Dimensions March/April

Bimonthly magazine of the Association of Science-Technology Centers

March • April 2016

Looking Toward the Future of Energy

March • April 2016

contents

features 22

How Science Centers Can Harvest Interest in Energy

By Roger Highfield

26

“Will the Planet Notice?”

A Youth-Led Environmental Awareness Campaign in India

By Emdadul Islam

29

Mentoring Cafés Offer Students a Cup of STEM

By Amanda Quiñones

33

The Power of Energy Education

Don Quixote Against Climate Change, an art installation by Joaquin Fargas, consists of three windmills in Antarctica, engaged in an apparently impossible fight against climate change as they try to stop the thaw by keeping the glacier cold. Photo by Joaquin Fargas

departments 5

6 SPOTLIGHTS from maritime traditions to the future of robotics to the daily lives of astronauts

43

Just the Facts: Science and Engineering Ambassadors Enhance Local Decision Making

12

Investing in Renewable Energy: Aligning Actions with Mission and Values

NOTES FROM ASTC what’s growing in the Creativity Garden?

By Barbara Granito

44

18

17

WHAT WE LEARNED

PEOPLE staff changes, honors, and in memoriam

working to expand energy literacy

40

Two Approaches to Addressing Fracking in New York State

FROM THE CEO

19

OUR BOARDS IN ACTION how a board chair helped turn a science center’s finances around

57 GRANTS AND AWARDS

58 Q&A Google Science Fair winner Shree Bose inspires tomorrow’s tinkerers

the science of international collaboration

By Richard V. Piacentini

48

Going Green Cover: A digital rendering of a large solar farm that is currently being built in Wroughton, England, United Kingdom, at the site of the Science Museum Group’s sustainable storage facility. Image courtesy Public Power Solutions

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Volume 18, Number 2 OOKS GREA TES EAPB TH CH ITS !

EDITORIAL Anthony (Bud) Rock

Featuring 30 “classic s” from plus 10 Volu all new cheap exh mes 1, 2, and 3 ibit hits !

EDITED BY: Pau l Orselli

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Emily Schuster EDITOR

Rowena Rae CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Jamie Bell, Margaret Glass, Wendy Hancock, Ann Hernandez, Christine Ruffo, Sean Smith, Walter Staveloz

SPECIAL!!

The ASTC Exhibit Cheapbooks Bundles

CONSULTING EDITORS

Christine Ruffo PHOTO EDITOR

Christopher Lotis COPY EDITOR

Edited by Paul Orselli ASTC (1995, 1999, 2004, 2014) These collections of inexpensive exhibit ideas, now available in PDF format, have been extremely popular and are more affordable than ever. Perfect for small museums and exhibit developers on a budget, each volume provides construction tips and exhibit schematics for 30 time-tested interactive exhibits.

You may also purchase The Cheapbook, Cheapbook 2, Cheapbook 3, and the new Cheapbooks Greatest Hits individually as electronic editions by visiting our website below.

Order your PDF copies of the Cheapbooks to save big time on exhibits!

#169E Cheapbooks 1–3 Bundle (PDF only) ASTC members/students: $20 Nonmembers: $28

Red Velvet Creative ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN

BUSINESS AND ADVERTISING Cliff Reis CHIEF OF STAFF

Alejandro Asin PUBLICATIONS ASSISTANT

To advertise in Dimensions, email advertising@astc.org.

EDITORIAL ADVISERS Ganigar Chen

Jonah Cohen

Ayman Elsayed

National Science Museum Thailand, Pathumthani, Thailand

McWane Science Center, Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.A.

Planetarium Science Center, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt

Joaquin Fargas

Hong Liao

Rachel Meyer

Maimónides University, Buenos Aires, Argentina

China Science and Technology Museum, Beijing, China

CuriOdyssey, San Mateo, California, U.S.A.

Catherine Paisley

David Ucko

Harry White

Ontario Science Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Museums+more, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

At-Bristol Science Centre, Bristol, England, U.K.

CONTRIBUTORS Alya AlHawawi, Alejandro Asin, Claire Atkinson, Jamie Bell, Ganigar Chen, Kathy Dawes, Cassondra Dickin, Don Duggan-Haas, Tasha Endara, Joaquin Fargas, Heather Farnworth, Barbara Granito, Patrick Hamilton, Wendy Hancock, Roger Highfield, Robin Hoyle, Ashlee Ifland, Emdadul Islam, Michelle Kenner, Michelle Kortenaar, Teresa MacDonald, Lesley Markham, Patricia Montaño, Ari Morris, Jared Nielsen, Carter O’Brien, Richard V. Piacentini, Amanda Quiñones, Anthony (Bud) Rock, Robert M. Ross, Joelle Seligson, Charlie Trautmann, Grace Troxel, Maria Welych

Dimensions (ISSN 1528-820X) is published six times a year by the Association of Science-Technology Centers Incorporated, 818 Connecticut Avenue NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20006, U.S.A. Copyright © 2016 the Association of Science-Technology Centers Incorporated. All rights reserved.

#178 Cheapbooks Greatest Hits Super Bundle (includes all four Cheapbooks as PDF copies) ASTC members/students: $38 Nonmembers: $45

Dimensions is intended to keep member institutions apprised of trends, practices, innovations, perspectives, and news of significance to the science center and museum field. Any paid staff member of an ASTC-member institution can request a free print or electronic subscription at members.astc.org. For nonmembers, print subscriptions are USD 60/USD 70 outside the U.S. (electronic: USD 35). For students, print subscriptions are USD 35/USD 45 outside the U.S. (electronic: USD 29). Students also receive a free subscription to the biweekly INFORMER enewsletter. Students must provide a copy of a valid student ID. Subscribe at astc.org/publications/dimensions or send name, address, and payment in U.S. dollars to ASTC at the above address, Attn: Dimensions Subscriptions. For help, call (202) 783-7200 or email pubs@astc.org. Dimensions is included in EBSCO Publishing’s products. ALTERNATE FORMATS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.

Visit astc.org/publications for availability and to order.

Dimensions is printed on 30% post-consumer paper with environmentally friendly inks. By printing this issue on recycled paper, ASTC has saved the following resources:

ASTC’s editorial team maintains full editorial control over Dimensions content. ASTC controls all content of its programs and initiatives.

No partners, sponsors, or advertisers are permitted to change or influence the editorial content of Dimensions or of ASTC’s programs.

3,463 gallons water saved

232 pounds solid waste not created

639 pounds net greenhouse gases prevented

4,000,000 BTUs energy not consumed

Follow us on Twitter: @ScienceCenters (twitter.com/ScienceCenters), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/ScienceCenters), and visit astc.org.

To submit ideas for features or departments, contact Emily Schuster, editor, (202) 783-7200 x130, eschuster@astc.org. To see the current editorial calendar, visit astc.org/pubs/dimensions/ DimensionsEditorialCalendar.pdf. Email letters to the editor to dimensions@astc.org (subject line: Inbox) or mail them to ASTC at the above address, Attn: Dimensions Inbox. Include your name, title, and institution. We reserve the right to edit letters for publication.

From the CEO Z

Working to Expand Energy Literacy Many of the world’s leading experts are projecting that energy demand will grow 37% by 2035.

There is clearly a need for increased energy literacy. With this in mind, ASTC and the Museum Institute for Teaching Science (MITS, mits.org), in partnership with BP America, have launched a new Energy Education Initiative designed to increase young people’s energy literacy by strengthening informal science educator training and teacher professional development (PD) on the subject.

Through this initiative, science centers and museums will provide teachers, students, and families with resources and activities to help them better understand energy concepts and the important role that energy plays in society.

ASTC’s engagement in this initiative reflects the wide array of energy-related programming already offered in science centers and museums across the globe—some of which are highlighted in this issue of Dimensions. Science centers and museums are ideally suited to support teachers in creating exciting new ways to teach important science topics, such as energy, to children and youth.

Through the initiative, ASTC will assemble best practices–based, energy-focused teacher training modules. As a first step, ASTC has worked with its member museums to capture effective practices for delivering teacher PD around energy and is sharing this information during a series of workshops held in science centers and museums across the United States over the course of the year. For more information, visit astc.org/astc-news/making-teacher-professional-development-more-effective-energize-yourpractices-workshop-series.

ASTC recently launched a web platform (energyteacher.org) that provides easy access to all the materials curated by this project, including digital guides, curricula, and related energy teaching resources. It is an essential tool for ASTCmember institutions, educators, and parents interested in leading energy literacy–related activities.

The web platform is constantly developing, and ASTC members are invited to submit their events and resources on the site.

Photo by Christopher Anderson

The initiative supports the objectives set forth in the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that ASTC signed with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and Office of Economic Impact and Diversity. Through this MOU, ASTC has also helped connect the Department of Energy (DOE) with ASTC members who are geographically aligned with DOE National Laboratories in an effort to put DOE scientists in front of young people via DOE-sponsored STEM Mentoring Cafés. (See the article beginning on page 29.) We are excited about our partnerships with DOE, MITS, and BP America, as well as the ASTC-sponsored opportunities to address important energy issues in science centers and museums everywhere.

Anthony (Bud) Rock (brock@astc.org) is ASTC’s president and CEO. Visit astc.org/category/ceo to read more From the CEO editorials.

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spotlights A MUSEUM FOR AMERICA’S SEA Ever since Amerigo Vespucci sailed into the Gulf of Mexico in 1497, this ocean basin has served as a grand entrance to the Americas.

More than 500 years later—September 26, 2015, to be precise—a museum devoted to the gulf’s maritime traditions opened in Mobile, Alabama. GulfQuest/National Maritime Museum of the Gulf Of Mexico celebrated its grand opening with thousands of visitors present and curious to learn more about “America’s Sea.” The 120,000-square-foot (11,148-squaremeter) structure resembles a ship sailing headlong into the gulf itself. “Because it’s surrounded by water, it gives visitors the impression that they are boarding a real ship at the dock,” reported Tony Zodrow, executive director. Inside are 90 interactive exhibits, simulators, and theaters—as well as unfettered views of the Port of Mobile and the Mobile River—which outline the Gulf of Mexico’s historical, cultural, and economic significance.

Among the most popular is the Take the Helm Theater, a boat-pilot simulator in which visitors can try to navigate vessels around the Port of Mobile, Mobile Bay, and Tombigbee River. In the GulfQuest Theater, three screens weave together a timeline of the Gulf Coast’s history, while the Ocean Planet Theater

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Left: In America’s Sea, an interactive map, visitors explore points of interest around the Gulf of Mexico.

Top right: Visitors experience how a sextant uses a curved scale and mirrors to gauge the stars and determine latitude.

Bottom right: Monitors on each end of this simulated cross-section of an underwater umbilical show the processes used to manufacture the umbilical and deliver it to the seafloor.

Photos courtesy Paul Johnson Photography

displays visualizations of its water traffic and other data. Other offerings include the Crane Operator, where visitors can try their hand at loading and unloading a container ship, and Pelican Girls, in which ghostly images of two 18th-century French women recall their overseas journey from Paris to Mobile.

A $62 million project, GulfQuest was founded through a partnership between the City of Mobile, which built and owns the building, and National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico, a nonprofit organization that funded and created the exhibits and now operates the museum. —Joelle Seligson

Details: Diana Brewer, director of marketing and public relations, dbrewer@gulfquest.org, www.gulfquest.org Dimensions

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September 24–27

Annual Conference

Your treasure awaits you in Tampa...

Join ASTC and our host institution, the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), in Tampa, Florida, September 24–27, 2016, for a treasure trove of more than 110 educational sessions and valuable opportunities to grow your professional and personal networks!

Register now at conference.astc.org and keep up to date with the latest news and information.

Come to ASTC’s 2016 Annual Conference for a professional development experience worth its weight in gold!

See you in Tampa!

spotlights Z Left: Visitors experiment with the highly adaptable VERSABALL gripper, which surrounds and grips objects.

Inset: The Robotic21 System plays a game of 21 with visitors, using two suction cups circling its grippers to pick up playing cards. Photos by J.B. Spector/Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago

PROGRAMMED FOR FRIENDSHIP Rosie, the lively robot housekeeper from the animated TV show The Jetsons, still seems like a futuristic fantasy today—but ROBOTIS-OP proves we’re getting closer to creating a relatable robot.

This little machine is programmed to recognize and look at people’s faces, a key relationshipbuilding tactic. It can also interact with objects, kicking around a soccer ball or even busting a move on the dance floor. ROBOTIS-OP is one of 40 androids in Robot Revolution, an exhibition that debuted at the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) in Chicago on May 21, 2015, and is now touring North America through 2020.

