Summer Sabbatical Adventures: National Parks, Museums, and Backyard Campfires

Welcome to Insights & Opportunities: A Hub for Informal STEM Education! Insights & Opportunities is a twice-monthly newsletter for educators, administrators, legislators, and advocates who recognize the importance of informal STEM learning. 

This newsletter is brought to you by me, Sarah Dunifon, and my team at Improved Insights. I’m a long-time STEM educator, researcher, and equity advocate. Along with my team, I now work on cutting-edge informal STEM learning research and evaluation.

Each edition of this newsletter offers exciting insights, resources, and opportunities for informal STEM learning professionals, including funding, jobs, professional development, informal STEM learning research, evaluation tips and resources, and so much more! We hope you find it valuable. Now, let’s get started.

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Summer Sabbatical Adventures: National Parks, Museums, and Backyard Campfires

I’m back from my month of rest after completing my Doctor of Education, defending my dissertation, An Examination of Evaluation Policies and Funding Priorities in Informal STEM Education, and finalizing several large client projects. I am so grateful for this time and the ability to take time to recharge. Now that I’m back and feeling refreshed, I wanted to share some of the fun things I experienced with you!

Alongside some quintessential Northeast Ohio summer activities like campfires with neighbors, street festivals, buying from a lemonade stand using Venmo (it is 2024, after all), fireworks over Lake Erie, and lots of gardening (I’m currently tending milkweed and sunflowers), I also spent time traveling in other parts of the country and (naturally) exploring some STEM-related activities.

Acadia National Park

Acadia has been on my national park bucket list for several years now. My husband and I finally took the time to make it there and it did not disappoint. I spent lots of quality time in nature hiking, exploring, and clearing my head. One of my favorite experiences in Acadia was hiking the Ocean Path. The scenery was beautiful, and it was a great way to see the coast around Bar Harbor. The landscape was full of wildlife, and I had the chance to play naturalist. Some of my favorite flora and fauna were the gulls, lichens, and all the various forest mushrooms. I also caught a movie at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor, a historic performance space and Art Deco theater built in 1932. 

To read the full article, check it out in our Insights.

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60-Second Suggestions

Here are a few of my favorite things this month, usually pertaining to informal STEM education and evaluation, but occasionally some fun personal stuff, too.

• This article by Heidi M. Houzenga and Fanuel J. Muindi of the STEM Advocacy Institute (SAi) examines the distribution of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Advanced Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program funding over a 15-year period. The analysis reveals where the majority of awards were directed and examines the broader impact of these awards on the informal STEM learning community. Fun fact: I was one of the reviewers for this article! 

• Afterschool Alliance’s Collective for Youth Empowerment in STEM & Society (CYESS) initiative recently released its resource database. In this collection, you will find resources focused on the intersection of STEM, Youth Empowerment, and Civic Engagement for out-of-school practitioners. If you are looking for a pathway to incorporating STEM, youth voice, or civics into your programming, CYESS is a great place to start.

• The Framework for Equitable Opportunities to Learn in STEM, released by The Institute of Education Sciences’ Regional Educational Laboratory Program, offers a guide to many characteristics and entry points into creating equitable opportunities to learn in STEM. This framework was specifically designed to provide a starting point for those interested in advancing equitable STEM learning practices and to empower them to address challenges within their own communities.

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Opportunities 

Check out these new opportunities for the informal STEM learning community.

Funding:

2025 Funding Cycle, McCune Charitable Foundation, $15,000-$35,000. Nonprofits, state and tribal governments, and public schools in the state of New Mexico are invited to apply for funding that promotes the priorities of the McCune Charitable Foundation including capacity building in the nonprofit sector; education transformation; strategies for rural development; and others. Applications are due September 15, 2024.

Book Proposal Development Grant Cycle 2024 - Underrepresented Voices in the Sciences, Princeton University Press, Varies. Authors from groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields are invited to apply for grants to support the development of non-fiction book proposals. Selected grantees will be paired with a writing coach to collaborate on development. The opportunity is open to first-time and previously published authors, and applications are due October 11, 2024.

