Sciencenter Discovery Museum

THE SCIENCENTER, ITHACA, NY PROPOSES LIFE ON THE EDGE, A 1,500SQ FT TRAVELING EXHIBITION TO ENGAGE MUSEUM GUESTS WITH SPACE, SPACE EXPLORATION, AND T

THE SCIENCENTER IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA (SMM) THE CHILDREN S CREATIVITY MUSEUM (CCM) AND OTHER PARTNERS IN THE NATIONAL INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION (NISE) NETWORK PROPOSES EXPLORE SCIENCE: DESTINATION MOON. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL CREATE A NEW TOOLKIT OF HANDS-ON STEM (SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING AND MATH) ACTIVITIES BASED ON NASA'S CONTINUING PURSUIT OF HUMAN EXPLORATION OF THE MOON AND A MOBILE APP THAT STARTS AT THE MOON AND LAUNCHES USERS TOWARDS MARS AND FARTHER OUT IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM EXTENDING LEARNING BEYOND MUSEUM WALLS. EXPANDING ON THE SUCCESSFUL EXPLORE SCIENCE SERIES FROM THE NISE NETWORK THE TOOLKIT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO 350 NISE NETWORK PARTNER SCIENCE CENTERS CHILDREN S MUSEUMS AND PLANETARIUMS. THE TOOLKIT WILL FEATURE UNIQUE NASA ASSETS AND CONTENT FOR MUSEUM VISITORS AND INFORMAL EDUCATORS WHILE THE APP WILL BRIDGE STEM ENGAGEMENT IN MUSEUMS TO LEARNING EXPERIENCES AT HOME THROUGH INTERACTIVE ACTIVITY GUIDES AND CUSTOMIZED CONNECTIONS TO NASA VISUALIZATIONS AND MISSION DATA FOR FAMILIES AND YOUTH IN GRADES 4-8. THIS PROJECT WILL REACH AN ESTIMATED 2.1 MILLION PEOPLE OVER THREE YEARS THROUGH A NATIONAL NETWORK ACTIVELY ENGAGING UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS AND WILL INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF AMERICAN EXPLORERS THROUGH NASA S PUSH TO EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES OF HUMAN PRESENCE IN SPACE. BY LEVERAGING NASA PEOPLE AND RESOURCES OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION RESEARCH VIRTUAL INSTITUTE AT NASA AMES RESEARCH CENTER THE SCIENTIFIC VISUALIZATION STUDIO AT NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER AND COLLABORATORS WITHIN NASA HUMAN EXPLORATION AND OPERATIONS MISSION DIRECTORATE (HEOMD) AND SPACE AND TECHNOLOGY MISSION DIRECTORATE (STMD) THE PROJECT WILL INCORPORATE CONTENT VISUALIZATIONS AND OTHER UNIQUE NASA ASSETS THAT WILL SERVE TO HIGHLIGHT NEW SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN SUPPORT OF HUMAN SPACE EXPLORATION. THE PROJECT HAS TARGET TWO AUDIENCES: 1) YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES ESPECIALLY STUDENTS IN GRADES 4-8 AND 2) MUSEUM EDUCATORS. THE PROJECT OBJECTIVES ARE TO: . PROVIDE ACCESS FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES TO HIGH-QUALITY STEM EDUCATION RESOURCES WITH POWERFUL CONNECTIONS TO NASA THAT WILL INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF EXPLORERS. . ENGAGE MUSEUMS AS STRATEGIC PARTNERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND TO STRENGTHEN STEM ECOSYSTEMS TO INCREASE THE IMPACT OF NASA STEM ENGAGEMENT INVESTMENTS. . ENGAGE GROUPS HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED AND UNDERSERVED IN STEM FIELDS THROUGH LOCAL MUSEUMS SUPPORTED BY A NATIONAL NETWORK OF INFORMAL EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS. DESTINATION MOON WILL USE EVIDENCE-BASED DESIGN STRATEGIES TO REACH DIVERSE PUBLIC AUDIENCES AT 350 PARTNER MUSEUMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY BY DEVELOPING DISSEMINATING AND EVALUATING A TOOLKIT OF INQUIRY-BASED HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES FOR MUSEUM EDUCATORS AND A NEW DIY APP. THE OUTCOMES FOR THE PROJECT S TARGET AUDIENCES ARE: YOUTH AND FAMILIES STUDENTS IN GRADES 4-8: . INCREASED KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF SPACE EXPLORATION SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING. . BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES AND MISSIONS WITHIN NASA HEOMD AND STMD. . INCREASED STEM LITERACY AND ENGAGEMENT WITH NASA-UNIQUE CONTENT MUSEUM EDUCATORS . INCREASED CAPACITY TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE STEM ENGAGEMENT WITH NASA-UNIQUE CONTENT THAT CAN BE TAILORED TO MULTIPLE AND DIVERSE AUDIENCES. . INCREASED CAPACITY TO SUPPORT LEARNING THAT EXTENDS BEYOND THE MUSEUM VISIT. DESTINATION MOON WILL INCREASE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF SPACE EXPLORATION BY CONNECTING TO CURRENT NASA HEOMD AND STMD ACTIVITIES AND MISSIONS WHILE BUILDING STEM LITERACY AND ENGAGEMENT AMONG THE PUBLIC SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO NASA S STRATEGIC GOAL TO EXTEND HUMAN PRESENCE DEEPER INTO SPACE AND TO THE MOON FOR SUSTAINABLE LONG-TERM EXPLORATION AND UTILIZATION.

