Science in School is freely available. Online articles are published in many European languages and a print version is distributed in English. Originally supported by the European Commission, the journal is published and funded by EIROforum, a collaboration of Europe’s seven largest intergovernmental research organisations.

Ecsite members are invited to raise awareness of this free resource. If you would like to distribute free copies of past issues of Science in School via your science centres, please contact Eleanor Hayes (see contact details below). Alternatively, perhaps you would be willing to include some information about Science in School on your website or in your newsletter? Below is a short text that you could use.

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Please help us to tell European science teachers about Science in School!

‘Science in School’ is a European journal to promote inspiring science teaching. It covers not only biology, physics and chemistry, but also earth sciences, engineering and medicine, highlighting the best in teaching and cutting-edge research, and focusing on interdisciplinary work. The contents include teaching materials, recent discoveries in science, education projects, interviews with young scientists and inspiring teachers, book reviews, and European events for teachers and schools.

‘Science in School’ is freely available. Online articles are published in many European languages and an English-language print version is distributed across Europe. Originally supported by the European Commission, the journal is published and funded by EIROforum, a collaboration of Europe’s seven largest intergovernmental research organisations.

European school teachers are invited to help by:
• Submitting articles for publication
• Joining the referee panel and helping to decide which articles to publish
• Reviewing books and other resources for teachers
• Translating articles into their own language.

To subscribe, learn more about the journal or read all our articles, see: www.scienceinschool.org
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For more information, contact Dr. Eleanor Hayes, Editor-in-Chief of Science in School: hayes@embl.de

• www.scienceinschool.org

The 6th Science Centre World Congress will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, 4-8 September 2011. Enjoy stimulating congress sessions, challenging workshops, a great social programme and the chance to visit Cape Town, South Africa.

Your hosts, the MTN Sciencentre, the Southern African Association of Science and Technology Centres, and the North Africa and Middle East Science Centers Network, look forward to welcoming you to Cape Town.

With the theme “Science Across Cultures”, the 6th Science Centre World Congress will encourage reconciliation between different cultures and a greater appreciation of the role that science centres can play in highlighting each culture’s unique contributions to science, technology and science education.

Call for Sessions - Parallel Sessions Programme
The parallel sessions programme is designed not only to provide presenters with an opportunity to contribute to the congress, but also to maximise opportunities for participants in sessions to share ideas.
Visit the Congress Website to download the Call for Sessions document for full information, including deadlines, proposal requirements and descriptions of the sub-themes and session formats.

The 6th Science Centre World Congress will focus on the following four cross-cutting sub-themes:
1) Science as part of culture
2) Building communities through science: the role of science centres
3) Recognising the multi-cultural roots of science and technology
4) The value of Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Sessions can be proposed in the following formats:

• Panel Discussion
• Forum Discussion
• Workshop
• Poster Sessions

You are invited to propose a session under one of the four sub-themes and selected formats. All session proposals must be submitted  using the electronic session proposal form available on the 6SCWC website here. The call for sessions deadline has been prolonged until September 30th!

Ecsite Annual Conference 2011 – Call for proposals is open – First announcement is now online

The Ecsite Annual Conference 2011 will take place in the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw, Poland May 26th - 28th , 2011. If you are interested to propose a session all you need to do is visit our new Ecsite conference website and make your submission.   The new website gives you the opportunity to apply for a session to share your proposal with other participants and additionally to edit your session proposal once submitted until the deadline of the call.  The call for proposals will end on the 29th October 2010. The theme of the next conference is already selected and it is Freedom. Freedom is essential for scientific culture: freedom of thought, of expression, of information. It is our basic right that enables us to act creatively, to educate and learn and work efficiently. Equally, scientific culture is also essential for freedom. The freedom to innovate, to change, to choose. Without a real engagement in science, and the way it accounts for the world around us, can we really speak of a free society? This will be the theme to be explored at the Ecsite AC2011. At the first announcement on the conference website you can find compact information on the conference (registration fees, pre conference info, hotels, business bistro etc).  For more information please contact Michael Creek, at conference@ecsite.eu