The Bunbury Fund, Princeton Area Community Foundation, up to $50,000. Nonprofits in central New Jersey are invited to apply for funding to strengthen their capacity to effectively advance their missions toward sustainable, organizational maturity. The fund will support efforts to strengthen board governance, succession planning, and strategic partnership development, among other capacity-focused measures. Applications are due September 5, 2024.

Gulf Futures Challenge, Lever for Change, $1 million-$20 million. Nonprofits, local, state, and tribal governments, and academic institutions are invited to apply for funding to support initiatives that apply, translate, or communicate science, engineering, or medical knowledge to produce inclusive, innovative, and transformative solutions to key challenges facing the Gulf region. The Challenge will prioritize projects that address three areas: The Future of Energy Transition; The Future of Environmental Change along the Coast; and The Future of Healthy and Resilient Communities. Interested applicants must register to apply by August 20, 2024.

West Michigan Youth Programs, The Gerber Foundation, $5,000-$10,000. Nonprofits in the West Michigan region are invited to apply for grants to fund youth programming. Special emphasis will be placed on programs in the target areas of education (including STEM education), early childhood services and literacy, and life experiences (agricultural science education, 4-H, FFA, etc.), among others. Submissions are due September 15th, 2024.

Jobs and Fellowships:

Director of Exhibits, Montshire Museum of Science (Norwich, VT), $80,000. The Director of Exhibits will oversee new exhibition planning, development and implementation, and maintenance of current exhibits. They will align the museum's indoor and outdoor experiences with organizational strategy efforts. Applications are due October 4, 2024.

Education Programs and Bilingual Spanish Specialist, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (Chicago, IL), $43,000. The Education Programs and Bilingual Spanish Specialist will implement on- and offsite science and environmental education programming (in English and Spanish) for diverse audiences. They will also participate in program development, curriculum writing and revision, and cross-department collaboration.

Education Specialist, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (Apollo Beach, FL), $47,000. The Education Specialist will deliver hands-on educational programs designed to engage youth with Florida wildlife and natural ecosystems. They will also assist with design and implementation of education programs, displays, and resources, will conduct workshops and provide training for partners and volunteers. Applications are due August 20, 2024.

Education Specialist, U.S. Botanic Garden (Washington, D.C.), $55,000. The Education Specialist will assist in the development of education programs while implementing and facilitating education programs and products that fulfill the U.S. Botanic Garden's mission. Duties will include educational program facilitation, administration, and collaboration. Applications are due August 23, 2024.  

Vice President of Education, Great Lakes Science Center (Cleveland, OH), $108,000. The Vice President of Education will provide vision, strategic direction, and leadership for the educational activities of the Great Lakes Science Center. They will manage a portfolio of STEM education programs and projects, including inclusive guest experiences and collaborative grants. 

Professional Development:

2024 AISES National Conference, American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), October 3-5, 2024 (San Antonio, TX). The Annual AISES National Conference is a unique, three-day event focusing on educational, professional, and workforce development for Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies and careers. Join AISES in San Antonio, TX October 3-5, 2024.

AZA 2024 Annual Conference, Association of Zoos & Aquariums, September 14-19, 2024 (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). The Association of Zoos & Aquariums will host their annual conference in Calgary from September 14-19, 2024. During the conference, zoo and aquarium professionals will explore ideas and best practices through more than 150 education program sessions, participate in round-table topic discussions, experience new technology, and more. Early bird registration closes on August 16, 2024.

Beyond the Hype: Emotional Intelligence for Environmental Educators Webinar, ee360+ and eeINSPIRE, August 22, 2024 (Virtual). Join ee360+ and eeINSPIRE for Beyond the Hype: Emotional Intelligence for Environmental Educators. This webinar will discuss the scientific validity of emotional intelligence (EI) and its practical implications for educators and practitioners in the environmental education sector. The webinar will take place on August 22, 2024, from 3:00-4:00 PM ET. 

The Ethical Nonprofit Summit, September 19, 2024 (Virtual). The Ethical Nonprofit Summit will be held virtually on September 19, 2024, from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM PT. This first-of-its-kind summit is dedicated to empowering nonprofits with ethical fundraising and storytelling practices. Experts in the field will share their experiences, and topic-focused networking round tables will connect like-minded colleagues to learn together. 

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