An Overview of the NISE Network

www.nisenet.org

Reviewers said . . .

The NISE net has done an impressive job the first five years of building a large core group to create a strong network.

. . . unique in the scope of its mission, scale of membership and impact on ISE professionals and audiences.

The results of the last five years . . . in many ways exceeded expectations . . . . the goals for the next five years are equally ambitious.

The network has only begun to realize its potential and deserves support . . . to continue developing its full potential.

Renewal has been approved!

• Years 1-5: ended September 30, 2010

• Years 6-10: began October 1, 2010

NISE Network Funding Status

Presentation

Overview• NNI and the NISE Network • Network Community• Educational Products• Evaluation and Research• How to get more involved

NNI and the NISE Network

Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network

The NISE Net is a national community of researchers and informal science educators dedicated to fostering public awareness, engagement, and understanding of nanoscale science, engineering, and technology.

What is Nano?

Nano is:

• Small: 1 billion nanometers in a meter

• Different properties at this scale

Manipulating matter in different ways can lead to exciting breakthroughs in:

• Medicine

• Computing

• Energy

• Materials technologies

Shift in Focus

Years 1-5: • Building the

networkYears 6-10:• Engaging the

public through the network

NISE Network Advisors

•Robert Westervelt, Harvard University

•Sandip Tiwari, Cornell University

•Rick Borchelt, USDA; Johns Hopkins University

•Ahmed Busnaina, Northeastern University

•Vicki L. Colvin,, Rice University

•Gail Jones, North Carolina State University

•Andrew Maynard, University of Mich.

•Clark Miller, Arizona State University

•Ainissa Ramirez, Yale University

•James T. Yardley, Columbia University

Network Structure in Years 6-10

Project Project ManagementManagement Vrylena OlneyVrylena Olney

Administration Vrylena Olney

Research Kirsten Ellenbogen

Website Catherine McCarthy

Evaluation Christine Reich

Educational Educational ProductsProducts

Rae OstmanRae OstmanPublic Engagement

Steering Content DEARae Ostman Veronica Garcia-Luis

ExhibitsCatherine McCarthy

NanoDaysMargaret Glass

ProgramsRae Ostman

CommunityCommunity Catherine Catherine McCarthyMcCarthyRISE Steering

Larry Bell

HubsRegional &

Children’s Museums HubsCatherine McCarthy

NISE Network: Goals

Network community: increase capacity in the field

• Support partners in engaging the public

• Support institutions in forming partnerships

Educational products: engage the public

• Develop and distribute educational products

• Raise public awareness and understanding of nano

NISE Network: Strategy

NISE Network

•ISE organizations

•Research centers

Network community• partnerships• practices and knowledge • resources and materials• workshops and training

Educational products• programs• exhibits• media• tools and guides

Inputs Outputs Outcomes

Increase capacity in the field to engage the public in nano

Engage the public, increasing awareness and understanding of nano

NetworkCommunity

Network Community:

NanoDays

Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network

Network Community: Strategy

Broad Reach PartnersTier 3 >300

Core Partners

Tier 1~14

Nano-infused Partners

Tier 2~100

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

Lawrence Hall of Science

Sciencenter

Science Museum of Minnesota

Children’s Museum of Houston

The Franklin Institute

Museum of Life and Science

INTERNATIONAL

ASTC

CHILDREN’S MUSEUMSChildren’s Museum of Houston

Lawrence Hall of Science

Network Community: Structure

Network Community: Role of Regional Hubs

• Share NISE Network resources

• Support the infusion of nano content to increase public impact

• Encourage further involvement in the network

• Connect informal science educators and local researchers

Network Community: RISE steering group

• Supports development of Researcher - Informal Science Educ Partnerships

• Center to center partnerships and individual scientist involvement in ISE

• Advocacy, tools, professional development, consultation

Network Community: Plans for 6-10

• Regional site visits

• Capacity building mini-grants

• Promotional materials for partners

• Variety of professional development for informal science educators and for researchers

ProfessionalDevelopment

Network Community:Professional Impacts Pyramid

more intense, greater impact

fundedpartners

NanoDays presenters,online workshop attendees,

conference session attendees,nisenet.org users,

NanoBite newsletter recipients

less intense, lesser impact

Tier 1: 14 organizations 100 people active at a time

Tier 2: 100 organizations 300 people active at a time

intensiveworkshops &

network wide meetingparticipants

Tier 3: many organizations 5,000 people by year 10

Network Community: Professional Development

• Regional meetings (Years 7, 9, 10)