Ecsite Directors’ Forum 2010, London, UK, December 2-4

Faced with an ever-changing society and economy, how do science centres and museums adapt to the challenges that these changes bring? This year’s Ecsite Directors’ Forum takes us to the Natural History Museum London, from Thursday 2nd December 2010 at 14h00 to Saturday 4th December at 12h30.. Among this awe-inspiring institution’s 70 million specimens, we will look at the types of change that affect us, and the changes we make as an institution. Ecsite as a network faces some significant strategic changes this year too. We have extended the Directors’ Forum to incorporate a crucial extraordinary Annual General Meeting of Ecsite Full members in order to revise the statutes of our network as an organisation. Specific sessions will also involve Ecsite Full members in the strategic planning process currently underway, in order to ensure all Full members have the opportunity to have their say in planning Ecsite’s future work. Registration for the Directors Forum will open shortly and hotel information will be circulated to all the Ecsite full members.

6th Science Centre World Congress, Cape Town, South Africa, 4-8 September 2011 _ Call for sessions is open until 30th September

At the conference you will have the chance to enjoy stimulating congress sessions, wacky workshops and lively debates. And enjoy all that Cape Town and South Africa have to offer - whale watching, wine tasting, a unique floral kingdom, big game safaris, beautiful beaches, unparalleled scenic beauty, and a friendly and diverse culture. Your hosts the MTN Sciencentre, the Southern African Association of Science and Technology Education Centres, and the North Africa and Middle East Science centers network look forward to welcoming you to Cape Town.  With the theme “Science Across Cultures”, the 6th Science Centre World Congress will encourage reconciliation between different cultures and a greater appreciation of each culture’s unique contributions to science, technology and science education. The call for session proposals is open and the parallel sessions programme is designed not only to provide presenters with an opportunity to contribute to the congress, but also to maximise opportunities for participants in sessions to share ideas. Click here to download the Call for Sessions document for full information, including deadlines, proposal requirements and descriptions of the sub-themes and session formats. For more information on the conference follow the link

News from the Ecsite Projects

Pilots

Do you need practical activities to train your explainers? The Pilots project has now published its Resource Pack, complete with the best of the explainer training activities developed for the Pilots project, all described in detail step-by-step, with a strong focus on the theoretical background, and complete with a set of handouts and presentations. The Resource Pack is available free to download for any institution interested in the professionalisation of explainers, in four modules: the Role of the Explainer, Enquiry-Based Learning, Developing Debate and Science Shows. Download the Resource Pack now at www.thepilots.eu/results.html and join the 500 members of the European social network for explainers, the Pilots Hub here For more information contact Michael Creek, Ecsite Projects Coordinator: mcreek@ecsite.eu

PLACES

The Kick-off meeting of the project PLACES – Platform of Local Authorities and Communicators Engaged in Science took place the 9th July. The objectives, priorities, issues and strategic vision of PLACES were presented and debated, and the plan of work for the first year of the project was fine-tuned. Besides the Partners (Ecsite, EUSCEA, ERRIN and UPF) the meeting counted with the presence of the European Commission Project Officer, who presented the European perspectives in which PLACES stands, notably the agendas of the Science in Society programme, of ERA, the Lisbon strategy and Europe 2020. For more information please contact Antonio Gomes da Costa, at agomesdacosta@ecsite.eu

FUND

FUND supports the networking of local organizations for the development of science engagement activities that are relevant at city and local level. An example of these activities is the recent event to discuss the spreading of tuberculosis in Moldova and Romania that was organized with a MicroFUND - the grant scheme implemented by FUND. Cross border mobility between Moldova and Romania contributes to the spreading of tuberculosis at an alarming rate; students who regularly travel between the two countries are one of the most affected groups. The MicroFUND event contributed to increase the cooperation between the two border cities of Balti and Iasi, as well as provided the basis for new prevention policies to implement in the region. Read more about the event on the FUND website

OPEN SCIENCE RESOURCES

The Open Science Resources portal is now complete with all the tools necessary for uploading educational material in the form of single objects or learning pathways, characterizing the resources with comprehensive standardised metadata and freely adding keywords or tags. More than 200 resources are already online, also thanks to the Summer School forganised by Ellinogermaniki Agogi in Greece on 4-9 July to train teachers and communicators in the use of the OSR portal. Register for free and contribute your own resources to the portal!
For more information please contact Jennifer Palumbo, Ecsite Projects Coordinator, jpalumbo@ecsite.eu