Ranging between 8,000 and 10,000 square feet (743 and 929 square meters), the exhibition breaks down four main aspects of robotics design. The Cooperation section centers on how robots can

help us collaborate; Smarts looks at robots (such as ROBOTIS-OP) that can learn based on experience; Skills highlights robots’ abilities that sometimes surpass our own; and Locomotion explores robots that provide access to places that humans previously couldn’t go.

Created by MSI and supported by Google.org with additional major funding from the Boeing Company, Robot Revolution aims to impart “a unique understanding of how robots now are impacting and will continue to impact our lives in a positive way,” explained John Beckman, director of exhibit design and development. “There’s such a need for that next generation to understand how broad the field of robotics is and how they can be a part of it.” —J.S.

Details: Jeff Buonomo, manager of special exhibitions, jeff.buonomo@msichicago.org, www.msichicago.org/whatshere/exhibits/robot-revolution Dimensions

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Visitors to Scitech’s Astronaut exhibition investigate a replica of a space toilet. Photo by Daniel Grant

ASTRONOMICAL ENDEAVORS Along with shooting out of our atmosphere and surviving the unpredictable hazards of space, astronauts have the challenge of handling everyday tasks sans gravity. Astronaut, which opened at Scitech in West Perth, Australia, on November 23, 2015, takes visitors on a virtual journey into space. After experiencing the rush of a rocket launch, visitors can get a sense of what daily life in space is like through the Space Lab exhibit as they learn how to eat, sleep, shower, and attend to other human needs. “The space toilet has naturally been a big draw,” noted Tom Zaller, president and CEO of Imagine Exhibitions, a Scitech partner that produced and will tour the exhibition. “Visitors are intensely curious about how to use the bathroom in space!” Visitors can also go beyond basic human needs and experiment with rock samples, the effects of g-force, and other scientific undertakings.

The 26 exhibits also include examinations of the physical training astronauts need before taking off on a space mission and a touch screen quiz for visitors to assess how much they’ve learned.

“We know that people have many different styles of learning and have different preferences for interacting with exhibitions like this, so we try to cater to everyone,” said Gary Foxton, Scitech’s traveling exhibition manager.

Astronaut remains on view at Scitech, which created and constructed the exhibition, through April 25. Then it will prepare for its North American tour, which will kick off in October at Space Center Houston. At between 5,000 and 6,000 square feet (465 and 557 square meters), Astronaut cost $1 million to put together. The project was supported

by Scitech’s exhibition partner BHP Billiton as well as the State Government of Western Australia through the Office of Science. —J.S.

Details: Gary Foxton, traveling exhibition manager, Scitech, gfoxton@scitech.org.au, and Tom Zaller, president and CEO, Imagine Exhibitions, tzaller@imagineexhibitions.com, www.scitech.org.au/exhibition-rental/astronaut 10

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Flipside Science is a youth-powered series that tackles complex environmental issues. This free collection of videos and activities engages youth in design thinking—empowering them to engineer their own solutions to pressing environmental problems.

Created by the California Academy of Sciences, this series is designed for environmental and science educators looking to provide their students with new ways of thinking about the environment.

Learn more and download free educator resources: www.calacademy.org/flipside-science

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notes from astc

Visitors create volcanoes using baking soda, vinegar, and foil (left), and a local student prepares a dry ice bubble demonstration (right) at the Children’s Museum Tucson’s annual Family SciFest, made possible by a Creativity Garden minigrant. Photos courtesy the Children’s Museum Tucson

CREATIVITY GARDEN MINIGRANT RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED ASTC is proud to award minigrants of $8,000 to 87 U.S. ASTC-member institutions as part of our Creativity Garden initiative, with the generous support of Disney. Creativity Garden programs will provide at least 10,000 children and youth, ages 6 to 14, with more than 75,000 hours of programming around science and creativity to plant the seed of lifelong learning. The programs incorporate the research of the Center for Childhood Creativity (CCC), based at the Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito, California. The CCC has identified seven critical components of creativity: imagination and 12

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originality; flexibility; decision making; communication and self-expression; motivation; collaboration; and action and movement. Through Creativity Garden programs, youth will participate in activities such as exploring “What if?” questions through engineering, animation, and sculpture; creating instruments and collaborating to make music videos; making 3D-printed prosthetic hands for community members; and finding innovative solutions to issues facing freshwater ecosystems.

Visit creativitygarden.org to find more information and a list of awardees and their programs.

notes from astc Z SURVIVING THE IRB PROCESS WEBINAR RECORDING AVAILABLE Did you miss the live Surviving the IRB Process webinar held in January? You can still register to receive the recording and a copy of the Visitor-Oriented Institution Handbook for Human Subjects Research. In the 90-minute webinar, experts provide a basic overview of the guidelines for doing research with human subjects and explain the ins and outs of institutional review boards (IRBs).

There is a $25 registration fee. Visit astc.org/events/upcomingwebinar-surviving-the-irb-process to learn more.

NEW ADULT ENGAGEMENT COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE LAUNCHED INTRODUCING THE KNOWLEDGE BASE ON INFORMALSCIENCE.ORG The Knowledge Base (formerly the ISE Evidence Wiki) is a collaboratively generated resource designed to streamline access to, and share evidence about, the impacts of informal science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning on a range of audiences in a variety of settings (InformalScience.org/ knowledge-base). Articles in the Knowledge Base are intended to be evidence-supported claims that can be referenced when developing proposals or “making the case” for a strategy or approach to funders and stakeholders, as well as to see what is known and emerging in the field. These articles cover a variety of topics, including early childhood learning, working with diverse audiences, 21st-century skills, public engagement with science, and more.

Are you interested in sharing your project’s findings through the Knowledge Base? We encourage you to build upon existing articles or to create your own. Contact caise@informalscience.org to get started.

The Adult Engagement Community of Practice (CoP) was recently launched at community.astc.org. This new CoP welcomes practitioners of all experience levels who are interested in discussing how we can better engage our adult visitors.

In January, the Early Childhood CoP held a successful webinar entitled Helping Preschool Parents Understand Inquiry. In this 60-minute webinar, presenters shared examples of modeling inquiry behavior at small and large museums, in exhibits, and through parent/child activities and online resources. To see the recording of this and other ASTC CoP webinars and hangouts, visit the ASTC Professional Development Vimeo page at vimeo. com/ASTCprofdev.

ASTC has CoPs on a variety of topics, including Energy Literacy in Science Centers. To learn how to join the ASTC Community and CoPs, visit community.astc.org or contact web@astc.org.

Adults take part in a Forensic Investigation workshop with the help of a Science Explainer at the International Centre for Life, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom. Photo courtesy the International Centre for Life

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Z notes

from astc

WELCOME TO ASTC The following new members were approved by the ASTC Board in June and October 2015. Contact information is available at astc.org/ about-astc/about-science-centers/ find-a-science-center.

SCIENCE CENTER AND MUSEUM MEMBERS • The Army Historical Foundation, Arlington, Virginia. This foundation is planning to break ground for the National Museum of the United States Army. The museum aims to honor U.S.

A conductor assists visitors onto a train. Photo courtesy the National Railroad Museum

soldiers, preserve their history, inspire current and future soldiers, and educate the public about the many ways— from vaccine development to space exploration—the Army has impacted U.S. heritage. The facility is projected to open in 2019.

• University of Northern Iowa

• Hull & Train Exhibits, Abilene, Texas.

Museum, Cedar Falls. Opened in

Founded by Jack Hull and Hall Train, Hull

1892, the University of Northern

& Train Exhibits designs, develops, fabri-

Iowa Museum began as a “cabinet of

cates, and distributes traveling exhibi-

natural history” to provide instructional

tions for science centers, zoos, aquari-

classroom materials. Since then, the

ums, and natural history museums.

• Leduc #1 Energy Discovery Centre,

museum has expanded its collections

Devon, Alberta, Canada. Built on the

to over 100,000 biological, geological,

historic site where oil was discovered

historical, and anthropological objects.

Mexico, Los Alamos. Founded in 2010,

in Alberta on February 13, 1947, Leduc

The museum continues to serve as an

the Institute for Science Education

#1 Energy Discovery Centre showcases

educational resource today by provid-

New Mexico develops, disseminates,

the local oil industry. At the center,

ing access to its diverse collections,

and sustains STEM education pro-

visitors can explore a working oil rig,

exhibits, academic programming,

gramming, including informal science

take a virtual ride in the world’s largest

traveling trunks, and ongoing research.

education programs for youth, scien-

drill bit, create alternative energy in a learning lab, and more.

• National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, Wisconsin. Since 1956, the National Railroad Museum has aimed to inspire lifelong learning by providing educational opportunities through hands-on exhibits, the preservation of railroad objects, and family programs addressing the arts, history, and STEM topics.

tist/teacher partnerships, curriculum SUSTAINING MEMBERS • Alexander Zwissler Consulting,

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development, and more.

• SimEx! Iwerks Entertainment,

Fairfax, California. Former Executive

Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For 20

Director and CEO of Chabot Space &

years, SimEx! Iwerks Entertainment

Science Center, Oakland, California,

has partnered with institutions, parks,

and ASTC Board and Executive

and other destinations worldwide. The

Committee Member Alexander

company specializes in designing and

Zwissler has launched his own con-

building 4D experiences that include

sultancy. Zwissler offers clients his

special effects.

expertise in museum planning and management consulting.

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• Institute for Science Education New

Help Us Spread the Word!

Did you know that all paid staff at ASTC-member institutions can subscribe to ASTC’s Dimensions magazine, free of charge?

Dimensions is ine of the

hly magaz

Bimont

May •

rs

y Cente

hnolog

ce-Tec

Scien ation of

• Ranked by informal science educators as their top magazine/ journal resource

Associ

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June 20

m Museu ies r Memo st a L t tha Bimonthly magazine of the Association of Science-Technology Centers

November • December 2015

• Trusted as a valuable source of insights and practical solutions for science centers and museums • Internationally recognized with multiple awards.

Tell your colleagues to subscribe at members.astc.org. (Nonmembers may subscribe at astc.org/ publications/dimensions.)

Getting the Word Out

what we learned

The Science of International Collaboration

By Heather Farnworth In November 2015, representatives from the Ontario Science Centre, Toronto, and Science North, Sudbury—both in Canada—joined a trade mission to China and signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with several Chinese organizations. Both science centers have established formal relationships with the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum (SSTM), China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing, Hong Kong Science Museum, Shandong Science Museum in Jinan, and Guangdong Science Museum in Guangzhou, as well as other stakeholders.

We have learned several lessons through our partnerships in China: 1. Develop friendships. Business relationships in China are based on building solid personal relationships, which takes time and resources. Face-to-face meetings and being present to socialize are critical for building trust.

Sometimes, a relationship starts over conversations about smaller projects where we discover common goals and similar challenges in promoting science communication.

For example, the Ontario Science Centre’s relationship with SSTM began before it opened in 2001. Twelve years later, along with Science North, we signed a three-party MOU, and a year later, SSTM was the premiere venue for our Strange Matter exhibition tour in China.

2. Tap into local talent. It can be challenging (and sometimes impossible) for foreign companies to submit proposals, secure bids, or sign contracts for Chinese projects without a local partner. Therefore, partnerships with agents, consultants, and design-build firms are essential. These partnerships ensure that someone who speaks the language can attend tender bid meetings and presentations and can interpret the nuances of a project. An agent can also help navigate the Chinese provincial shipping and tax implications.

The author (right) stands with leaders from China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, the Ontario Science Centre, Science North, and Star Group. Photo courtesy the Ontario Science Centre

3. Be flexible. Business discussions are not linear in China as they are in many Western nations. A good analogy is that “business moves forward the same way that traffic inches forward on an impossibly crowded road . . . the painted lines are merely guidelines” (Boulton, 2016). For example, meals are very important, so even at a critical point in a negotiation, a Chinese client may stop and announce lunch. This “interruption” doesn’t reflect progress in the negotiations. Also, negotiations are ongoing in China, so we have learned to be prepared for additional requests even after signing a contract.

4. Learn together. While our Chinese partners share the Ontario Science Centre and Science North’s core philosophy about creative learning, they don’t want to simply transplant our knowledge, exhibits, and programs but instead learn together as we develop science experiences that work within the Chinese culture. These partnerships promote the cross-pollination of ideas across international borders. As Yu Zhang, one of our partners and CEO of Star Group in Beijing, said, “People in both the East and the West need to face the issues of the world and work together to build up a better future.”

REFERENCE Boulton, A. (2016, January 22). “Oh my, you’ve put on weight!” and other comments you might hear when doing business in China. Globe and Mail. Retrieved from www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/going-global/ five-things-you-need-to-know-to-do-business-in-china/article27667708.

If you would like to write about what your institution has learned from a project in exhibit development, education, finance, and/or operations, contact us at dimensions@astc.org (subject line: What We Learned).

