Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education

The Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) is dedicated to advancing the fields of informal STEM education (ISE) and science communication by supporting and building on the rich diversity of projects supported by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program. 

Under a cooperative agreement with NSF funded through August 31, 2021, CAISE provides infrastructure, resources, and connectivity to the practitioners, researchers, evaluators, and other professionals working in learning environments that include science centers and museums; zoos and aquariums; science media; youth, citizen science, and community programs; public libraries; festivals and events; cyberlearning and gaming; and a growing variety of other environments.

LEADERSHIP

The CAISE leadership team consists of a principal investigator (PI)/project director based at the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) in Washington, DC, co-PIs from three academic institutions, and an evaluation firm. 

ACTIVITIES

CAISE activities include coordinating the work of three task forces, planning and hosting 30–50-person convening, and organizing biennial 250–300-person PI meetings.

These activities are designed to facilitate discussion and identify needs and opportunities for those who design, research, or evaluate informal STEM learning and science communication experiences and settings.

Another major effort is to collect and curate project descriptions, research literature, evaluation reports, and other resources on InformalScience.org. CAISE also tracks, participates in, and documents field-wide initiatives, and performs a variety of communication, outreach, and field-building efforts.

ABOUT ASTC

ASTC is a network of 700+ science and technology centers and museums, nonprofits, companies, and other organizations focused on increasing public understanding of—and engagement with—science and technology among people of all ages. ASTC member organizations welcome more than 110 million people each year in 50+ countries where they engage the public in a wide array of scientific and technical topics, including: physical, biological, natural, and social sciences; engineering; mathematics; technology; and trans-disciplinary problem-solving. ASTC includes a wide breadth of science and technology centers, natural history museums, children’s museums, nature centers, aquariums, planetariums, zoos, botanical gardens, and other organizations that share a commitment to supporting lifelong science learning; connecting science and society; engaging diverse communities; and partnering to tackle global challenges.