health advocates!

What you get:
✅ Free iNaturalist signage to spark action
✅ Up to $20,000 to join a learning cohort
✅ Support to create or expand programs using iNaturalist

Join the movement to deepen nature experiences and promote a healthier planet!

🔗 Learn more, apply, and order free signage at seeding-action.org/seeding-action-with-inaturalist/



Photo credit: Abhas Misraraj, iNaturalist

05/14/2025

👏 Calling emerging leaders from ASTC-member science center and museums! 👏

Applications are now open for the 2025-2026 New Leaders Fellowship cohort.

Learn more about this transformative leadership development opportunity at www.astc.org/newleaders