Heather Farnworth (heather.farnworth@osc.on.ca) is director of international sales at the Ontario Science Centre, Toronto, Canada.

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people The Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, has announced that Alison R. Brown will become its new president and CEO, effective in early May. Brown spent 17 years at the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, first as chief finance and operations officer and later as chief of staff. She replaces Eric Jolly, who stepped down after 11 years to become president and CEO of Minnesota Philanthropy Partners.

Susan Howland is the new executive director of SEE Science Center, Manchester, New Hampshire. Howland most recently served as the City of Manchester and Granite United Way’s director of homeless services. She succeeds Douglas Heuser, who cofounded the center and was its executive director for more than 30 years before retiring in February. Heuser oversaw the center’s growth from one employee (himself) to 27 full- and part-time staff.

In October 2015, Alan Robison joined the Anniston Museum of Natural History, Anniston, Alabama, as its new director. Most recently, Robison was executive director of the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center, Clarksville, Tennessee. He succeeds Cheryl Bragg, who retired in March 2014 after 15 years at the helm. David Ford had served as interim director.

Paula Gangopadhyay was appointed deputy director, Office of Museum Services, at the

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Institute of Museum and Library Services in January. She was most recently chief learning officer at the Henry Ford, Dearborn, Michigan. She had previously worked as executive director of several Michigan-based organizations, including the Plymouth Community Arts Council; the Great Lakes Center for Education, Research and Practice; and Meridian Historical Village.

Sue Kim became Boston Children’s Museum’s new vice president of development in September 2015. She joined the museum from Harvard University, where she most recently was director of the Harvard Kennedy School Fund. She also spent several years in student services and academic affairs at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.

In November 2015, Lisa Betson Resnik was named director of external relations—a newly created position— at the Kentucky Science Center, Louisville. Prior to joining the Kentucky Science Center, Resnik was chief operating officer/deputy director at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville for eight years.

Michelle Chartrand, director of advancement at Omaha Children’s Museum, Nebraska, has been accepted as one of 30 participants in the eight-month National Arts Strategies Executive Program in Arts & Culture.

In February, Laura Huerta Migus, executive director of the Association of Children’s

Museums and former director of professional development and equity initiatives at ASTC, was honored as a White House Champion of Change.

Throughout her career, Huerta Migus has been devoted to the growth and education of children, particularly those from underserved and underresourced communities.

Denise LeBlanc, director of learning experiences at the Discovery Museums, Acton, Massachusetts, was recognized with a New England Museum Association (NEMA) Excellence Award in November 2015.

NEMA recognized LeBlanc for “her pivotal role in science education and outreach at the museum for more than 25 years.”

Doug Taron, curator of biology and vice president of conservation and research at the Chicago Academy of Sciences/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, has been named Professional of the Year by the Illinois Association of Museums.

In memoriam We are sad to report that Remo Besio, director of the Swiss Science Center Technorama, Winterthur, from 1990 to 2008, died of cancer on March 14 at the age of 75. Known for his vision, enthusiasm, and attention to detail, Besio transformed the existing museum into a science center filled with dynamic hands-on exhibits. A tribute to Besio has been posted on ASTC’s blog at astc.org/astc-news. Friends and colleagues are invited to share their memories at www.technorama. ch/remo-besio.

our boards in action

Matt Lorentzen Interviewed by Joelle Seligson Founded in 1961, the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium is an “important institution” in Palm Beach County, according to board chair Matt Lorentzen. Unfortunately, its finances didn’t always match its reputation.

Before Lorentzen came aboard in 2008, the center had been operating under a budget deficit for years. Lorentzen, who works in aviation finance and is the father of three boys, led the museum not only out of the red but well into the black: it boasted more than $300,000 in surplus revenues as of 2012. He also helped usher in a $5 million expansion that has made the aquarium one of the largest in the state. Below, he lets us in on this “very satisfying” experience.

How did you help turn the science center around?

What is your personal relationship with the science center?

The science center had a campaign before I joined the board. It was a very ambitious campaign, one we were not going to be able to raise the money for in a reasonable time frame. Part of what we did on the board was to reevaluate. We made a much more realistic plan. We were focused on keeping operating costs flat. The staff [was] very generous with their time and commitment to doing more with a budget that was not increasing every year. Since the expansion, our attendance has gone up nicely. We’ve seen a significant increase in revenue, and our expenses have grown fairly nominally. That’s how we were able to turn a deficit into a surplus.

My kids attend the camps and afterschool activities. We’ve increased those programs over the last few years, and my kids are very excited about that. The science center also has an annual science and engineering competition that draws kids from all around the county, and our kids participate in that every year. I don’t have a scientific background, and my wife doesn’t either, but our kids are very keen on science and STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] in school, and I think that’s probably inspired by our support of the science center over these years.

Personally, it’s been very satisfying to be involved with the turnaround of an institution that has been in the community for a long time but is rather small and, frankly, had become a little bit in need of refurbishment and enhancement. To see that happen with support of people in the community, the board, and our staff—it’s very gratifying to be part of that.

What advice would you give to board members of an institution facing a similar situation?

We couldn’t have done this without leadership at the science center that was focused on operating within our means and developing new sources of revenue.

Finding ways of being self-sustaining—it’s important to have staff that are focused on that.

For a podcast and full transcript of this interview, visit astc.org/category/ astc-dimensions/boards.

Do you have a board member you’d like to see profiled in a future “Our Boards in Action” department? Please send their name, position, and contact information to dimensions@astc.org (subject line: Boards).

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The Future of Energy Communities and nations across the globe are faced with the challenge of meeting rising energy demands in environmentally and economically responsible ways. In this issue of Dimensions, science centers and related institutions share how they are increasing energy literacy through exhibitions, education programs, artworks, and more. These institutions are promoting energy careers; connecting scientists to local decision makers; helping the public navigate controversial issues such as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking�; and supporting young people as they lead their own communities in addressing energy use and sustainability.

In addition, we hear from institutions that are leading by example. Science

centers, museums, and aquariums explain how they are making their own facilities more energy efficient, and one institution discusses its decision to move its investments in fossil fuels to investments in renewable energy.

Today, science centers and museums are poised to equip their audiences

with the knowledge and skills they need to make informed choices for a more sustainable energy future.

Don Quixote Against Climate Change, an art installation by Joaquin Fargas, consists of three windmills in Antarctica, engaged in an apparently impossible fight against climate change as they try to stop the thaw by keeping the glacier cold. Photo by Joaquin Fargas

The Wellcome Wing of Atmosphere, a climate change gallery at the Science Museum in London. Photo courtesy Science Museum, London, Science & Society Picture Library

How Science Centers Can Harvest Interest in Energy

By Roger Highfield

The way we harness and sustain energy is fundamental to modern life. Imagine the massive implications for suburban areas in developed nations if the cost of energy became prohibitive. Equally, think of the seismic implications for alleviating poverty in the developing world if there were a clean, inexhaustible, and accessible source of energy.

When taken with the ever-present issue of climate change caused by human activity, scientific advances in fields such as fusion power, and contentious issues such as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” energy should be a rich subject for any science center or museum to explore. Our institutions are well positioned to play a central role in connecting with audiences, and especially with youth, to develop and promote public engagement with these critical issues.

But what do audiences make of energy as a subject?

ENERGY: FUELLING THE FUTURE

The Science Museum in London began to develop an energy gallery named Energy: Fuelling the Future more than a decade ago, aimed at children ages 8–14, their parents, and teachers (sciencemuseum. org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/ exhibitions/energy-fuelling_the_future).

Overall, the museum reaches around 1 million children annually, including 400,000 visiting in booked education groups (sciencemuseum.org.uk/stem).

As is our standard procedure when developing a new exhibition, we first conducted audience research. We found that the topic of energy was either not on children’s radar or not appealing, according to Emily Scott-Dearing, who worked on the energy gallery and is now lead curator of our new medicine galleries.

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When the core target audience (8- to 14-year-olds) heard the word “energy,” they thought about exercise and perceived sources of energy such as sports drinks and candy bars. When they understood our definition, there was a resounding lack of enthusiasm for visiting a gallery on the subject. “We knew we had a major challenge on our hands to engage this wary audience,” recalls Scott-Dearing.

The answer was to make it a fun experience rather than rely on the topic itself, which was perceived as dry and technical.

Informed by our research, we embedded gallery content in computer-based interactives and artworks. Every interactive relies on a different style and mode of interaction—from spinning drums and a rotating periscope to a tabletop cityscape

and a memorable artwork delivering mild electric shocks.

Scott-Dearing describes how, for this discerning audience, we “delivered energy content by stealth.” Even though the gallery contains tens of thousands of words of text, less than 10% is initially visible. It’s only through playing the games that visitors encounter deeper layers of information about energy.

Subsequent evaluation revealed that the approach was successful and, a decade later, the gallery continues to be a lively,

well-visited space.

The gallery was sponsored by a range of institutions, including companies in the energy sector. As with all our exhibitions and galleries, we made it clear to the sponsors that we retained editorial control. We also benefited from the expertise of a strong advisory panel representing diverse interests.

When we opened the gallery in 2004, the connection between energy production and climate change was more contentious, and now familiar concepts such

as the idea of an energy footprint were largely mystifying to a general audience.

Looking back, Scott-Dearing is struck by how the topic of climate change is much higher up the public agenda today (including among young people) compared with a decade ago.

To acknowledge that this is an evolving field, the museum has organized many events and exhibitions over the years. For example, we recently held a festival entitled London 2050, which discussed how the London Underground

network (the Tube) will cope with heat waves; the need for a super sewer; the need for flood defenses; and even the rise of culinary dishes using species that are becoming more ubiquitous because of climate change, such as jellyfish. The festival ran over a weekend and included an adults-only evening, which we call a Lates. (For an example of these evenings see www.crick.ac.uk/news/newsarchive/2014/02/27/record-breakingattendance-at-crick-event.)

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Science Museum Live—The Energy Show. Photo by Benjamin Ealovega, Science Museum

ATMOSPHERE: A CLIMATE SCIENCE GALLERY

The Science Museum also has a climate science gallery called Atmosphere, which provides visitors with accurate, up-todate information on what is known, what is uncertain, and what is not known about this Earth-changing subject (sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/plan_your_ visit/exhibitions/atmosphere). Aimed at families with children ages 8 and older, school groups with students ages 11 to 16, and adults, this gallery was also informed by research and testing. The gallery opened in December 2010 and has 24

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received more than 3 million visitors. Al Gore, former vice president of the United States and chair of the Climate Reality Project, even praised it on Twitter, writing “Visited @sciencemuseum in London last wk. Fascinating, extremely well done, exhibit on the climate crisis and more.”

Visitors tell us they particularly value the content relating to humankind’s responses to climate change, from largescale energy and transport technologies to innovations supporting changes in the way people behave. They find the information original and compelling because it provides a personal way into a vast

subject. We also have a budget for content updates, events, and artistic responses to climate science.

Of Atmosphere’s mixture of gamebased and more linear information delivery, the challenge-based games have proven the most popular and have the longest dwell times, says Alexandra Johnson, now curator of earth sciences.

The following video shows some of the gallery’s games: youtu.be/IL_sb518nFk. One underlying message of the Atmosphere gallery is that even small changes can help make a difference.

This stops visitors from becoming

“overwhelmed by negativity,” says Johnson. Although visitors already know about personal initiatives, such as recycling and using energy-efficient light bulbs, many adult visitors are surprised and impressed to learn about more recent technologies, such as home energy monitors.

Of the objects on display, the hydrogen fuel cell car is by far the most popular with both adults and children due to its large size, its futuristic appearance,

and the fact that visitors can relate to personal transport. Even self-confessed climate skeptics are interested in innovative solutions to climate change, such as smart flooring surfaces that capture and harvest energy.

arenas, science centers and museums can focus on developing compelling and colorful narratives that entertain, excite, and inform visitors with the objective of expanding and deepening public engagement with energy issues. n

Energy is a vast topic and includes a bewildering range of possibilities to explore. Given the importance of energy in today’s world and the need for knowledge and leadership in many

REFERENCE Gore, A. [@algore]. (2011, December 20). Retrieved from twitter.com/algore/ status/149249056391180288.

Roger Highfield (roger.highfield@sciencemuseum.ac.uk) is director of external affairs, Science Museum Group, London.

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“Will the Planet Notice?”

A Youth-Led Environmental Awareness Campaign in India

By Emdadul Islam

In April 2012, five 8th-grade students at Seth M.R. Jaipuria School in Lucknow, India, launched a campaign to inform people in their neighborhoods about the environmental impact of their lifestyle choices and how a little readjustment could help reduce their carbon footprint. The local campaign found a national and then a global platform last year when the team presented its work at a youth climate summit at the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum in Kolkata and an ASTC-led youth climate dialogue during the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21, www.cop21paris.org).

