ASC's Director of Science Interpretation Presents As Part of 2010 China-US Informal Education Forum

May 13, 2010 - PRLog -- The 2010 China-US Science Center Director’s Forum is the second forum of its’ kind with the first being back in 2007. Co-organized by the Association of Science-Technology Center (ASTC) at the invitation of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the 2007 Forum was an important first-step in an ongoing dialog between American and Chinese experts in the field of informal science education.

The creation of the follow-up 2010 forum grew from China’s dedication to developing informal science education, along with the new developments in the field of informal science education in the U.S. This second forum will delve deeper into the issues that emerged during and since the 2007 Forum, address recent developments in informal science education, our understanding of these changes, and the specific role science centers have to play in science education and communication.

Arizona Science Center’s own Laura Martin, Ph.D., Director of Science Interpretation, will be making the journey to Beijing for the May 15-19 forum, and present “Forward Momentum: Building Science Centers for the Future”, exploring and identifying how science centers within the Unites States move towards equality of access to science, science education, and science centers. Laura presents alongside 17 other experts and scholars of informal science education from both the United States and China. The forum will focus on two areas, "Informal Science Education and Science Centers" and "Innovation and Future of Science Centers".

Laura is thrilled about her involvement in the program and says that she is “excited about the opportunity to share what we’ve learned here in the U.S. and to hear what our counterparts are thinking about in the context of their very dynamic society”.

Run jointly by the Beijing Association for Science and Technology, Beijing Academy Science and Technology and the National Science Foundation (NSF) mission of this forum is to further explore the development tendencies and future trends in the fields of scientific spread and popular science education, to introduce the advanced ideas and practical proposals for the construction and development of domestic Science and Technology Museum (Science Center). Additionally it will be used for the purpose of enhancing the communication and cooperation in the fields of scientific communications between China and the US.

For more information on the forum visit their web site.

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