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Hello! Excited to use this space for the convocation.

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There are a number of stories on the impact of science centers and museums—and the field of informal science and engineering education more generally—that were collected as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Association of Science and Education Centers in 2023: http://www.astc.org/astc50/collection

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Thank you for the inspiration - writing with so much gratitude as chair of the planning committee for the hard work of all of the researchers, practitioners, and policy makers doing great work in informal science and engineering education. For each panel of speakers over the next two days there were ten other names we hoped to include. Love that the field is rich with so much important work - here’s to two days of thoughtful, honest, and generative conversations.

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Thank you for the inspiration - writing with so much gratitude as chair of the planning committee for the hard work of all of the researchers, practitioners, and policy makers doing great work in informal science and engineering education. For each panel of speakers over the next two days there were ten other names we hoped to include. Love that the field is rich with so much important work - here’s to two days of thoughtful, honest, and generative conversations.

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Thanks to the organizers for specifically including Engineering Education in this convocation. 15+ years ago engineering education was typically relegated to university settings and now, after years of advocacy, it is taught in K-12 classrooms and OST settings. Kudos to Museum of Science, Boston, STEM Next Opportunity Fund, Board on Science Education, past & present members of the Congressional STEM Education Caucuses esp. Reps Vern Ehlers & Paul Tonko.

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To the ISL practitioners who may feel unseen, please know that your work and commitment to learners are deeply present at this convocation. Every hallway conversation I’ve had so far has acknowledged the beautiful and heavy responsibility you carry each day. The field needs you, and many of us recognize also that the field needs to create the kinds of environment that will attract you to stay.

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Here is me 10 years ago at my first official gig as an evaluator working on an NSF AISL project. I am SO GRATEFUL for this community of ISE. I have grown leaps and bounds since this picture was taken and run the gamut from junior staff to director. I love this field and all of you. I want it to continue to grow and I want to grow along with it. We need to push it! We need to have hard conversations. Let's continue to support each other!

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I asked a few times in Slido but unfortunately this wasn't able to be address by the ecosystems panel.

How do we push back (or perhaps better yet, entice) people, particularly industry and politicians, away from using the term "STEM Pipeline"? This metaphor is so limiting and yet it is embraced by science, engineering and technology businesses.

And workforce development seems like one of the best ways to advocate for federal funding for ISE in the current political landscape. I appreciate the ideas shared as a comment on my Slido post (this paper in particular https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jee.20241) but would love to hear more perspectives.

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Yes Kareem!! We need to center the students more. Thank you for saying what needed to be said.  🤎🖤❤️🧡💛💚💙💜!!

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Yes Kareem!! We need to center the students more. Thank you for saying what needed to be said.  🤎🖤❤️🧡💛💚💙💜!!

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PAY THEM (how? write it into the grant, advocate with HR, fundraise for it, expect more from your leaders).