The students were in the school’s environment club, which met to read and discuss books. “We were reading a book by an economist [But Will the Planet Notice? by Gernot Wagner] who made a point that whatever you or I personally do will not matter in the larger scheme of things. As members of the environment club, we found the idea very troubling,” explained Kanishk Singh, one of the students.

The students talked together about individual actions like buying groceries with a cloth bag or carpooling to work and school. They asked themselves, Will the planet notice? “This spurred us to launch a small environment awareness campaign in our locality,” said Singh.

GETTING PARTICIPATION IN A CAMPAIGN

The students formed a team called Takrab and started a website to spread environmental awareness and seek people’s participation in their campaign.

However, the website had only 30 to 40 users per month, so the students let the website expire and shifted their focus to a door-to-door campaign, knowing that this would take a lot of time and energy.

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their neighborhoods, but later realized that the city’s demographic and economic diversity needed to be factored in. “We wanted people from all parts, age groups, and economic backgrounds in our survey,” said Tathagat Bhatia, the team’s lead student. They randomly approached households in diverse neighborhoods, an exercise made possible by more youth joining the initiative, for a total of 32.

Of the households approached, many refused to participate, and some were unavailable for repeat surveys. Ultimately, 142 families went through the entire campaign, which involved multiple sessions with the students. “We have not kept data on the houses that refused, but I remember one in every five or six houses we went to agreed to be repeatedly surveyed,” said Bhatia.

CONDUCTING SURVEYS AND FOLLOW-UP

The students surveyed these households with 30 questions in four themes: energy use, travel, food habits, and waste recycling. Sample questions included the following: Which electrical appliances in your home are energy rated (4 star/5 star)? How many cars does your family own, and how often

are they serviced? How frequently do you eat meat or fish? How do you dispose of flowers and other organic items offered to your home deity?

The survey answers were graded using a fourpoint scale and each household’s carbon footprint was calculated. The students found that, on average, about 16 tons (15 metric tons) of carbon dioxide were emitted per household per year.

The students returned to inform participants about the findings and make simple suggestions for reducing their homes’ carbon footprint. They were careful to make suggestions that would not seriously compromise the family’s standard of living. For example, they suggested ideas like using car pools to go to work, switching to energy efficient lighting, eating less meat, and recycling more household wastes.

Four weeks later, the team resurveyed the participants, but the results were not encouraging. Only about 10% of the households managed to reduce their carbon footprint to some extent, and 8% actually increased it. The students were disappointed

and wondered where their campaign went wrong.

CHANGING TACTICS

They did some restrategizing. “We chalked out a ‘six-stage plan,’ which relied on the idea that if you told people something again and again, chances are [higher] that they would remember it and follow suit,” said Bhatia. The students planned to conduct six awareness building sessions-cum-surveys with the same households spread over one year and follow each session with suggestions for reducing carbon footprint. The students would have preferred to hold group sessions, but because this option posed logistical problems, they did one-onone sessions with the same person in each family instead. “Luckily for us, it worked out pretty well,” said Bhatia.

After one year, the final survey yielded a promising outcome: 40% of the households reduced their carbon footprint by varying degrees (9–14%), and the total reduction in carbon emissions by these families came to 121 tons (110 metric tons).

The Takrab team receives a trophy as the winners of the Indian National Level Competition of the International Youth Climate Summit. Photo courtesy the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum Dimensions

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Takrab team members present their work at the Indian National Level Competition of the International Youth Climate Summit held at the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum in Kolkata. Photo courtesy the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum

The students are now in 11th grade and stopped conducting surveys in September 2015 to focus on their studies, but they plan to start again in March 2016. “We are also planning some other activities we did not do earlier, like holding group sessions in our respective localities during important festivals when the community gathers,” said Bhatia.

PRESENTING THE OUTCOME

On November 6, 2015, Takrab team members presented their work at the Indian National Level Competition of the International Youth Climate Summit (YCS) held at the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum in Kolkata. Theirs was one of only four winning teams (one from each of India’s four zones) chosen from more than 100 teams that participated at the local level for the chance to compete at this national event. The local competitions were held in all of the 25 science centers operating under India’s National Council of Science Museums.

The Birla Industrial and Technological Museum supported the four winning teams’ travel to Kolkata,

provided local hospitality, and arranged for them to discuss their work with environmentalists.

The Takrab team won the national competition and the opportunity to present its work on a global scale. A month later, on December 3, the team presented the project again via videoconference, during a live, online webcast at the ASTC-organized #Youth4Climate youth climate dialogue held at Universcience in Paris as part of COP21. The conversation also included youth working with science centers in four other countries: Mundo Nuevo in Argentina; Heureka, the Finnish Science Centre, in Finland; Durban Natural Science Museum in South Africa; and the Wild Center and Michigan Science Center in the United States. (You can read more about the event in the January/February 2016 issue of Dimensions (page 11) and watch the video at cite-sciences.ubicast.tv/permalink/v1253d1aa26e3v8cg3v5.)

In the conclusion of his presentation before the Paris audience, Bhatia remarked, “A few teenagers cannot change the world, but they can give ideas that can change the world.” n

Emdadul Islam (eislam@ncsm.gov.in) is director of the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum in Kolkata, India, and he coordinated the Indian National Level Competition of the International Youth Climate Summit.

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Mentoring Cafés Offer Students a Cup of STEM

By Amanda Quiñones

In support of U.S. President Barack Obama’s White House Council on Women and Girls, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) created a speed mentoring program for middle school students to broaden participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The STEM Mentoring Café program was developed with support from the U.S. Department of Education and in coordination with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP), and ASTC. The program’s goal is to expose students to STEM careers and inspire them to consider opportunities in STEM fields. During a Café event, students meet up to 12 STEM professionals and learn about their backgrounds, careers, and passions (energy.gov/diversity/stem-mentoring-caf).

A student tries on a hard hat and vest at a STEM Mentoring Café at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, in May 2015. Photo courtesy the Department of Energy Dimensions

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Clockwise from left: A mentor (left) shows students some of the work she does on a computer at a STEM Mentoring Café at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, in May 2015 (photo courtesy the Department of Energy); a mentor talks to students at a STEM Mentoring Café at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C., in February 2016 (photo

by Winn Brewer); participants gather around a table at the Chicago Café (photo courtesy the Department of Energy)

The first Café was held at the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., in May 2014 when 30 female STEM professionals from 16 government agencies interacted with 18 teachers and 38 students in the 5th to 8th grades. The professionals engaged with small groups of students in 10- to 15-minute show-and-tell chats to share their experiences and introduce a STEM concept. The Cafés are open to everyone, but they are especially geared to increasing interest among groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields such as people of color and women. At press time, 780 students had been served by nine Mentoring Cafés.

PUTTING ON AN EVENT

Events are hosted at volunteer ASTCmember science centers and museums throughout the United States. The Café team works with the local center to find the most opportune time to engage both formal and informal education 30

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communities. CNCS, the agency that administers AmeriCorps, has recently joined the Café team to promote these events among hundreds of national service programs. This partnership will expand the mentoring programs’ reach to schools, neighborhoods, and educators.

The Café team invites professionals— in particular Native Americans and people from other traditionally underrepresented backgrounds from DOE’s Women @ Energy series (energy.gov/women inSTEM), DOE National Laboratories, and other federal agencies—to participate as volunteer STEM mentors. When a Café is held at a location without a

DOE presence, we recruit mentors from elsewhere. For example, the Anchorage Museum in Alaska recently hosted an event that engaged 120 attendees with STEM professionals from the museum, the local university, energy education centers, and private companies.

Mentors represent numerous disciplines, including renewable energy, environmental and climate science, engineering, and particle physics, and they bring “tools of their trade” to the Cafés to provide an interactive activity for students.

For example, mentors have brought radiation detectors, microscopes, hydrogen fuel cell demos, and even a 3D-printed model of a particle accelerator.

TRAINING THE PROFESSIONALS

Some STEM professionals have prior experience interacting with middle school students, but many do not, so DOE implemented STEM Volunteer Virtual Training webinars, held quarterly since August 2015 (energy.gov/diversity/ downloads/stem-volunteer-trainingmaterials). The webinars provide mentors with information to help them engage with middle school students, craft their STEM story, and provide a hands-on activity so that students can relate to their work. The January 2016 webinar had more than 100 participants. The webinars are provided free of charge in conjunction with our partners at the NGCP, the nonprofit organization Dimensions

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“I loved the enthusiasm of the kids at this event. It was interesting to hear what they knew about energy and the questions they thought were important. The kids are inspiring, and their enthusiasm bodes well for our future workforce.”

—Linda Silverman, U.S. Department of Energy economist and senior policy adviser TechBridge, and the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

We encourage the professionals who mentor at a Café event to serve an additional 20 hours annually as a mentor under United We Serve, President Obama’s nationwide service initiative (www.serve.gov).

Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C., remarked, “I loved the enthusiasm of the kids at this event. It was interesting to hear what they knew about energy and the questions they thought were important. The kids are inspiring, and their enthusiasm bodes well for our future workforce.”

As Dot Harris, director of DOE’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, said, “Our experiences impact our trajectory, so let’s fulfill our responsibility to help shape the lives of our kids. The goal of the Cafés is to provide a sneak preview of unlimited possibilities to our youth who will become the next generation of STEM innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders.” n

INVOLVING EDUCATORS

Educators are a crucial part of the STEM Mentoring Café model. We ask them to brief their students before the event to explain what STEM is and the purpose of meeting these professionals, as well as help them prepare questions.

Educators also participate at the tables with their students so they can reinforce topics and themes back in their formal or informal education setting.

The Café team provides educators with materials to engage their students in STEM learning beyond the Café, including a copy of DOE’s Energy Literacy Framework (energy.gov/eere/ education/energy-literacy-essentialprinciples-and-fundamental-conceptsenergy-education). We also provide contact information for mentors who attended the event to encourage further involvement with them.

The STEM Mentoring Café program is a new endeavor that we hope will make a lasting impact on student attendees pursuing STEM coursework in high school and beyond. Linda Silverman, a DOE economist and senior policy adviser that talked about energy careers with students at a Café at the National 32

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Amanda Quiñones (amanda.quinones@hq.doe.gov) is a diversity and inclusion specialist at the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. For questions about the STEM Mentoring Café program, email stemed@energy.gov.

CONNECTING STUDENTS WITH STEM PROFESSIONALS In developing and holding STEM Mentoring Café events, we’ve learned a few lessons:

• Know your audience. STEM professionals vary greatly in their comfort level when working with students. Likewise, students vary

• Tap into your networks. Partners

greatly in their knowledge of the

can leverage existing relationships

variety of STEM professions.

with outside organizations to

Therefore, training helps volun-

recruit students and volunteer

teers craft their messages and

mentors, identify speakers for

connect with students for a more

training sessions, or procure

productive event.

giveaways for attendees.

• Integrate existing opportuni• Be flexible. Different communi-

ties. When a museum has an

ties or situations may need a mod-

existing, widely attended com-

ified approach. For example, at

munity engagement activity

the Café at the National Museum

like the Museum of Science and

of Nuclear Science & History in

Industry’s Community Day in

Albuquerque, New Mexico, mentor

Chicago, a STEM Mentoring Café

rotations were extended so that

can be woven into the agenda,

mentors could lead students

allowing the museum to lever-

through more involved activities.

age existing resources to serve a larger population.

—A.Q.

Powering the Future focuses on the future of our energy supply. Photo courtesy Glasgow Science Centre

The Power of Energy Education We asked science centers and museum practitioners around the world to share their energy-related education initiatives, exhibitions, outreach programs, art projects, and resources with us. Here, they explain how these programs are poised to make a difference in how the public understands and navigates energy-related issues.

In December 2015, Glasgow Science Centre, Scotland, launched the most ambitious exhibition of its kind in the United Kingdom. Powering the Future is a £1.5 million (USD 2,132,850), 6,135-square-foot (570-squaremeter) interactive exhibition that shines a spotlight on one of the biggest challenges facing modern society: the future of our energy supply (www.glasgow sciencecentre.org/powering-the-future.html).

Glasgow Science Centre gathered support from across the energy industry, united by a shared desire to engage with the public. Exhibition partners include the Scottish Government; OPITO (an organization that provides standards, training, and workforce development for the oil and gas industry); Scottish Enterprise (Scotland’s main economic development agency); and energy companies including SSE, National Grid, EDF Energy, Scottish

Power Energy Network, and Doosan Babcock. This is the first time that all sectors of the energy industry, policy makers, and government agencies have come together to highlight the challenges we face with future energy supply.

Powering the Future encourages visitors to engage in an informed debate on how our increasing demand for energy can be met at an acceptable economic and environmental cost. Through a series of 60 thought-provoking interactive exhibits, visitors discover ways we can harness energy and recognize the benefits and limits of different sources.

