SENCER-ISE

Jointly supported by NSF’s Divisions of Research and Learning (DRL) and Undergraduate Education (DUE), the SENCER-ISE II initiative will enable us to explore and evaluate ways to support sustainable partnerships between informal science and higher education professionals around issues of civic consequence.

The goals of the SENCER-ISE II are to:

 

- Form partnerships between higher education and informal science education professionals around compelling civic issues and examine whether these partnerships can bring about a transformation in STEM educational practices,

 

- Create durable partnerships between educators from these sectors and by so doing provide models for others in the wider educational community to follow, and,

 

- Instill in college graduates and ISE audiences the idea that informal science education institutions and activities are a credible, accessible source of high quality “life-long learning” on matters of science, public policy, personal well being, and public welfare.

 

The new project and the partnership awards are an outgrowth of the SENCER-ISE I initiative, also funded by the NSF. SENCER-ISE I supported meetings in March and November 2011 that brought together individuals from higher education and informal science education to gauge interest in and explore possibilities for developing cross-sector partnerships.

 

With the new initiative, the SENCER-ISE II awards program will enable us to support six partnerships at $50,000 each, payable over a three-year period. In addition to these start-up funds, SENCER-ISE II will provide awardees with technical assistance such as identifying audience outcomes to guide evaluation, selecting resource materials on relevant topics in formal and informal science education, and organizing opportunities to interact with members of other partnerships and the larger SENCER network of faculty and administrators. Randi Korn & Associates and the Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences will join the National Center in providing these services to the awardees, and where appropriate, to the SENCER and wider educational communities.

 

 

SENCER-ISE I Documents

  1. The executive summary from the conference proceedings may be accessed here.
  2. The SENCER-ISE Conference proceedings can be found here and the SENCER-ISE Evaluation Report by Randi Korn and Associates, Inc. is accessible here.

 

More Information

Civic Engagement Partnership Support Awards Program

Application Deadline

The application deadline has passed.

Click here to access the Request for Proposals document.

 

Click here to access the Awards Program frequently asked questions.

 

SENCER-ISE Contacts

David Burns

Principal Investigator

Alan Friedman

ISE Coordinator

Ellen Mappen

SENCER Coordinator

Amanda Moodie

Network Coordinator

Hailey Chenevert

Program Assistant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SENCER-ISE has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (DRL #1001795, DRL #1237463) and the Noyce Foundation. Photograph of Ellen Mappen and Alan Friedman.