Polka

Patient representatives allover Europe keep playing and deciding on neonatal screening, stem cell, orphan drug policy, cross border health care and PGD - and in their own language! Read on to find out what is going on where here. Be inspired and play! Ecsite is offering to 10 institutions that will express their interest to organise games, the opportunity to cover the basic costs for the organization of a game (400€). If you are interested please contact info@ecsite.eu. For those institutions interested to create links with their national or local patients representatives groups, please send us an email in order to put you in touch with them. For more information on POLKA see here.
If you are interested to find out more about this project please contact info@ecsite.eu

TWIST

A survey which has been designed in cooperation with TWIST partner ASDO, an Italian association of sociologists with a specific expertise in gender issues will be launched in August .  The survey is aimed at collecting information on the approaches and most innovative activities of science centres and museums, including both initiatives aimed at the general public and (when present) those specifically targeting girls, their parents and teachers, or women scientists. The practices of science centres and museums will be collected and analysed through the survey with the objective of drafting practical guidelines to support the design of an effective model of science communication, able to also take into account the gender perspective. The guidelines will be disseminated within and outside the Ecsite network, thus contributing to the circulation of ideas and experiences among interested players. A TWIST website is also currently under development.
If you are interested to find out more about this project please contact Sally Duensing at sduensing@ecsite.eu

Xplore Health

Xplore Health is looking for a project evaluator with experience working with international collaborative projects, research and evaluation of science education programmes, and in particular of multimedia tools, a good understanding of the needs within science centres and museums and within secondary schools and who is willing to travel. For more information see the Xplore Health page on the Ecsite website.

Are you interested in running activities on health research in science centres and museums? Professionals developing activities and exhibitions in science centres and museums are invited to complete our Xplore Health online survey – it will only take 5 minutes. For more information about Xplore Health, our project to develop an online portal with resources for open lab activities engaging the public in the latest European health research, see the Xplore Health page on the Ecsite website.

TIME for NANO

The TIME for NANO online video competition has enjoyed a great success across Europe, with 80 videos uploaded Europe – wide. National winners will be chosen and awarded their prizes in the summer, while European winners will be selected by the jury in the autumn. Hurry up and contribute your videos until end of august for a chance at winning the prize. For more information contact Jennifer Palumbo, jpalumbo@ecsite.eu.

ACCENT

Are you organising an event or activity on climate change? Join the I-Do website now for free to promote your events, share your resources and see what’s happening Europewide on www.i-do-climate.eu. For more information please contact Michael Creek, Ecsite Projects Coordinator: mcreek@ecsite.eu

NANOTOTOUCH

Scientists that have been working in the nano-labs in science centres and museums met  their peers and specialists in science communication to talk about the experience of direct communication with the public at the ESOF Conference 2010, in Turin on July 5th and 7th. NANOTOTOUCH coordinators took part to present the European initiative and open the debate about good points and possible pitfalls of direct public exposure of scientists. To learn more, please contact Jennifer Palumbo, Ecsite Projects Coordinator, jpalumbo@ecsite.eu.

Conferences - Events

Industrial Technologies’ conference, 7-9 September 2010, Tour & Taxis, Brussels, Belgium

On September 7, 8 and 9,  2010, the first edition of the ‘Industrial Technologies’ conference is being organised by the European Commission in cooperation with the Belgian EU Presidency. The focus will be on nanotechnologies and nanosciences, materials and manufacturing technologies, which are the key areas of the FP7 NMP Theme. The conference will give you the possibility to meet major actors in the field. It will be an international forum where industry, research organisations, universities as well as policy makers will meet and discuss possibilities for cooperation and proposals for improved integration in the near future. Please bookmark the conference website www.industrial-technologies2010.eu and check regularly for information regarding the programme, speakers, networking activities

Nordic science centre association annual conference, 15-17 September, Vantaa, Finland