Interactives within the exhibition include a hurricane simulator, a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), an energy dance floor, a toy race track, a wave machine, and a biowall covered in living plants. The science center’s experience development Dimensions March • April 2016

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Joaquin Fargas with his art installations Place for Purification (left) and Don Quixote Against Climate Change (right). Photos courtesy Joaquin Fargas

team worked with an advisory group made up of representatives from the energy sector, including academic and corporate organizations, to carefully consider the content and ensure it was based solely on scientific evidence and verifiable data in an unbiased way. This enables visitors to interpret and analyze the information and develop their own informed opinion on our energy future.

Nearly 70,000 schoolchildren visit Glasgow Science Centre annually, and we hope that through the exhibition and complementary education program, these young people will be inspired to consider their role in delivering a sustainable energy future and pursuing careers in the sector. An informed society and skilled workforce is vital for us to confront the challenges we face to deliver a secure, affordable, and cleaner energy future. So far, more than 75,000 people have visited the exhibition, including more than 16,000 in education groups.

Robin Hoyle, director of science, Glasgow Science Centre, Scotland, United Kingdom Beyond its major influence on climate, wind has inspired mythology, powered windmills, and permitted the voyages of sailing ships across Earth’s oceans. Today wind power represents an environmentally friendly solution for our energy needs.

Wind—invisible and seemingly magic—is an endless source of inspiration for contemporary art.

Addressing critical issues like energy needs from an artistic point of view can open our minds and encourage us to think outside the box, beyond the traditional protocol of other disciplines like science and technology.

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Here are two of my art projects (www.joaquinfargas.com/en/works) that demonstrate how we can use wind to find solutions that seem to be utopian but that could become reality in the future: • Don Quixote Against Climate Change, part of the Utopia Project, consists of three windmills in Antarctica, engaged in an apparently impossible fight against climate change as they try to stop the thaw by keeping the glacier cold. The piece is a metaphor for Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s character Don Quixote, who tries to do battle with windmills in a sort of impossible task, and represents humanity’s capacity to struggle against what seems impossible. As Cervantes wrote, “Changing the world is neither madness nor utopia.”

• Place for Purification is an installation in the fishing community of Cheng Long, Taiwan, which combines wind sculptures, solar panels, and a salt water purification system. It uses bamboo, a very renewable resource, and recycled materials like plastic bottles. The system works as a distillation plant where the water is pumped from the canal and flows along a half pipe of bamboo. The water is evaporated by the heat of the sun and then collected into a pipeline made by plastic bottles. The distilled water can then be used for watering a garden. The project creates a space where water, our thoughts, and our behavior regarding the environment can be improved.

Joaquin Fargas, professor of art and technology and Bioart Lab founder/director, Maimónides University, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Involvement with Project SOS activities reminded both adults and youth of the importance of paying attention to conserving heat/energy and of specific things that they could do to keep their homes warmer and save energy and money.

Project SOS: Making Connections Using the Science of Sustainability, funded by the National Science Foundation, developed an outreach program featuring exhibit prototypes and hands-on team challenges for youth ages 11–15 and their families in four rural communities: Plummer, Idaho; Rosalia, Washington; Kendrick/Juliaetta, Idaho; and Spokane, Washington. The program focuses on “the science behind heat transfer and sustainable building design.” Participants learned basic concepts of physics and how to apply new skills and knowledge to save energy to make their homes more energy efficient. A total of 57 youth and 17 adults, representing 47 households, participated.

The program was developed by a cross-disciplinary team representing two local universities and other area resources, and included representatives from the communities and their energy providers. The team was led by the Palouse Discovery Science Center (PDSC), Pullman, Washington, and was developed so that program components would be usable and adaptable for other small science centers.

Project SOS resulted in: 1) an Exploring Heat Energy program; 2) portable exhibit prototypes with hands-on activities about conduction, convection, and radiation as they relate to buildings; 3) a Model House Challenge in which teams use building materials to increase energy efficiency; and 4) Home Energy Assessment Training (HEAT) materials with take-home activities to investigate heat transfer in the home. Details about all of these components can be found on the Project SOS website (www.palousescience.net/#!sos-introduction/c1mws).

Our outside evaluator, Patty McNamara, analyzed pre- and post-surveys and telephone interviews with youth participants and caregivers. She found that “all participants demonstrated their increased understanding of heat transfer mechanisms, familiarity with tools they could use to

detect home heat loss, awareness of measures they could take to prevent that heat loss, and actual use of tools/weatherization materials in their own homes.”

Involvement with Project SOS activities reminded both adults and youth of the importance of paying attention to conserving heat/energy and of specific things that they could do to keep their homes warmer and save energy and money.

Kathy Dawes, educational outreach coordinator, Palouse Discovery Science Center, Pullman, Washington

Project SOS participants test a model house after making improvements.

Photo courtesy Palouse Discovery Science Center

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An initiative of the King Abdullah City for Atomic & Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE), Mishkat Interactive Center for Atomic & Renewable Energy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was developed to inspire a new generation of future energy innovators (www.mishkat. org.sa). Upon opening in 2012, the 46,285-squarefoot (4,300-square-meter) center primarily hosted booked student groups within school hours. Since then, the Mishkat team has grown in confidence and ambition, changing the center from an exhibition space to a launchpad for a host of learning initiatives developed to engage new audiences.

A youthful Saudi Arabian team has worked in collaboration with experienced museum practitioners through the Saudi Arabia/U.K. partnership TalentS|KCA (www.talentskca.com) to develop a program of events, resources, and programs designed to lift and refresh Mishkat’s offerings. This partnership has been established to bring together international best practices with regional expertise, developing experiences and teams capable of genuinely inspiring Arabic audiences. Projects include Mishkat+, an afterschool club for 13- to 15-year-olds, packed with activities that deepen knowledge about alternate energy generation and develop skills including critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork. In its first The Bouncing Balls activity at Mishkat Interactive Center for Atomic & Renewable Energy. Photo by Arwa AlDakheel

This screenshot from the animated video Adventures at Nanoscale: Superconductivity shows two young characters, Elly and Eddie, as electrons.

Image courtesy the University of Kansas

cycle, Mishkat+ has engaged more than 80 participants and aims to reach 300 participants each year.

Future plans for Mishkat+ include digital extensions, social platforms, and new themes.

More “big splash” family events are also on the horizon. This follows the success of Noor, a celebration of the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies, which was held in November 2015 and engaged more than 7,000 visitors in their family groups. Mishkat’s outreach services continue to grow, and new science shows will bring energy to life in new and spectacular ways.

The in-center experience is also being continually refreshed, with new exhibits and films making their debut in Riyadh’s first big-screen auditorium. This includes Saving Joule, an animated film that takes visitors on a space-themed energy adventure.

Alya AlHawawi, programs developer, Mishkat Interactive Center for Atomic & Renewable Energy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia “Now with added ENERGY!” reads the splash featured on the University of Kansas physics education website (quarked.org). Educators at the KU Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, collaborated with campus physicists to develop a suite of energy-related resources that builds upon and leverages this established site.

Funds from two National Science Foundation grant projects supported the production of digital resources including a set of animated Science Shorts with a focus on solar energy; the online games Photon Invaders and Eddie’s Obstacle Course, playable on the site and available as downloadable

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A student takes part in the National Science Museum Thailand’s Fun with Energy science show. Photo courtesy the National Science Museum Thailand (NSM) Picture Archive

apps; and a 10-minute 3D-animated video entitled Adventures at Nanoscale: Superconductivity, which follows the adventures of young characters and their subatomic alter egos as they explore how superconductors work. Additionally, we created a hands-on museum program called Cartoon Guide to Energy for school groups in grades 4 through 8, as well as a graduate student outreach position to facilitate activities at community events.

Assessment included external evaluation of the superconductor video, which documented knowledge gains in understanding energy and what happens at small scales, as well as more positive attitudes toward the importance of nanoscience and its role in improving energy efficiency. An important element for project developers was sustainability. The school program continues to be available and popular at the museum with full scholarships available for schools in low-income communities. All online resources are freely available on quarked.org or the Quarked!

YouTube channel. The energy-related videos have been viewed more than 75,000 times since their launch a few years ago. The superconductor video also runs on a local PBS station.

Teresa MacDonald, associate director of public programs, KU Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence

The National Science Museum Thailand (NSM), located in Pathumthani (www.nsm.or.th/english), has joined with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to launch the Young People of Thailand’s Heart for Conserving Energy program.

Catering to students in grades 7 to 12, the program aims to promote understanding of energy conservation, encouraging students to acquire knowledge about energy and the environment while also practicing science communication skills.

NSM and EGAT staff members, as well as guest speakers from private sectors, provide basic information on energy and the environment. The students create a variety of communication tools such as posters, booklets, and social media content that present possible solutions to energy and environmental issues, including ways to harness alternative energy sources like biomass and solar and wind power. Additionally, students use the resources they created to promote energy conversations in their schools and local communities with the hope of raising awareness and helping the cause of future energy planning for their communities and society as a whole. Students are expected to report back with photos of themselves and friends promoting their campaigns.

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three times since it began in 2013, with a total of 222 students across the country participating.

Students are given the title Energy Conversation Ambassadors, and they aim to be a force in promoting the cause of energy and the environment in developing countries now and in the future.

Ganigar Chen, director, Office of Public Awareness of Science, National Science Museum Thailand, Pathumthani The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum (www.aahom. org) has partnered with the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to inform and inspire the public about wind energy. The City of Ann Arbor has been working to decrease its carbon footprint and increase its use of clean energy sources for several years. As part of that effort, the city received funding via DOE to support a wind energy–focused project. The city identified the museum as an ideal partner to lead the project because of its expertise in exhibit design and fabrication as well as its history of creating and delivering award-winning science education

programs and its past work with the city on local solar energy efforts. Additional partners include the Ann Arbor–based Clean Energy Coalition, the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association, Windustry (a wind energy information organization based in Minnesota), REcharge Labs (an educational organization focused on renewable energy), and Woven Wind (a University of Michigan student organization comprising engineering students focused on wind energy and sustainability). The partners have provided valuable input at various points. For example, Windustry has helped to vet the curriculum, and REcharge Labs has provided design ideas.

The project includes five exhibits that will tour regional museums, libraries, and other public spaces in southeast Michigan. The exhibits have an engineering focus and will challenge visitors to build a wind turbine using various blade designs and configurations, for example. Visitors will also use a flow tank to explore blade design and aerodynamics and will work together to power houses and buildings in a miniature electric power grid with a mix of generating options. Other exhibits will delve into energy

The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and its partners are developing exhibits and education programs that teach about wind energy with an engineering focus. Photo courtesy the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

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Visitors learn about wind energy in the new National Grid Energy: Powering Our Future exhibition. Photo by Maria Welych for the MOST

storage techniques and provide hands-on examples of wind solutions. The exhibits will be unveiled to the public in September and will spend three months at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum before the 18-month regional tour. After the tour, they will become part of the museum’s permanent collection.

Additionally, the museum has created a mix of custom education programs that will be offered in schools and libraries, at the museum, and at several area festivals. The education programs, targeted to 5th to 8th graders, are being offered in three formats: lab classes at the museum as an extension of a field trip, classroom workshops in schools, and Family Science Nights offered at schools in the evening. All three formats have an engineering focus, allowing students to design, build, and test their own windpowered devices. Between the education programs and the traveling exhibits, the museum expects to reach over 500,000 people in southeast Michigan.

Ari Morris, assistant director of operations, Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Michigan The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (the MOST) in Syracuse, New York, opened a 1,500-square-foot (139-square-meter) energy exhibition, National Grid Energy: Powering Our Future, in late December 2015 (www.most.org/2_ee_ energy_exhibit.cfm). It was the last of six permanent exhibitions built as part of an $8 million capital campaign to upgrade our permanent exhibitions that began in late 2004.

During those 11 years, the focus of our exhibition changed dramatically. Initially, the plan was just to show how power is generated. But as we drew closer to the time to actually build the exhibition, we decided to focus on different renewable energy sources.

Syracuse is close to Niagara Falls, the fourth largest hydroelectric plant in the country, so adding a hydro component was essential. Nearby Madison County has the first wind farm in New York State, so wind turbines were a natural. And even in snowy Syracuse, solar energy is an important factor.

We contracted with Midwest Studios to create interactive, hands-on exhibits to accompany our fact-filled panels and a video screen showing a countdown to the end of oil. Visitors wave their hands in front of a motion sensor to make smallscale wind turbines turn. They push on a pump, racing another visitor to be the first to light up a hydroelectric plant. And the Solar Wheel offers facts about renewables.

