Update 21, April 2007

What contributions are science centres and museums making in your community? What best-practice approaches by science centres and museums make a difference to important government agendas such as increasing young people's interest in science careers or communicating challenging science topics to the public? This is a monthly update on a project focusing on such questions in the APEC region.

Bridging gaps of relevancy: science centres and their audiences

On 22 June 2007 in Tokyo, the ASPAC Conference will host a special session to focus on a priority area for the APEC Science Centre Impact Project - innovative ways by which science centres and museums provide “bridges” for their visitors. How are such institutions becoming places for “transformal linking”, creating bridges between scientists and the general public, between “science content” and “learning experiences” and between “formal learning” and “life-long learning”?

“In the world of the future, every institution, including a museum, must be judged on its distinctive ability to provide value to society that builds on unique institutional strengths and serves unique community needs”. This statement by Harold Skramstad, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of The Smithsonian Institution, emphasises the importance of knowing the strengths and capacities that we contribute, and understanding how best we can develop and use these to add value for our audiences. Emlyn Koster, President and CEO of Liberty Science Centre, USA, in a recent keynote address, highlighted the two terms of “relevance” and “sustainability” as critical to the future of science centres and museums. It is not enough to be popular. Science centres and museums need to be useful if they are to be relevant to their communities. Furthermore, relevance is insufficient by itself. Science centres and museums need to embrace a process of ongoing renewal if they are to be sustainable.

The special session at the ASPAC Conference will consider the topic of the relevancy of science centres and museums to their audiences – those who have already been “reached”, as well as those who are “yet to be reached”. To what extent are we reaching our target audiences? To what level are we achieving “relevancy” for our audiences? Do we know enough about our audiences to develop experiences which will optimise “relevancy” for them? How are we changing approaches to content and pedagogy so as to enhance relevancy for our audiences?

Special audiences - what we know so far

As a precursor to what promises to be an interesting and challenging session at the ASPAC conference, you might want to look back at the information that has been collected about special audience programs by the APEC Science Centre Impact project so far.

Resources from around the world detail experiences, lessons learned and best practice of engaging with special audiences such as those from minority groups, geographically isolated areas, or even those who aren't a part of your institution's "typical" demographic.

If you would like to share your own experiences, please contact us.

Science Communication Conference, London. May 2007

The British Association for the Advancement of Science (The BA) is hosting its annual science communication conference from 14 - 15 May, 2007. The second day of the conference is a dedicated “Climate Change Issue Day” examining different means of engaging diverse audiences including underrepresented groups and the use of policies to influence personal perspectives.

New on our website

For a summary of what’s new on the website each month, check on the main news page of the site.

Contact

APEC Science Centre Impact Project Secretariat
Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre
King Edward Terrace, Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
E apecproject@questacon.edu.au