Science centers connect people with science. Science centers give science a presence in the community and offer people of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to ask questions, discuss, and explore. Visit a science center, and you’ll encounter hands-on exhibits like giant levers, wave tanks, and walk-in kaleidoscopes. While you are there, you may go to a demonstration, watch a skyshow or big-screen film, participate in a workshop, or even take part in a debate about a current issue like bioethics. In the process, you’ll experience the pleasure of lifelong learning, whether with family, friends, or on your own. At science centers, everyone is welcome.
Science centers provide firsthand experience and an opportunity to develop intuitions about the natural world. In science centers, people can feel infrared radiation, and experience angular momentum—so when they encounter these concepts in other settings, they’ll be likelier to understand. That’s why schools rely on science centers for memorable field trips and auditorium programs, hands-on curriculum, science kits, and even training for teachers.
The Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization of science centers and museums dedicated to furthering public engagement with science among increasingly diverse audiences. ASTC encourages excellence and innovation in informal science learning by serving and linking its members worldwide and advancing their common goals.
Through strategic alliances and global partnerships, ASTC also supports science centers and museums in proactively addressing critical societal issues, locally and globally, where understanding of and engagement with science are essential.
Founded in 1973, ASTC now numbers nearly 600 members in over 40 countries. Members include not only science centers and museums, but also nature centers, aquariums, planetariums, zoos, botanical gardens, and natural history and children’s museums, as well as companies, consultants, and other organizations that share an interest in informal science education.
Contact us at:
Association of Science-Technology Centers
1025 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20005-6310 USA
(202)783-7200
info@astc.org