BIOBUILDING: A TRAVELING EXHIBIT FOR FUTURE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT BIOBUILDING: A TRAVELING EXHIBIT FOR FUTURE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS THE SCIENCENTER, CORNELL UNIVERSITY’S MEINIG SCHOOL OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, AND SPECTRUM DISCOVERY MUSEUM WILL DEVELOP A TRAVELING EXHIBITION ON BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING FOR SMALL TO MID-SIZED MUSEUMS NATIONALLY. THE 1,500 SQUARE-FOOT BILINGUAL (ENGLISH/SPANISH) EXHIBITION AND SUPPORTING PROGRAMS WILL USE HANDS-ON LEARNING EXPERIENCES TO TARGET YOUTH AGES 6-12 AND THEIR FAMILIES TO FOSTER A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING AND THE INNOVATIVE WAYS IT IS USED TO ADDRESS ISSUES IN MEDICINE, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND HEALTH EQUITY. THE PROJECT WILL BE CO-DEVELOPED BY THE SCIENCENTER AND CORNELL UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STUDENTS, IMMERSING SCIENCENTER STAFF IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING CONTENT, WHILE STRENGTHENING GRADUATE STUDENTS’ ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE THEIR RESEARCH TO MUSEUM AUDIENCES. LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES 1) GENERATE KNOWLEDGE OF AND INTEREST IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING CAREERS AMONG RURAL YOUTH AGES 6-12 AND THEIR FAMILIES; 2) GENERATE INCREASED UNDERSTANDING WITHIN THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF HOW BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERS IMPROVE HEALTH; 3) ENCOURAGE GRADUATE STUDENTS TO CONTINUE TO CONNECT WITH MUSEUMS THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREERS AS A WAY TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC WITH IMPORTANT BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING CONTENT. SPECIFIC AIMS THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH’S STRATEGY TO “ENHANCE THE TRAINING OF A WORKFORCE TO MEET THE NATION’S BIOMEDICAL, BEHAVIORAL AND CLINICAL RESEARCH NEEDS” BY TARGETING YOUTH AND FAMILIES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITIES THAT ARE OFTEN UNDERSERVED IN STEM. THIS PROJECT ALSO AIMS TO IMPROVE SCIENCE COMMUNICATION SKILLS AMONG PARTICIPATING CORNELL UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STUDENTS. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS THE PROJECT WILL USE EVIDENCE-BASED METHODS OF EXHIBIT DESIGN AND INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING TO CO-DEVELOP A TRAVELING EXHIBITION AND SUPPORTING PROGRAMS WITH SCIENCENTER STAFF AND CORNELL GRADUATE STUDENTS, WHICH WILL TOUR NATIONALLY. FRONT-END EVALUATION AND ITERATIVE PROTOTYPING WITH TARGET AUDIENCES WILL INFORM FRAMING AND ENTRY POINTS FOR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING CONTENT. STANDARDIZED ACTIVITY GUIDES AND TAKE-HOME KITS WILL EXTEND LEARNING EXPERIENCES INTO THE CLASSROOM, COMMUNITY, AND HOMES OF VISITORS.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: GROUNDING INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS IN STRUCTURES FOR BROADER IMPACTS DESIGN