• Network wide meetings (Years 6, 8, 10)

• National & pre-conference workshops (1-2/yr)

• Online workshops (2 per year)

• Tools, guides, and resources

• Science communication and inquiry for scientists and college students

EducationalProducts

Educational Products Strategy: Public Outreach Pyramid

shorter, less intenseexperiences

longer, more intenseexperiences

forums,summercamps

cart demos,presentations

tabletop exhibits, exhibits, NanoDays events

partner products(DragonflyTV, NOVA Making Stuff)

NISE Net public web portal page,videos on YouTube

thousands

millions

tens of millions

Educational Products: Programs

• Public programs (demonstrations presentations, videos)• Group programs (after school, school group, camps)• Adult programs (science cafes, media)• Training resources, tools, and guides for prof audiences

Educational Products: Exhibits

• Exhibits on display at OMSI, MOS, and Arkansas Discovery Network

• Portable tabletop exhibits at OMSI

• Mini-exhibition under development, copies will be distributed in 2012

Educational Products: NanoDays

• 200 physical kits, 470,000 visitors in 2010• 200 physical kits for 2011

application deadline: Dec 10• Digital materials online January 2011

Educational Products: Website

• www.nisenet.org for professionals

• www.whatisnano.org for the public

Professional site:• Catalog of educational products• New links to external products• News and events• Member directory • Social networking links

Educational Products: Website

Catalog > 200 products• Programs• Exhibits• Media• Tools and guides• Evaluation reports

Public EngagementGoals Awareness and Understanding

Content Map: 4 Big Ideas

• Nanometer-sized things are very small, and often behave differently than larger things do.

• Scientists and engineers have formed the interdisciplinary field of nanoscale science and engineering by investigating properties and manipulating matter at the nanoscale.

• Nanoscience, nanotechnology, and nanoengineering lead to new knowledge and innovations that weren’t possible before.

• Nanotechnologies have costs, risks, and benefits that affect our lives in ways we cannot always predict.

Content Steering Group Advisors

• Ira Bennett, Arizona State University• Nelson Cardona Martinez, University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez• Nancy Healy, Georgia Tech University• George Lisensky, Beloit College• Juan Lopez-Garriga, University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez• Andrew Maynard, University of Michigan• Clark Miller, Arizona State University• Cynthia Needham, ICAN Productions• Julie Nucci, Cornell University• Idalia Ramos, University of Puerto Rico Humacao• Dietram Scheufele, University of Wisconsin-Madison• Shawn Stevens, University of Michigan• Aldrin Sweeney, University of Central Florida• Michael Thompson, FEI Inc.• Jameson Wetmore, Arizona State University

Public Engagement: Inclusive Audiences

• Define audiences and learning strategies

• Universal design

• Spanish language translations

• Resources for professionals

Evaluation & Research

Evaluation

• Inform the work of the network– Improving educational products during

design and development

– Improving network operation

– Improving professional development

• Strengthen evaluation capacity through team evaluation

• Assess and monitor impacts– Public Learning

– Professional capacity

– Network reach across audiences and organizations

Research in Years 6-10

Research studies to provide the field with new knowledge and understanding• Development of the network• Change in educational practices• How people learn about nano• Combining science and society in educational products

Get More Involved

How to Get More Involved

1. Use the Website networking tools

•Update your profile on the website: www.nisenet.org/faq•Sign up for the monthly NanoBite newsletter•Connect with people in your region•Join our social networking sites:

How to Get More Involved

2. Host a NanoDays Event: •December 10th deadline for physical kit application•January 2011: digital kit materials available online•Continue to use your NanoDays materials throughout the year

How to Get More Involved

3. Participate in a professional development opportunity:

•May 2011: Association of Children’s Museums post-conference workshop

•Online workshops (2 per year)

•Future years: regional workshops

•Future years: more national workshops

How to Get More Involved

4. Try something new:•Lots of different program formats and content in the Catalog•Mini-Grants beginning in 2012 to help you to integrate nano educational programming into your existing offerings•Collaborations between universities and museums

How to Get More Involved

5. Help us help you

•Talk to us! We listen and try

respond to your feedback and needs

THANK YOU!To all our partners - we could not do this work without

you!

This presentation is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0940143.Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.