Heureka, the Finnish Science Centre and the Finnish Museum of Technology, both long-standing NSCF Members, have the pleasure to invite you to this year’s Annual Conference to be held in Vantaa and Helsinki, Finland, on September 15-17. The theme is topical: “Visitors Learn at Science Centres”. We are very pleased to announce Professor John Falk of the Oregon State University as our Key Note Speaker. He will speak on Thursday, September 16, on the theme “Identity and the Museum Visitor Experience”. The Conference fee is 240 euro including all receptions, lunches, coffee breaks and excursions in the programme.  The registration is now open and will remain open until the 20th of August. If you are interested to register please visit the Heureka website

Organic Edunet European conference, Budapest, Hungary, 16-17 September

The conference is focusing on Learning Methodologies in Agriculture and, more specifically, on Organic Agriculture and Ecology. Also, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) innovations will be presented, through which the aforementioned methodologies can benefit many stakeholders of various areas and activities. The scope of the Conference dictates splitting it into two parts. The first part, devoted to Learning Methodologies in Agriculture and Ecology, will be covered during the 1st day of the conference, when project leaders and knowledge disseminators and promoters will present their project results. The second part, devoted to technological platforms and innovative tools, will be presented during the 2nd day. If you want to disseminate, present results of your recent project(s) in the broad field: “natural history museums and environmental education” now is the time to get involved. For more information, please visit the conference website

First European conference of the Fibonacci project, 21-22 September 2010, Bayreuth, Germany

The Fibonacci project is a major European project, funded by the EU (7th Framework Programme), aiming at a large dissemination of inquiry-based science and mathematics education (IBSME) in Europe, and gathering 38 partners in 24 European countries. Entitled Raising awareness about Inquiry-Based Science and Mathematics Education in European countries¸ this launch conference is organised by the Fibonacci European coordination and the University of Bayreuth. To see the draft programme of the conference follow the link. For conference registration: see here

EAZA Annual Conference, 22-25 September 2010, Parco Natura, Verona, Italy

The EAZA Annual Conference is the biggest annual gathering of the European zoo and aquarium community, bringing more than 600 delegates together for four days of meetings, presentations, discussions and networking opportunities. The event is primarily aimed at EAZA members, with most of EAZA’s TAGs and committees holding meetings alongside a variety of special workshops. Plenary sessions bring all conference delegates together to focus on topics of broad interest to the community. For more information about the conference follow the link

ASTC 2010, Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2-5 October 2010

The theme of the 2010 ASTC Annual Conference, Ho‘okele–To Navigate, looks to new and exciting horizons through the wayfinding vision of the ASTC strategy adopted by the Board of Directors in October 2008: “proactively address critical societal issues locally and globally where science understanding and public engagement are essential.”When science centers act as good navigators for the public, they are valued by their communities as essential, and people come aboard. For more information on the conference visit the ASTC website.

UWE Science Communication Masterclass – Registrations are open

The Masterclass is an intensive course created to provide professional development in science communication. The Masterclass draws on the existing expertise of the team that delivers UWE’s popular and practical MSc in Science Communication. This Autumn’s Masterclass will be held in Bristol on 11-14 October 2010 and will cost £650 per delegate (£500 concessionary rate for students, unemployed and low earners - special discounted rate for members of the British Interactive Group. For further information please visit http://www.scu.uwe.ac.uk/index.php?q=node/199. Registration will close on September 17^th. If you have any queries about the Masterclass or would like to be kept informed about future opportunities please email science.communication@uwe.ac.uk.

Beyond the leaky pipeline – Challenges for research on gender and science, 19-20 October 2010, Brussels

The purpose of the “Meta-analysis of gender and science research” study is to collect and analyse research on horizontal and vertical gender segregation in research careers, addressing the underlying causes and effects of these two aspects. The main objective of the conference is to present the conclusions of the study and to discuss with experts and policy-makers the possibilities and challenges for European and national research on gender and science and policies towards gender equality in science. Please visit the conference website for more information: http://www.genderandscience.org

ALTER-Net seminar: Ecosystem services and biodiversity - Evidence, policy consequences and research needs, 3-4 November 2010, Vienna, Austria

This seminar will be organised by ALTER-Net in conjunction with our host, the French Embassy in Vienna. It will address the question ‘Ecosystem services and biodiversity - can we have one without the other?’ and will consider a range of relevant issues including the evidence base, policies and research needs. It will be followed on 5 November by a workshop for ALTER-Net participants on our common research strategy. This science seminar is an ALTER-Net contribution to International Biodiversity Year 2010. For more information visit their website