We are pairing the exhibition with hands-on activities offered by education and marketing department staff members, including demos of Van der Graaf and bicycle generators, and an energy resource game that helps players visualize the nation’s limited oil and natural gas supplies.

Visitors have responded positively to both the exhibition and the hands-on activities we are providing.

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Two Approaches to Addressing Fracking in New York State Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is the process of injecting fluid into rock below Earth’s surface at high pressure to crack rock and extract oil or natural gas. Supporters of the practice argue that it can be done safely and has the potential for promoting energy independence, lowering prices, improving local economies, and producing less air pollution than other energy sources, such as coal. Opponents raise concerns about possible negative effects of fracking, including contaminated drinking water, well blowouts, methane leaks, increased number of earthquakes, and diminished quality of life for those living near drilling rigs. The controversy over fracking has been heating up since around 2008, when technological advances made the practice more common. (For more details on this issue, see www.

yaleclimateconnections.org/2015/05/pros-and-cons-of-fracking-5-key-issues.)

We asked two museums—both located in Ithaca, New York, atop the natural gas–rich Marcellus Shale formation—to tell us about their approaches to engaging their communities in conversation about this controversial issue. (Note: Although a ban on high-volume fracking (using more than 300,000 gallons (1,135,624 liters) of water to fracture a well) officially went into effect in New York State last year, fracking of conventional wells remains legal and fairly common in the state. According to the Energy Information Administration (www.eia.gov/state), New York State gets more energy from natural gas than any other source, and an increasing quantity of that gas comes from fracked wells in Pennsylvania.)

In New York State and around the United States, public interest in fracking—especially slickwater, high-volume hydraulic fracturing—escalated rapidly beginning in about 2008 as the practice became more frequent. Suddenly, people were very interested in where their energy came from and in the environmental and economic impacts of their energy use.

Parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia sit atop the Marcellus Shale, a relatively thin layer of black shale that holds huge amounts of natural gas. Fracking in association with horizontal drilling along the layer can be used to release that gas, also releasing a torrent of environmental concerns. While our community’s interest was focused on this one form of energy production, our 40

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team at the Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, New York, recognized the opportunity to engage the public in learning about the energy system and, through that, Earth system science more broadly. We identified fracking as a gateway drug for energy literacy.

We also recognized the need to offer educational programming and materials that do not advocate for or against drilling. A fundamental goal of our work was and is to provide evidence-based information and to build understanding of the science related to the shale, the extraction techniques employed in gas recovery from the shale, and associated environmental impacts. Unlike evolution and climate change, there is no strong consensus on the net environmental impacts of fracking. While it is clear that fracking

does environmental harm, it is a more complex question whether it does more or less harm than many other status quo methods for generating energy on a large scale. Further, we must use the infrastructure we have to build the infrastructure we need; an instant transformation of our energy system is impossible.

While we will not advocate for or against fracking, we do advocate for using substantially less energy.

Our programming, funded by the National Science Foundation, included working with educators in two communities in the Southern Tier of New York State (Elmira and Binghamton), including K–12 teachers, nature center and museum educators, and faculty from community colleges, a private college, and a university. We hoped that by working across different educational contexts, we could build collaboration and foster consistency of approach within the two communities. The workshops we held focused upon increasing energy literacy, understanding fracking from an Earth systems perspective, and talking about controversial topics in ways

that foster respectful, informed discussion. (Many educators work with groups that include members both for and opposed to fracking.) We also took both groups to visit a well pad in northern Pennsylvania.

We have published an associated book called The Marcellus Shale: The Science Beneath the Surface that includes a section on teaching about energy.

We have presented scores of public programs on this topic. Our related conference presentations have been standing room only, and our online presentation, There’s No Such Thing as a Free Megawatt: Hydrofracking as a Gateway Drug to Energy Literacy, has been viewed 31,000 times (bit. ly/MarcellusGateway). Some of our other resources on the Marcellus Shale are available at www.priweb. org/outreach.php?page=Edu_Prog/92387.

Don Duggan-Haas, director of teacher programming, and Robert M. Ross, associate director for outreach (education and exhibits), the Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth, Ithaca, New York

Duggan-Haas (left) and Ross stand in front of a systems diagram of the impacts of Marcellus drilling, part of an activity they conducted with participants in the Best Practices in Marcellus Shale Education conference they led in March 2013. Photo by Emily Newton

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Civic Ensemble leads a theater workshop on gas drilling. Photo by Christina-Marie Brewington

With funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Sciencenter in Ithaca, New York (sciencenter.org), embarked on an integrated approach that combined exhibits with in-museum programming focused around the topic of gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale. Our exhibits illustrated the engineering process used to extract energy through fracking and encouraged visitors to consider its environmental, economic, and social impacts. As a complement to the exhibits, programming engaged audiences in discussions and critical thinking on the topic.

The Sciencenter worked closely with Civic Ensemble, a local theater company focused on issues of civic importance (civicensemble.org). Together we developed an interactive, educational theater workshop entitled To Frack or Not to Frack, with the goal of teaching children ages 5–11 to ask questions and think critically about the controversial topic of gas drilling through fracking. The resulting participatory theater piece focused on a family that is approached by a gas company to drill for natural gas on their land. Audience members were invited to actively participate, using movement to explore the science behind gas drilling. In the piece, some children took on the role of parts of the gas well, others were cows in the field, and still others were water for fracking 42

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or the gas itself. Then, through the eyes of a young child, the audience looked at the potential environmental impacts and economic benefits of fracking.

At the conclusion of the theater piece, audience members (both children and adults) responded to the question, “What would you do if you were the family in the play?” They then took their place in a line along the spectrum from “I would allow drilling on my land” to “I wouldn’t support drilling.” Each person was asked to support their position based on what they just learned from the theater piece, with the actors facilitating discussion.

The program was delivered seven times to a total of 300 people at the Sciencenter during our popular weekend Showtime! presentations and at our summer camp, plus at a community center for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. The interactive format proved to be highly engaging, and 85% of participants noted that they learned something new from the play. Most importantly, we have found an effective way to address controversial topics with family audiences that converts strong opinions into science learning.

Michelle Kortenaar, director of program, and Charlie Trautmann, executive director, Sciencenter, Ithaca, New York

JUST THE FACTS: SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING AMBASSADORS ENHANCE LOCAL DECISION MAKING

By Barbara Granito In July 2015, Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to design and implement a network of small-scale distributed energy systems, or “micro grids,” to transform the way electricity is produced and distributed in the resurgent Steel City.

Distributed energy systems employ new technologies—such as microturbines, combined heat and power, photovoltaics, batteries, and power electronics—to produce electricity, heat, and hot/chilled water close to home. They are a modern alternative to conventional power systems, which typically involve large, centralized coal-fired, gas, or nuclear power plants and miles of transmission and delivery infrastructure to deliver electricity over long distances. The goal is to develop a low-carbon, affordable, reliable, and secure energy system suited to the city’s future.

A catalyst for the DOE agreement was the Grid Academy, a four-part series on modernizing the electricity grid, held in Pittsburgh in late 2014 and early 2015. The Science & Engineering Ambassadors Program of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering (scienceambassadors.org) organized this series in partnership with the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, a local, private-sector leadership organization (www.alleghenyconference.org). The invitation-only series drew a select group of 30 local opinion leaders, and the Ambassadors were the core presenters. The Grid Academy has now been adapted for public audiences as Washington & Jefferson College’s 2015–16 Energy Lecture Series (wjenergy.org/events).

“The District Energy Initiative to create a grid of micro grids within the City of Pittsburgh was aided significantly through connections that came out of the Science & Engineering Ambassadors Program, specifically through the Grid Academy program,” said Gregory Reed, a Science & Engineering Ambassador who directs the Center for Energy and the Swanson School of Engineering’s Electric Power Systems Lab at the University of Pittsburgh.

Bill Flanagan (left) from the Allegheny Conference on Community Development moderates a Grid Academy session on Threats: Protecting the Grid with (from left to right) Gregory Reed from the University of Pittsburgh, Steven Bossart from the National Energy Technology Laboratory, and Paul Nielsen from Carnegie Mellon University. Photo by Sara Frueh/the National Academy of Sciences

The Science & Engineering Ambassadors Program employs best practices in science communication to successfully integrate scientists and engineers into local decision making to promote informed energy choices that benefit their communities. The two Academies named Pittsburgh the pilot site in 2012. Energy was its natural initial focus, given Southwestern Pennsylvania’s abundant energy resources and high-quality research.

Currently, the program supports 30 Science & Engineering Ambassadors from universities, federal labs, nonprofits, and energy-related industries. It trains them to become effective communicators and, unique to many science communications efforts, also organizes ongoing engagements where they connect with local decision makers. The program’s experts are involved as advisers on several other energy-related projects, including Pittsburgh’s climate action plan, the city’s participation in the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities initiative (www.100resilientcities.org), and a regional energy strategy being developed by the Power of 32, a collaborative of 32 counties in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia (powerof32.org).

The program and its Ambassadors also collaborate with faculty at the University of Pittsburgh Honors College and Carnegie Mellon University on a jointly offered undergraduate course, Energy: Science, Society, and Communication. Fifteen Ambassadors are working with students to produce a four-part Pittsburgh Energy Forum for invited opinion leaders about transforming the energy system. It’s a forum on the future of energy, featuring today’s experts and curated by tomorrow’s opinion leaders.

Barbara Granito (BGranito@nas.edu) is strategic director of the Science & Engineering Ambassadors Program at the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering, Washington, D.C.

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Investing in Renewable Energy: Aligning Actions with Mission and Values

By Richard V. Piacentini

In October 2015, the Board of Trustees of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pittsburgh (phipps.conservatory.org), voted to move our investments in fossil fuels to investments in renewable energy. The initiative was first presented to our board’s executive committee in September and finance committee in October. While this appears to have been a quick decision, the groundwork for this move had been laid over 10 years in which Phipps systematically reviewed and modified operations and programs to make them consistent with its mission and values.

When Phipps opened in 1893, people thought there was no limit to the amount of resources we could use or pollution we could produce. Run by the City of Pittsburgh for 100 years, Phipps was transferred to nonprofit management in 1993. In the late 1990s, we started a master planning process primarily focused on improving visitor amenities. We then learned about Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), an initiative begun by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2000 to make buildings more sustainable (www.usgbc.org/ leed), and we decided to pursue Silver LEED certification for our upcoming Welcome Center. The Welcome Center opened in 2005 as the world’s first LEEDcertified visitor center in a public garden.

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RAISING THE BAR

Phipps’ mission is, in part, to advance sustainability and promote human and environmental well-being through action and research. During the design and construction of the Welcome Center, we began to educate ourselves about the rationale behind the LEED certification standards. As we understood more, we asked ourselves, Why stop with the buildings? We decided to look at everything we do.

From that point, Phipps’ staff and leadership have taken a holistic approach, examining everything—from amenities to horticulture to operations and beyond— and making all our efforts as green and sustainable as we can. For example, in 2005, we opened our café without any plastic disposable serviceware, and in 2009, we eliminated bottled water.

In 2011, we turned our focus to the link between human and environmental health. After starting our own Let’s Move children’s health program (www. letsmovepittsburgh.org), we realized we couldn’t say we care about children’s health yet sell junk food and soda in our café. So we eliminated these items from our menu. Our commitment to the issue solidified in 2012 when we turned down a Let’s Move Pittsburgh sponsorship offer from a major international soft drink company.

After the Welcome Center and café, we continued to raise the bar. In 2005, we began offsetting all of our electricity consumption with renewable energy credits. In 2006, we opened the world’s first LEED-certified greenhouses (Platinum certification under the USGBC’s existing building operations and maintenance

The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens opened its LEED-certified Welcome Center in 2005. Photo courtesy Denmarsh Photography, Inc.

program) and our Tropical Forest Conservatory, which was the most energy-efficient conservatory in the world when it opened.

In 2007, we set our sights on a higher standard than ever before when we accepted the Living Building Challenge (living-future.org/lbc), the most rigorous green building standard in the world, for our next project, the Center for Sustainable Landscapes (CSL). This research, education, and administration facility, which makes more energy than it uses from renewable energy produced on site, opened in late 2012 and is the only building in the world to meet four of the world’s highest green building standards: Living Building Challenge, LEED Platinum, SITES four-star certification (www.sustainablesites.org),

and Platinum WELL Building Standard (www.wellcertified.com).

During construction of the CSL, we began offsetting all the carbon produced in heating our buildings. In 2015, we opened our second net-positive energy building, the modular SEED Classroom, and we are now working on our third.

ACHIEVING CONSISTENCY

As these new buildings opened to visitors and we began to frame our messages to the public, we became concerned with the inconsistency of talking about climate change, the need to support renewable energy sources, and the need to reduce fossil fuel use, while simultaneously accepting sponsorship from fossil fuel companies. So in 2014, we stopped taking money from these companies.