HERE TO THE OCEAN, A NATIONALLY TRAVELING MUSEUM EXHIBITION

THE SCIENCENTER, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION NETWORK, PROPOSES A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT FOR MUSEUM PRACTITIONERS IN SERVICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING. THIS THREE-YEAR PROJECT WILL ENGAGE 30 PAIRS OF MUSEUM PRACTITIONERS AND LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN SIX-MONTH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES TO INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY TO PROVIDE RELEVANT FAMILY ENGAGEMENT IN STEM FOR ALL AUDIENCES. MUSEUM-COMMUNITY PARTNER PAIRS WILL COLLABORATE WITHIN A COHORT OF THEIR PEERS TO PLAN, DEVELOP, AND IMPLEMENT EARLY STEM PROGRAMS WHILE GROWING A RECIPROCAL PARTNERSHIP. THIS PROJECT WILL BUILD FIELD-WIDE CAPACITY TO ADDRESS EARLY CHILDHOOD NEEDS BY STRENGTHENING LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS AND CONNECTING MUSEUMS WITH EFFECTIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED RESOURCES. ONLINE WORKSHOPS AND A DIGITAL TOOLKIT WILL BE MADE WIDELY AVAILABLE TO REACH ADDITIONAL PRACTITIONERS AND ENRICH EARLY CHILDHOOD AND FAMILY LEARNING ACROSS THE MUSEUM FIELD.

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP GRANTS - MUSEUMS

INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF HEAD START FAMILY INTERACTIONS ON CHILDREN?S STEM PROCESS SKILLS DURING FAMILY EVENTS AT TWO SCIENCE CENTERS

SCIENCENTER WILL DEVELOP A TOURING EXHIBITION, ENGINEER.DESIGN.BUILD, TO SPARK INTEREST AND BUILD CONFIDENCE IN STEM BY PROVIDING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES ABOUT THE BROAD IMPACT ENGINEERS HAVE ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY. THE MUSEUM WILL PARTNER WITH CORNELL UNIVERSITY'S COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING TO DEVELOP SCIENTIFIC CONTENT WHICH WILL BE REVIEWED BY AN ADVISORY BOARD OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE ACADEMIC, BUSINESS, AND INFORMAL SCIENCE EDUCATION SECTORS. PARTNERS FROM INFORMAL LEARNING INSTITUTIONS WILL PROVIDE EXPERTISE ON THE EDUCATIONAL CONTENT TO ENSURE THAT IT IS ACCESSIBLE AND ENGAGING FOR THE TARGET AUDIENCE OF 5-11 YEAR OLDS. THROUGH A COMBINATION OF FOCUS GROUPS, YOUTH/GUEST FEEDBACK DURING EXHIBITION DEVELOPMENT, AND EXPERTS IN GIRLS' ENGAGEMENT IN STEM ON THE ADVISORY BOARD, THE MUSEUM WILL ENSURE THAT THE EXHIBITION AND PROGRAMMING ARE DESIGNED TO APPEAL TO GIRLS, AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL LEARNERS. THE PROJECT WILL INCLUDE FRONT-END, FORMATIVE, AND SUMMATIVE EVALUATION THROUGH OBSERVATIONS AND MEDIATED INTERVIEWS, COLLECTING DATA FROM YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND SCHOOL GROUPS.

