This article describes how science centers and museums can better engage ethnic-specific communities that, overall, historically do not visit these institutions. Cecilia Garibay, principal of the Garibay Group, summarizes her research in this area, specifically focusing on Latino families in the United States and shares several key values that influence Latino parents' leisure choices. Examples of how leading institutions have used these findings are included and highlight ways museums can use research to better engage diverse communities.
In this article, Paul Orselli, president and chief instigator at Paul Orselli Workshop (POW!), discusses the impact of "internal capacity" or a museum's ability to handle core functions like exhibit development, design, and fabrication with its own resources. Orselli explains the value of internal capacity for individual museums and for the broader museum field.
In this article, evaluator Randi Korn details the importance of a museum's mission as "key to an institution's success." Korn recommends museums clarify their intent, before evaluating their impact , and provides three mission-based filters that museums must use to examine all operational activities: clarity of intent, alignment of practice and resources, and reflective inquiry.
In this article, Emily O'Hara, education associate and marking assistant, and Beth Krusi, director of marketing and communications, both at the Montshire Museum of Science (Norwich, Vermont), share their perspective on the importance of repeat visitation. O'Hara and Krusi describe how they use evaluation to refine new and existing exhibits to encourage repeat visitation.
In this article, twelve museum and exhibit directors of leading institutions in the world share their exhibition philosophy. These individuals describe how they develop exhibits to meet content and learning objectives, how they design exhibits thoughtfully to meet these goals and how they evaluate the success of the exhibits. Museums featured include the Finnish Science Centre (Vantaa), The Wild Center (Tupper Lake, NY), Sciencenter (Ithaca, NY), INSPIRIA Science Center (Norway), Explora (Albuquerque, NM), Montshire Museum of Science (Norwich, Vermont), Phaeno (Germany), CuriOdyssey (San Mateo
This article describes the research effort of ASTC and Reach Advisors to explore the motivations and engagement levels of visitors to science museums. The team discovered surprising and telling information about mothers who visit with their children. This article explores the survey methodology, key findings including helpful terms to describe four types of visitors, and conclusions with recommendations.
In this article, Carlos Plaza, exhibit developer and bilingual communications specialist at the Miami Science Museum, summarizes the museum's general guidelines and strategies for writing and designing bilingual exhibitions. These guidelines address label hierarchy, personnel (translators and editors), interpretation vs. translation, regional variation, and layout and design.
In this article, science center and museum professionals, artists, and educators from around the world share their projects, programs, exhibitions, and initiatives that combine science and art.
In this article, Julie Bowen, vice president, content, at TELUS Spark in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, explores the current state of exhibitions in the field and speculates on the future direction of exhibits. Bowen discusses new innovative trends in the field.
In this article, Wendy Pollock, ASTC's Director of Research, Publications, and Exhibitions, and J. Shipley Newlin, Program Director for Physical Sciences at the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM), discuss "Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life," an exhibit produced by a partnership between ASTC, SMM, and the Music Research Institute at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The unique design approach incorporated sound experiences for a wider range of users, including visitors who are blind or have low vision, as well as created an overall sound environment that was meaningful and
This article explores the particular challenges and opportunities for science centers in working on a relationship between the Western science paradigm and traditional knowledge systems. Included are key principles to keep in mind when promoting science, while still respecting traditional cultural values and individuals' cultural identities.
In this article, Katherine I. Goodall, Director for Institutional Advancement at ASTC, describes the challenges and opportunities science centers face in these difficult economic times. This article provides a high-level overview of the complex subject of financial viability, and includes descriptions of private and public funding trends, earned income, increasing value for visitors, and key lessons learned.