Informal Science Education Resource Center (ISERC)

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The Association of Science-Technology Centers, in partnership with the Institute for Learning Innovation, University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments, the Visitor Studies Association and other collaborators, will steward development of an Informal Science Education Resource Center (ISERC) to support ongoing improvement of the national infrastructure for informal science education. For the field, the ISERC will build capacity and support continued professionalization. It will foster a Community of Practice that bridges the many varied forms in which informal STEM learning experiences are developed and delivered for informal audiences of all ages, as well as further knowledge transfer between educational research and practice. Activities will include a clearinghouse for ISE-funded awards to enable others to learn from and build upon this prior work, identification of practices and findings based on project evaluations, and leadership development, with emphasis on increasing diversity in the field. As a secondary emphasis, it will share relevant knowledge and practice with formal educators and university researchers.For Principal Investigators (PIs) funded through ISE awards, the ISERC will create a network through PI meetings, communications and other methods that encourage sharing of deliverables, practices and findings across projects. It will encourage prospective PIs, especially from underrepresented groups and regions, through orientation to the program by web conferences, workshops and additional means.For the ISE Program at NSF, the ISERC will assist Program Officers in reviewing the portfolio, gathering and assessing evidence of project impacts. It also will assist in identifying reviewers, gathering Highlights for internal use, and communicating