THE SCIENCENTER WILL PARTNER WITH REGIONAL LIBRARIES TO EXPAND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HANDS-ON STEM LEARNING BY LEVERAGING AND SUPPORTING PUBLIC LIBRARIES AS TRUSTED SPACES THAT OFFER RELEVANT AND ENGAGING EXPERIENCES. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL USE INPUT FROM PRIOR LIBRARY COLLABORATIONS AND LISTENING SESSIONS TO CO-CREATE STEM ACTIVITY KITS AND ESTABLISH A LEARNING COMMUNITY WITH LIBRARY EDUCATORS TO SUPPORT LOCALLY RELEVANT STEM LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ADDRESS REGIONAL CHALLENGES. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE PROTOTYPING ACTIVITIES WITH MUSEUM AND LIBRARY VISITORS, DISSEMINATING KITS FOR AT-HOME AND LIBRARY LEARNING, AND A DEVELOPMENTAL EVALUATION. AS A RESULT, THE MUSEUM WILL STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS TO REACH NEW AUDIENCES WITH A FOCUS ON RURAL COMMUNITIES AND LIBRARIES; REGIONAL LIBRARIES AND FAMILIES WILL INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY TO FACILITATE STEM LEARNING; AND CHILDREN WILL IMPROVE SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS THROUGH INCREASED STEM LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT.

THE SCIENCENTER WILL ADDRESS ITS COMMUNITY’S NEED FOR OUTDOOR FAMILY LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND INCREASE ACCESS TO HANDS-ON STEM EDUCATION THROUGH THE CREATION OF FOUR OUTDOOR EXHIBIT AREAS. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL USE COMMUNITY INPUT TO DRIVE THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE EXHIBIT AREAS, AND CREATE AND TEST PROTOTYPES WITH A FOCUS ON ACCESSIBLE PLAY-BASED ACTIVITIES TO ADDRESS LEARNING DECLINES RESULTING FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND GATHERING INPUT TO DEFINE THE LEARNING GOALS, FABRICATING SELECTED COMPONENTS OF THE EXHIBITS, CONSULTING WITH ADVISORS AND ACCESSIBILITY EXPERTS AND TESTING PROTOTYPES, AND CONTINUING EVALUATION AFTER THE EXHIBITS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. AS A RESULT, THE MUSEUM’S ROLE AS A RELEVANT AND WELCOMING RESOURCE FOR SCIENCE LEARNING WILL BE EVIDENT, AND LOCAL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WILL INCREASE THEIR SOCIAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCIENCE PROCESS.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS IN STEM - A PROJECT OF THE SCIENCENTER AND PARTNERS DOWNTOWN ITHACA CHILDREN?S CENTER AND MY BROTHER?S KEEPER ITHACA - WILL EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL YOUTH FROM LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS TO ENGAGE WITH SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM) THROUGH HANDS-ON PROGRAMMING. SCIENCENTER AND ITS PARTNERS WILL CO-DEVELOP RELEVANT, ACCESSIBLE, AND INCLUSIVE PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH AND DELIVER THE PROGRAMS AT THE MUSEUM AND AT PARTNER LOCATIONS. AS A RESULT OF THIS PROJECT, LOCAL YOUTH FROM LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS WILL COME TO SEE SCIENCE AS A PROCESS FOR LEARNING ABOUT THE WORLD THROUGH EXPERIMENTATION AND EXPLORATION THAT IS RELEVANT TO THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES.

"THE SCIENCENTER DISCOVERY MUSEUM WILL UNDERTAKE A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS THAT WILL RESULT IN AN INSTITUTIONAL ROADMAP FOR DECISIONS AND ACTIONS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. THE PROJECT WILL INTEGRATE ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING WITH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT ALL LEVELS OF THE ORGANIZATION. EXTERNAL CONSULTANTS WILL WORK WITH BOTH STAFF AND BOARD, AND ASSIST WITH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ANALYSES THAT WILL INFORM THE RESULTING STRATEGIC PLAN. INTERNAL ASSESSMENTS, SITE VISITS, COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, AND AN EXTERNAL ADVISORY GROUP OF MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY WILL BE EMPLOYED TO HELP IDENTIFY THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUILDING A STRONGER, MORE FOCUSED INSTITUTION. THE PROJECT WILL RESULT IN A FIVE-YEAR, RESPONSIVE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK THAT WILL GUIDE ORGANIZATIONAL PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS; A COMMUNICATION PLAN THAT WILL BE USED TO INFORM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, STAFF, AND BOARD OF KEY MILESTONES AND PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE PLANNING PROCESS; AND NEW TOOLS SUCH AS INDIVIDUALIZED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR INCREASING STAFF CAPACITY AS PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS."