Recognition of Science & Technology Parks in Europe - Workshop IASP European Division 2010, 17-19 November 2010, Brussels, Belgium

The objective of this workshop is to establish a «mini-guide» of the view that European Commission officers have on the role of Science Parks (and associated incubators and technology transfer offices) in linking science with innovation and contributing to regional development, and to draw guidelines and recommendations based on the reflections of our panel of European STP managers in order to strengthen the recognition of STPs in Europe. For more information see website

Professional Development Workshops at the Exploratorium, Institute for Inquiry, San Francisco, 25-29 October 2010 (and 7-9 February 2011)

Fundamentals of Inquiry, 25-29 October 2010- In this five-day workshop you will explore ways to support classroom teachers in moving from structured, hands-on science with teacher-prescribed directions to a more inquiry-based approach where students take more responsibility for their learning. Assessing for Learning, 7-9 February 2011 - Through activities with materials and reflective discussions, this three-day workshop provides an in-depth overview of formative assessment as an integral part of science teaching. Learn more about the Institute for Inquiry and download a workshop brochure here: or email Chris Koenig at ckoenig@exploratorium.edu

European In-service training course School and science museum: cooperation for improving teaching, learning and discover, Munich, 7-14 November 2010

The objective of the course is the development of knowledge and competences relative to science education through the use of museums as educational resource. After the great success of the first three editions, the fourth edition of the course takes place again at the Deutsches Museum of Munich. The course will be held by a group of experts from Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Spain specializing in museum education, science education, teacher training, research and evaluation, new technologies, etc. The course consists of lectures, round tables, museum visits, interactive workshops and practical activities. The language of the course will be English but the materials used will be available in different languages. For more information see here

Other news

Biodiversity links on the internet

The International Year of Biodiversity is already half way through and there is a lot of inspiring information out there on the internet. EDIT has produced a list of biodiversity biodiversity-links from large organisations that you may find useful.

European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT) - Training opportunities

Within the framework of EDIT, the Distributed European School of Taxonomy (DEST) has launched the Modern Taxonomy course programme to provide future professionals with fundamental expert knowledge on basic taxonomy. The programme targets topics such as: nomenclature; describing, writing and illustrating biodiversity; collection conservation. More information can be found by following the link.

New portal for Science Education projects, SCIENTIX

The Scientix workshops are organized to animate and inspire the growing community of Scientix users. In the workshops you will get information and tools for effective use of the Scientix platform, and a chance to meet fellow colleagues involved in science education in Europe. The workshops will be organised in 2010-2012 in several European countries. Keep informed about the Scientix workshops via RSS or the newsletter and book your seat in a workshop near you! Save the date for the Scientix European Conference taking place on 6-8 May 2011 in Brussels, Belgium. The number of participants will be limited, so book your place well in advance! More information will be available through the Scientix website and newsletters.

This survey responds to the growing need expressed by many centres and museums for a greater understanding and exchange of best practice and lessons learned on the subject of gender. It is part of the Towards Women in Science and Technology (TWIST) project,  funded by the European Commission, under  FP7.

The project is coordinated by Experimentarium (Denmark) and involves 10 European partners (including Ecsite) plus one from Israel. The survey has been designed in cooperation with ASDO, an Italian association of sociologists with a specific expertise in gender issues.

TWIST is focused on the issue of the gender gap in science and technology through an ambitious programme aimed at finding innovative solutions in informal science and technology education and communication strategies to overcome outdated stereotypes and prejudices on societal roles and career paths for men and women, still surprisingly alive.

Please take a moment to complete the questionnaire, accessible at:

http://www.eSurveysPro.com/Survey.aspx?id=e6705985-d8f6-4080-8fe0-3d04ce21aeae

Before filling in the questionnaire, consult the detailed Questionnaire guide. twist-questionnaire-guide

Since the survey is about a range of activities you are doing, even if you have no special initiatives targeting girls/women your input will be of relevance and use to the field. The questionnaire is designed to allow you to fill it in parts or whole in draft form, before sending the final version.

