Guest Post by Amelia Chapman, NASA Museum Alliance

“Museum” might be in our name, but we welcome all informal education institutions –  and we’ve been making a recent push to let libraries know that includes them. Below is a more formal invitation to pass along. Thanks!

– Amelia

Dear Library Professionals,

 

Since 2002, NASA’s Museum Alliance has provided museums and other informal education institutions with professional development and special access to NASA staff and materials, free of charge. The Alliance is now expanding to serve libraries in order to help them weave science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) into their existing programs and themes.

NASA’s Museum Alliance is a community of practice. Alliance members communicate regularly through list servs and professional development teleconferences, which provide opportunities to speak directly with NASA experts and ask questions about NASA processes, mission events, etc. When there is breaking news to share, telecons allow you to talk directly with mission personnel and get the information you need in order to share current events with your audiences. Members also have access to the Museum Alliance website, which features NASA resources searchable by format, mission and topic.

Especially for libraries, the Alliance provides online packages of information, materials, activities, and downloadables targeted to annual library themes such as Summer Reading and Teen Tech Week, as well as special NASA mission events.

To join NASA’s Museum Alliance, please visit: https://informal.jpl.nasa.gov/museum/About/Application .  Read more about the Museum Alliance at https://informal.jpl.nasa.gov/museum/About, or if you have questions, contact  me at Amelia.J.Chapman@jpl.nasa.gov

Please feel free to forward this to colleagues you think would be interested in this free resource.

Best,

Amelia