We then learned about the divestment movement but were confronted with the question of where to draw the line. Should we divest only from extraction companies? What about companies transporting the fuel or providing equipment? In September 2015, an answer came in the form of the Carbon Underground 2015 list produced by Fossil Free Indexes, which lists the world’s top 200 public companies ranked by the carbon content of their fossil fuel reserves (fossilfree indexes.com/research/the-carbon-underground). This list is fast becoming the standard by which many organizations are divesting from fossil fuels.

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committees. Both committees were largely supportive but concerned with how the decision would be viewed by the public, as Western Pennsylvania is a major area for coal mining and natural gas extraction via fracking. In presenting our case to the committees, we framed the discussion around the past decade of great strides in making our organization and operations sustainable. We also pointed out a history of continuously trying to align our operations with our mission and values.

The message was clear: it simply did not make sense to invest in fossil fuel extraction. In late October 2015, our board unanimously passed a resolution to make our investments more reflective of our mission and values. They also decided that instead of framing the decision in the negative context of divesting, they would reframe it in the positive terms of

WALK THE WALK AND TALK THE TALK As we considered our mission and values at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, we discussed our rationale for making changes to our energy sector investments. The following points may prove helpful to stimulate discussion— and action—at your institution.

• Lead by example. If we don’t, why should anyone follow what science centers and museums say?

• Build credibility over time by walking the walk and talking the talk. This was the single most important reason

• Think of today. Our health and

change is an issue that will impact

well-being, as well as that of future

everyone. There are no ivory towers in

generations, is based on how well we

which to hide.

treat the environment now.

• Ask tough questions. Yes, money is

• Think of tomorrow. As leaders

important; we all need to raise money

of trusted institutions in our com-

to operate, but we also have to ask,

munities, what story will we tell our

How do we want to make our money?

children and grandchildren 20 years

Some things we just shouldn’t do:

from now, when they ask what we did

profiting from the extraction and

to try and stop climate change when

burning of fossil fuels is one of them.

we had the chance to stop it?

• Build an environment that reflects

• Consider this fact: the generations

your values. We need to stop mak-

alive today are the first to realize we

ing excuses for not building to the

have a problem with climate change,

highest standards of green buildings.

and they are also the last ones that

• Be authentic and transparent. The

These excuses are based on outdat-

can do something about it. —R.P.

public can see through the inconsis-

ed methods of determining payback

tencies when we say one thing yet

and costs.

we were able to make the decision to divest so quickly.

do another.

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• Consider the magnitude. Climate

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The SEED classroom (at left and bottom right) is Phipps’ second net-positive energy building. Photos courtesy Banko Media, Inc. Phipps’ Center for Sustainable Landscapes (CSL) meets the world’s highest green building standards (pictured: CSL’s reclaimed wood furniture (top right) and green roof (middle right)). Photos courtesy Denmarsh Photography, Inc.

reinvesting in renewable energy. They also went further and identified this as a first step in a much larger initiative for socially responsible investing. Over the next two years, we will evaluate other criteria typically used in social investing and select those that align with our mission and values. Our investments in the sustainable energy sector provide one more important step in our ongoing evolution, paving the way for even greater accomplishments to come.

For 120 years, Phipps has excelled in showcasing beauty. Today, this history of excellence serves as a platform to demonstrate that people, plants, health, planet, and beauty are inextricably connected. Phipps’ long-term goal is to take a more socially responsible view of all its activities to make sure they reflect our mission and values. Reinvesting our fossil fuel investments into renewable energy was the right thing to do—and just as importantly, it was the logical next step, made possible by our consistency, momentum, and dedication to our sustainability mission. n Richard V. Piacentini (rpiacentini@ phipps.conservatory.org) is executive director of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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Going Green We asked science centers, museums, and aquariums to share how they are making their facilities and their practices more green and energy efficient, and how they have used these efforts to educate their visitors and communities about energy efficiency and sustainability.

The Field Museum, Chicago, is one of the world’s largest natural history museums (www.fieldmuseum. org). Opening in its current location in 1921, the museum’s 1.3 million square feet (120,774 square meters) of floor space house exhibition galleries, collections storage for 30 million objects, research labs, office space, restaurants, stores, and more.

It was only after a two-year effort that the museum received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Existing Building: Operations and Maintenance certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in April 2015 (www.usgbc.org/leed).

The achievement advances the museum’s long-term goals of increasing on-site generation of renewable energy while driving down overall energy use.

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controls, and reviewing landscaping and onsite renewable energy. The demands of keeping the artifacts at an appropriate temperature and humidity require incredible amounts of energy at the museum, as heating and cooling must take place year-round.

Other Field Museum spaces certified by the U.S. Green Building Council include the Ernst & Young 3D Theater (2010) and the Abbot Hall of Conservation (2012), both of which received LEED Interior Design and Construction (ID+C) certification. The Cyrus Tang Hall of China is also a LEED ID+C project, and is awaiting formal certification.

The Field Museum continues to pursue projects identified during the LEED process. Changing the surrounding landscaping to native plants will begin later this year, and the conversion of over 20,000 light fixtures to LED lighting is occurring on an ongoing basis. The museum restaurants, which

Field Museum staff members clean the building's rooftop solar panels every few years to help improve their efficiency. Photo by Karen Bean, the Field Museum

provide locally and sustainably sourced foods, are Founding Members and Gold Partners of the Illinois Food Scrap Council’s We Compost program (illinoiscomposts.org/we-compost/restaurants), with composting helping the museum improve its waste diversion rate from 17% to 42% since 2012.

To educate the public about the importance of energy efficiency, the Field Museum leverages its exhibition galleries, such as the Gary C. Comer Family Gallery, which is devoted to temporary installations highlighting environmental issues and sustainability, and the permanent Abbot Hall of Conservation Restoring Earth, where a Green Building panel will be displayed later in 2016.

The museum’s “green team,” called A Greener Field, has shared information about the museum’s green efforts on webpages about Energy (www. fieldmuseum.org/science/conservation/greenerfield/greener-field-energy) and Waste Diversion (www.fieldmuseum.org/science/conservation/ greener-field/greener-field-recycling). The museum also engages in community outreach efforts with its Chicago Community Climate Action Tool Kit (climatechicago.fieldmuseum.org).

Carter O’Brien, sustainability manager, the Field Museum, Chicago

Discovery Center of Springfield (DCS) opened the first LEED Gold–certified building in southwest Missouri when it expanded in 2006 (www.discovery center.org/pages/our_building). With 30,000 square feet (2,787 square meters) of exhibit space, classrooms, and offices, the West building has many green features, including two 4,200-gallon (15,899liter) rainwater storage tanks, which are visible to visitors. After the rainwater is collected from the two roofs, it is reused for toilet flushing and irrigation.

DCS also utilizes pervious concrete on its sidewalks that allows water to pass through it and soak into the ground, reducing the amount of untreated runoff penetrating storm sewers while recharging the ground water and helping eliminate pollution.

The rooftop garden and green roof is a main feature on the third floor. Native plants occupy this garden, which soaks up water and prevents it from running into storm drains. DCS uses the water collected from the upper roof to water the plants, saving even more water.

In addition to water conservation, day lighting, which is the use of windows and skylights to bring sunlight into a building, is evident throughout the design. Lighting sensors are also used throughout the building to allow lights to come on only when there isn’t enough daylight coming in.

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Strategic placing of some window groups, facing northwest in a “saw tooth” pattern, improves the quality of natural light in Discovery Center of Springfield’s West building and reduces solar heat gain. Photo courtesy Discovery Center of Springfield

The West building itself is an exhibit, as visitors can find more than 50 signs throughout the building that explain and educate on all aspects of green building and construction considerations and practices, as well as ways they can conserve at home. Additional programming includes the Environmental Pathways program that sends visitors on a scavenger hunt learning about each aspect of DCS’s green initiatives.

By using sustainable building standards, DCS fosters environmental responsibility through a natural learning/living laboratory experience for visitors.

Ashlee Ifland, marketing and advancement director, Discovery Center of Springfield, Missouri In August 2008, I received a phone call from Scott Getty, Xcel Energy’s key account representative to the Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul (www. smm.org). The reason for his call was to introduce the museum to someone who had caught the attention of Xcel Energy because of his remarkable 50

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achievements in energy efficiency for large commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings.

I quickly arranged a meeting at the museum with Xcel Energy and David Solberg, president and CEO of Thermo-Environmental Systems, LLC. At the meeting, Solberg explained that large, modern buildings such as the 370,000-squarefoot (34,374-square-meter) Science Museum of Minnesota use huge amounts of electricity. This electricity eventually degrades into enormous quantities of heat, which must be managed or else building interiors would quickly overheat. Standard procedure is to treat this heat as waste and expel it from buildings and then use other forms of energy to perform work that could have been done with the discarded heat.

The museum subsequently hired Solberg in 2010 to conduct an energy analysis of our building. We gained many insights but the most salient was that the museum annually was generating and expelling 22 billion BTUs of heat energy from its building and simultaneously buying 15 billion

BTUs. In response, the museum and Solberg oversaw the installation of two heat recovery chillers to extract heat from building areas where it is in excess and then use this recovered heat to warm incoming fresh air.

The museum’s cooling and heating loads so far have dropped 23% and 68% respectively with further reductions expected. The museum anticipates saving about $200,000 annually and paying back its $900,000 investment in 4.5 years. Besides saving energy and money, the museum’s retrofit provided good-paying work for factory workers, truckers, riggers, electricians, pipefitters, software technicians, and many other skilled laborers. Imagine the economic, employment, and environmental benefits if energy-efficient buildings were not rare but commonplace.

For the past three years, the work-in-progress story of the museum’s advanced heat recovery project has been part of the Sustainable Buildings 2030 symposium, an annual half-day program hosted by the museum, Xcel Energy, University of Minnesota, and the City of Saint Paul that informs architects and engineers in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area about the latest advances in building energy efficiency innovations. Now that its advanced heat recovery project is fully commissioned, the museum will be ramping up the availability of its behindthe-scenes energy tours for companies and government agencies potentially interested in integrating advanced heat recovery into their facilities.

Patrick Hamilton, director of global change initiatives, Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul

One of two heat recovery chillers that the Science Museum of Minnesota has installed. Photo by Patrick Hamilton

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Since its opening in 1998, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California (www.aquariumofpacific.org), has increased the size of its facility from 234,000 to 280,000 square feet (21,740 to 26,013 square meters) and its attendance from 1.1 million to 1.6 million, yet it has kept energy usage at a near constant level and cut its carbon footprint by 30%.

The aquarium is a member of the Climate Registry, a voluntary, nonprofit program for registering greenhouse gas emissions, and was the first U.S. museum to certify its greenhouse gas emissions inventory. In addition, it was the first aquarium in the nation with a carbon-neutral building: the LEED Platinum– certified Premier Watershed Classroom. Since 2005, all major construction projects have been designed and built to sustainable standards.

The facility’s largest energy demands are filtration of the tanks and maintaining the temperature of each of its more than 50 live animal exhibits. The aquarium’s power needs vary at different times of day and throughout the year. Adding control devices such a new variable-speed drive (VSD) and a differential pressure switch (DPS) to the energy management system help the facility’s central plant operate more efficiently. In the past, the aquarium’s central plant operated like most buildings, in that its chiller pumps were programmed to put out the maximum amount of chilled water flow regardless of the actual cooling needs. Chilled water that was not used was recirculated into the chillers in the system. Adding a VSD and DPS reduces excess pumping. Insulating pipes and life support systems also helps reduce the facility’s energy needs.

A total of 46 kilowatts of solar panels have been installed at three locations on site, and the aquarium is researching other forms of clean energy, including fuel cell technology. The aquarium was a beta test site for Siemens’ Demand Flow building management system, which has resulted in an annual savings of 800,000 kilowatt hours.

These and other efforts at the Aquarium of the Pacific help the facility serve as a model to the public and to other institutions for energy efficiency and environmental awareness. The aquarium educates the public about energy efficiency at every opportunity, from exhibit signage to tours and shows. Details of the aquarium’s efforts are also posted online, along with information about what individuals can do.

Claire Atkinson, senior manager of communications, Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, California The aquarium’s watershed exhibit demonstrates how rainfall enters rivers and streams on land, then flows out to sea. The exhibit is equipped with solar panels and is adjacent to a carbon-neutral classroom and native garden. Photo courtesy Aquarium of the Pacific 52

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The green roof at C3Tec harvests rainwater to reduce water consumption in the building. Photo courtesy C3Tec

The Centro Criollo de Ciencia y Tecnología del Caribe, better known as C3Tec, located in Caguas, is the first and only science center in Puerto Rico (c3tec.org/eng/inicio). Our motto—“Not touching is prohibited”—welcomes visitors to explore and interact with our permanent exhibition, Our Bodies, Our Island, Our Planet, which centers on sustainability. Our 50,000-square-foot (4,645-square-meter) building, which opened in August 2014, was remodeled from an old brick structure to a renewed green building, following the LEED Silver rating level.

