The overall goal of the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) Equity Audit has been to assess CAISE as an organization, and its operations and products through a racial equity lens. In this report, CAISE provides insights on how to better serve our audiences, identify potential resource gaps, and to expand the reach and value of our work to other communities and individuals.
Inverness Research and Oregon State University, with support and input from CAISE, conducted an evaluation of the 2021 NSF AISL Awardee Meeting which was held virtually October 19-21, 2021. The evaluation effort included observing the meeting, participating in debriefing the meeting with CAISE co-PIs, the CAISE equity audit committee, and NSF Program Officers; developing and administering a post-event survey; and analyzing data collected through both the survey and Pathable, the virtual platform.
The meeting specifically focused on inviting and including community partners, and on creating
Inverness Research has been the external evaluator for CAISE for the past eight years. The year 8 and year 9 report, along with a brief executive summary, highlights findings from the external evaluation of CAISE for this award period, along with comparison data gathered from the previous years’ evaluation efforts. Our evaluation findings show that CAISE is important infrastructure for the ISE field, addressing important needs in the field through resources that are well known, high-quality, widely used, well-designed, accessible, valued and trustworthy.
The Center for the Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) is mid-way through year five of a five-year cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. The NSF funded CAISE in 2007 in order to serve as a resource center to the informal science education (ISE) program, its grantees, and the larger ISE field. Inverness Research has served as the external evaluator for the past five years, documenting the development of CAISE, and the quality and value of its work to key audiences and stakeholders.
This report is a reflection on the progress of CAISE that draws upon our
This document is the final evaluation report for the Teen Science Cafes for Advancing STEM in Rural Places project.
A Teen Science Café is a free, regularly occurring event during the school year in which a local scientist, engineer, or STEM expert discusses their field experiences with the teen attendees. Ideally, a Teen Leader cohort, under the mentorship of an Adult Leader, organizes and implements each Café.
The Teen Science Café Network is a community of practice linking the various youth-serving organizations, institutions, community settings, and individuals that host Teen Science
Arizona State University, in partnership with the National Informal STEM Education Network, will build fieldwide capacity for sustainability by empowering professionals, engaging public audiences, and leveraging museum and community assets to help build a sustainable future for people and the planet. The project will engage 90 museum professionals in a six-month professional development program, who along with other staff at their organizations will receive support in planning, developing, and/or implementing a sustainability-related project that aligns with their museum’s mission and their community’s priorities. A community of practice will promote ongoing learning and sharing of experiences among program participants. Additional professionals across the museum field will benefit from an online workshop series and other resources produced by the project.