SCIENCENTER WILL USE A CO-DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TO STRENGTHEN RURAL ENGAGEMENT WITH HANDS-ON AND INQUIRY-BASED STEM FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN. THE MUSEUM WILL INITIATE THE PROJECT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MORAVIA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT AND GROTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL ALSO COLLABORATE WITH ADVISORS WHO HAVE EXPERTISE IN REACHING RURAL AUDIENCES. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL INCREASE THE MUSEUM'S UNDERSTANDING OF RURAL COMMUNITIES' NEEDS AROUND STEM. THE MUSEUM WILL WORK WITH ADDITIONAL RURAL PARTNERS TO DEVELOP ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS THAT MEET IDENTIFIED NEEDS. AN EXTERNAL EVALUATOR WILL TRACK PROJECT PROGRESS AND MEASURE RESULTS. THIS EVALUATOR WILL ALSO TRAIN THE MUSEUM'S STAFF ON DATA COLLECTION AND RECORDING METHODS. DATA ANALYSIS THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT WILL SUPPORT CHANGES IN PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES AS NEEDED.

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

THE GRANT PROVIDES FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THE SCIENCENTER DISCOVERY MUSEUM, SDM, TO PARTNER WITH VARIOUS LOCAL AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPLEMENT THEIR FUTURE SCIENCE LEADERS PROGRAM TO INCREASE ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY OF STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS IN TOMPKINS COUNTY, NEW YORK ON ISSUES AFFECTING CASCADILLA CREEK AND CAYAUGA RIVER. SDM, THROUGH CLASSROOM AND HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES INTEND TO EDUCATE PARTICIPATING STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS ON VARIOUS WATER QUALITY ISSUES AFFECTING THE LOCAL WATERSHEDS AND EMPOWER PARTICIPANTS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS AND TAKE ACTIONS TO IMPROVE THE WATERSHEDS.

THE OFFICE OF STEM ENGAGEMENT (OSTEM) SEEKS TO: 1. ATTRACT STUDENTS TO STEM THROUGH UNIQUE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT SPARK INTEREST AND PROVIDE CONNECTIONS TO NASA S MISSION AND WORK; 2. ENGAGE STUDENTS IN AUTHENTIC LEARNING EXPERIENCES WITH NASA S

SCIENCENTER IN ITHACA, NEW YORK, WILL CONDUCT A CAPACITY-BUILDING PROJECT TO IMPROVE THE MUSEUM'S DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND EXPAND COMMUNITY ACCESS TO PROGRAMMING. COVID-19 EXACERBATED TYPICAL PATTERNS OF LEARNING LOSS, AND THE SCIENCENTER WORKED WITH TEACHERS, LIBRARIES, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT ONLINE LEARNING THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC. TO CONTINUE THIS MOMENTUM, THEY PLAN TO UPGRADE THE MUSEUM'S WI-FI CONNECTIVITY, INCREASING ACCESS AND RELIABILITY FOR VISITORS AND SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL PROGRAMS FOR TARGET AUDIENCES. WORKING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, SCIENCENTER WILL CREATE INTERACTIVE STEM PROGRAMS THAT COMPLEMENT CLASSROOM LEARNING FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES PRE-K THROUGH 6. BY RELATING CONTENT TO STUDENTS' PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND SURROUNDINGS, THEY WILL FOSTER HIGHER ENGAGEMENT IN ACTIVITIES AND HELP TO ADDRESS THE PANDEMIC'S IMPACT ON STEM LEARNING.