For example, the building has glass walls that allow the entrance of direct sunlight, reducing energy consumption.

In addition, the green roof houses our newest exhibition, TerraViva, which grows large amounts of fruits, vegetables, and herbs as well as pollen-rich flowers to attract pollinators, including bees and butterflies. This roof also harvests rainwater to reduce the water consumption of the building’s restroom facilities and to run the irrigation system.

When people visit C3Tec, they experience the importance of energy conservation and learn how to implement these solutions at home on a daily basis. Our aim is to break the parameters of traditional teacher-centered learning so our educational guides focus on project-based and kinesthetic learning to teach students and members of the community about green practices. For example, this year we are celebrating Justa Efienergética, a challenge for high school and college students to propose and build a prototype of equipment that conserves or stores energy.

Tasha Endara, executive director, Centro Criollo de Ciencia y Tecnología del Caribe, Caguas, Puerto Rico Dimensions

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A wind power exhibit at China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing. Photo courtesy China Science and Technology Museum

China Science and Technology Museum, Beijing, as the only comprehensive science and technology museum at the state level in the country, has been fulfilling its mission of increasing the scientific literacy of all citizens (www.cstm.org.cn). For the past 30 years, the museum has played an important role, not only by facilitating public understanding of science and technology but also by supporting local sustainable development. This is in accordance with our mission, which articulates our goal to “serve to build an innovative country and a resourceconserving and environmentally friendly society.”

In 2009, the museum’s new 1,098,000-squarefoot (102,000-square-meter) building officially opened in the Beijing Olympic Green. The building itself is an example of energy conservation and environmental protection, with low-emissivity coated glass to reduce heat transfer, a rainwater collection system, a water recycling system, an

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ice-storage air-conditioning technique, a pipe lighting system that collects natural light and diffuses it where needed, and a solar power generator.

Moreover, the permanent exhibitions in the museum include the themes of climate change, environmental protection, environmentally friendly materials, new energy resources, and so on, which are considered to have immeasurable influence on furthering public recognition of sustainable development.

At the torch-lighting ceremony of the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, the athlete holding the torch was lifted up to the height of 128 feet (39 meters) above the ground with the assistance of a pulley block, which was largely inspired by a classic exhibit in the museum called Pulling Yourself Up. As a lever that raises the sustainable development of its community, China Science and Technology Museum is exerting great influence.

China Science and Technology Museum, Beijing

Located in the hydrocarbon heartland of Canada, TELUS Spark has an important opportunity to activate discussions around energy and its sustainability in order to act as a force for innovation.

At a former World War II Royal Air Force base in Wroughton, near Swindon in Southern England, the Science Museum Group is undertaking major initiatives that show our commitment to the use of, and research into, green technology.

The museums in our group—Science Museum, London; Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester; National Railway Museum, York and Shildon; and National Media Museum, Bradford—have around 7 million objects and, because only around 8% can be put on display, we rely on the 545-acre (221-hectare) site to store over 32,000 large objects.

In 2012 we built a 9,332-square-foot (867-squaremeter) sustainable storage facility to house and protect objects that are sensitive to changing environmental conditions, including horse-drawn carriages, fine art works, wooden ship models, and paper archives including the papers of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein (journal.sciencemuseum.ac.uk/ browse/issue-04/sustainable-storage). The zerocarbon storage facility is built from hemp and lime, low-carbon materials that provide natural humidity buffering essential for museum objects. The facility won the 2013 Museums and Heritage Award in the Sustainability category and the UK Greenbuild Award in the Best Workplace New Build category.

“This project is part of a wider remit to reduce our energy consumption and helps us drive creative thinking about how museums can improve the function of their buildings and minimize impacts on the environment,” said Matt Moore, head of sustainable development at the Science Museum Group. This project was developed with help from the University of Bath, which has developed a research facility into sustainable construction materials on the museum site, further enhancing our knowledge into energysaving construction (www.bath.ac.uk/research/centres/brp/files/building-research-park-brochure.pdf).

A large solar farm is now being built at the site.

(See the magazine cover for a digital rendering.)

Covering 180 acres (73 hectares) of disused land, this project received overwhelming support from Swindon Borough Council and the local community during the planning process. The farm was jointly conceived by the Science Museum Group and Public Power Solutions, a Swindon-based sustainable waste and power solutions company. The project won planning consent in March 2015 and is now being financed, constructed, and operated by British Solar Renewables. When complete, it will be one of the largest in the country, generating close to 50 gigawatt hours of electricity annually (enough to power over 15,400 homes), putting more than four times the electricity the Science Museum Group uses back into the national grid.

Roger Highfield, director of external affairs, Science Museum Group, London, England, United Kingdom Located in the hydrocarbon heartland of Canada, TELUS Spark in Calgary, Alberta (www.sparkscience. ca), has an important opportunity to activate discussions around energy and its sustainability in order to act as a force for innovation. TELUS Spark leads by example as a LEED Gold–certified facility. From our remediated former landfill site to water conservation to an annual energy use that’s 65% less than a conventional design, our facility is purpose-built with sustainability in mind. The 153,000-square-foot (14,214-square-meter) building opened in October 2011.

Today, we’re excited to move our sustainable initiatives beyond our building and into what we do best: connecting with the public through learning opportunities. We already offer a popular school program that teaches efficient energy practices through learning about our facility. Now we’re working to connect

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A family explores the Energy & Innovation gallery. Photo courtesy TELUS Spark

with our adult audiences about sustainability. We recently implemented hands-on response tools on site, where visitors can express their own perspectives on sustainability. We’re testing film screenings and dialogue opportunities around the topic of energy sustainability, where we act as neutral ground for challenging conversations. Through collaborations with other organizations, academic institutions, and innovators in the community, we’re also able to be a platform for new ideas and initiatives.

We’re testing options and discovering what motivates Southern Albertans to participate

in conversations about energy. We’re excited to expand sustainability conversations throughout our city and see what impact that can bring. By aligning our practices with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs), we’re encouraging a sustainable community. As we endeavor to become a trusted, neutral platform in Southern Alberta, we’ll continue to hold ourselves to these goals as a standard of achievement.

Cassondra Dickin, communications specialist, TELUS Spark, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

To read about other science centers and museums’ efforts to incorporate sustainable practices and educate their communities about sustainability, visit astc.org/category/astc-dimensions.

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grants and awards The Institute of Museum and Library Services has announced 30 finalists for the 2016 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the United States’ highest honor given to museums and libraries for service to the community.

Three ASTC-member institutions were named as finalists: • Children’s Museum Tucson, Arizona • Imagination Station, Toledo, Ohio • Mid-America Science Museum, Hot Springs, Arkansas.

In November 2015, Boston Children’s Museum received the 2015 Children in Museums Award for Lifetime Achievement from Hands On! International Association of Children’s Museums and the European Museum Academy at the Hands On! International Conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The Chicago Academy of Sciences/ Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum was recognized as the Leader Institution of the Year by the Illinois Association of Museums (IAM). The IAM’s Leader Institution Award is given to recognize achievements and excellence in the museum field.

The National Museum of Mathematics, New York City, received the 2016 Joint Policy Board for Mathematics (JPBM) Communications Award for Public Outreach in January at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Seattle.

The National Science Foundation has recently awarded the following grants: • ASTC, Washington, D.C.: $322,745 to develop the Informal STEM Learning (ISL) Professional Framework, in collaboration with Oregon State University’s Center for Research on Lifelong STEM Learning ($272,644); Pacific Science Center, Seattle, and the University of Washington Museology Department ($158,800); and the Lifelong Learning Group of COSI, Columbus, Ohio ($133,541).

The framework will lay out the necessary skills, knowledge, and dispositions to guide ISL practitioners’ professional growth.

• Exploratorium, San Francisco: $299,981 for the Seeing Scientifically project, which will research a new way to allow museum visitors to experience an authentic scientific observation of live microscopic specimens; and $199,630 to use the recent total solar eclipse in the Federated States of Micronesia as an opportunity to educate a large U.S. and international audience about solar science using multiplatforms with integrated video, social media, and public programs.

• Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago: $531,117 to address how participation of adolescent youth from traditionally underrepresented groups in a well-established, out-ofschool time science program affects their career choices and attitudes toward science as they mature into early adulthood. The research is being conducted by the museum and the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia.

The Environmental Literacy Grants program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) supports STEM learning by providing funding for formal and informal education projects implemented on regional

to national scales, with the goal of increasing environmental stewardship and informed decision making among public and K–12 audiences. Two ASTCmember institutions received this grant: • Museum of Science, Boston, and Arizona State University’s Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes: $499,901 to use NOAA data and expertise to strengthen community resilience and decisionmaking around a variety of climateand weather-related hazards through citizen forums • Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond: $456,428 to develop public programming and digital media messaging to help the general public understand climate change and its impacts on Virginia’s communities and to give the public tools to become resilient to its effects.

The Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito, California, has received a $380,000 grant from the 100Kin10 organization to launch a mobile engineering lab that will travel to local preK- to 5th-grade classrooms.

Two grants were awarded to the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center, Mobile, Alabama: • $100,000 from Infirmary Health Systems to support the center’s MyBody Works exhibition about anatomy, nutrition, health, and exercise, as well as its iHealthy Life Science Lab where visitors can perform experiments and see demonstrations • $25,000 from the PNC Foundation to support the center’s Little Discoveries educational program series for children 5 and under.

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Q&A Shree Bose Interviewed by Joelle Seligson While her high school peers were reveling in freedom from schoolwork, Shree Bose was spending her summers in the science lab. At 17, Bose, an alumna of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History’s Museum School in Texas, made history as the winner of the first Google Science Fair. Today, Bose is a senior at Harvard University and co-founder and COO of Piper (playpiper.com). She is known internationally for her own science work and her efforts to make science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) more accessible for children. Bose chatted with Dimensions about how she got here and what she’s planning for after graduation.

What put you on your scientific path?

One of my earliest experiences was my older brother coming home from school and teaching me everything he had learned in science class. I remember his face lighting up when he was talking about molecules and cells. I thought that was the most incredible thing, just because of the way he explained it.

Do you have any favorite memories in science museums?

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History was a big part of my growing up in Texas. The spark and the inspiration that they create—that’s a powerful thing that has played into a lot of my work, both in research and in wanting to create tools for kids.

How did you get involved in the Google Science Fair?

My grandfather passed away of cancer when I was a freshman in high school. I read and watched everything I could about cancer because I wanted to understand. At some point, I was asking questions that professors listed as research interests on their webpages. I wrote to hundreds of professors to see if anyone would take me, and the answer was no from all of them except for one, who was willing to take me under her wing. In my first summer, I did work on breast cancer, and when I returned, I got to do this really cool project on ovarian cancer and drug resistance. That was the year the Google Science Fair started, so I was able to present this work.

How did winning change your trajectory?

I got this huge platform to speak about my research. I got to talk to students who were interested in science and didn’t know where to start. I was able to give guidance—but also, with Piper, to create something that kids could use to do more effective things.

Tell me more about Piper.

I met my incredible co-founder [Mark Pavlyukovskyy] a couple of years ago. At the time, I was speaking to hundreds of students. I had a lot of students ask, “I’m interested in technology. How do I get started?” And that’s how Piper came about. It’s this kit that lets kids build their own computer and then play challenges in Minecraft. We harnessed the power of a really fun game into a product that is very educational.

How has it progressed?

We launched a Kickstarter [crowdfunding campaign] last year. We set our goal at $50,000, and we ended up raising $280,000. We just did our first shipment of Piper; the next shipment will be even better. We’ve been really lucky to have a core base of people who believe in our vision.

What’s next for you?

I started off in science because I love medicine and research. That’s always been my career interest. I hope to have an impact on people’s lives in a meaningful and positive way.

For a podcast and full transcript of this interview, visit astc.org/category/astc-dimensions/q-and-a.

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Multimedia Experiences that open up

new worlds

“Anatomical Family” exhibit, Konya Science Center, Turkey

Photography by David Copeman, courtesy Kubik Maltbie

Blue Telescope Studios uses technology, storytelling, and design to create engaging interactive exhibits and experiences. From multi-touch and mobile apps to games, quizzes, and social interactives, our innovative solutions use the latest technology to educate, communicate, and connect with your visitors.

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Connected Science Learning The new online journal from ASTC and the National Science Teachers Association highlighting STEM education experiences that bridge the gap between in-school and out-of-school settings.

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