Science centres and museums are at the core of focus of the TWIST project through their innovation and communication of science and society issues which offer a useful broad context to frame gender gap issues. The aim of the TWIST project is to devise specific gender-oriented communication tools, as well as to understand and make better use of your existing effective communication strategies.

Your practices will be collected and analysed with the objective of drafting practical guidelines to support the design of an effective model of science communication, a model that is also able to take into account the gender perspective. The guidelines will be disseminated within and outside the Ecsite network, thus contributing to the circulation of ideas and experiences.

Your time and contributions are very much appreciated, thank you!

For more information about TWIST or about the survey contact Sally Duensing, sduensing@ecsite.eu

The conference, whose subtitle is “integrating nano, materials and production”, is organised by the European Commission in cooperation with the Belgian national authorities int he framework of the Belgian  presidency of the EU. The conference is an opportunity for professionals and organisations in the field of nanotechnology research and development activities from academia and industry to meet, compare notes and set up future collaborations.

Ecsite will participate in the exhibition with a stand where the NANO TO TOUCH and TIME FOR NANO projects will be showcased. Technopolis, the Flemish Science Centre will organise demonstrations of practical activities to speak about nanotechnology to non-expert publics, in particular youngsters and children. The University of Antwerp has also been invited as partner in the NANO TO TOUCH project. The NANO YOU project representatives have also been informed of the initiative and will probably join with some materials and activities as well.

Mere information about the conference can be found on the website: http://www.industrial-technologies2010.eu/

Camerino, Convento San Domenico, September 9, 2010 – 9.00 a.m.

PLATFORM OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND COMMUNICATORS ENGAGED IN SCIENCE

About the Project

PLACES is a four-year European project establishing and developing the concept of the European City of Scientific Culture.

The project focuses on developing and strengthening City Partnerships, bringing together 67 science centres, museums, festivals and events, each partnering with local authorities, and 10 European regional networks. The project facilitates cooperation among these alliances to structure their science communication activities, sharing tools, resources and results.

PLACES Partners:

Ecsite (www.ecsite.eu) - Coordinator

EUSCEA (www.euscea.org)

ERRIN (www.errin.eu)

UPF (www.occ.upf.edu)

Project development

PLACES will structure and strengthen existing practices of science communication institutions, and develop innovative activities and interactions between different local actors. This is mainly done by:

· Collecting and contributing with information about local actors and policies in science communication, by means of surveys and reports.

· Setting up powerful mechanisms for collaborative work, and efficiently exchange and discuss data, practices and ideas, by means of the OPEN web platform, which will also become a library of resources.

· Creating networking opportunities for discussion and sharing of science communication policies, strategies and experiences, by means of annual meetings and a series of workshops and training courses aimed at specific publics.

· Focusing the discussion on specific topics, by means of the thematic working groups.

· Fostering and supporting work at local level to develop a Local Action Plan (LAP), starting from potential or existing working relations between science communicators and policymakers. The synergies created by the PLACES community will be the main driving force to help develop and implement such LAPs. The functional units to work on the LAPs are the City Partnerships.

From the above, innovations will develop. These will be:

· New Activities: based on the LAPs, City Partnerships will be invited to develop new activities having as topics problematic or controversial issues. These new activities may be completely new, but may also be the adaptation or modification of existing activities, for instance aiming at new audiences or involving new actors.

· New knowledge and resources: the data collected in surveys will provide concrete and wide perspectives on science communication actors, policies and other aspects of our field; the reports and documents resulting from the City Partnerships and Thematic Working Groups will result in a growing set of resources, examples and materials for further exploitation.

· New working instruments: the Impact Assessor partner will develop methodologies and indicators to assess science communication activities and policies, which will be tested with selected Third Parties; PLACES, and especially the OPEN Platform, will develop a series of new resources, databanks and networking instruments that will continue after the project.

· Recommendations: at the end of the project, all the data and experiences gathered will have expression in specific and concrete recommendations for science communicators and policy makers, both at local and at EU level.

· New concept and community: at the end of the PLACES project, the concept of “Cities of Scientific Culture” will have been defined and already embodied by the communities of actors in the City Partnerships.

Contact

Ecsite project coordinator: Antonio Gomes da Costa, agomesdacosta@ecsite.eu