Preconference Intensives

ASTC 2025 Annual Conference

September 5–8, 2025
San Francisco Bay Area

Preonference Intensives

Preconference Intensives are a chance for conference attendees to participate in focused learning experiences on a single topic, as well as to connect and network with peers with similar job roles and topical interests—before the start of the main conference.

Given the interactive nature and extended time, all Preconference Intensives require preregistration and have limited enrollment. Submit your preconference registration early to ensure that space will be available. Preconference registration will close Friday, August 8, 2025.

Please note that you must be registered for the ASTC 2025 Annual Conference in order to sign up for Preconference Intensives.

STEM on the Menu: Creative Community Connections Through Food and Science

Friday, September 5, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PT
The Lawrence Hall of Science (1 Centennial Drive, Berkeley)

Discover how food connects us to STEM learning, global challenges, and each other. This session explores food-centered STEM programs, partnerships, and cultural relevance. Gain practical tools and insights on how to work with your local communities to create meaningful culinary connections, blending science with creativity, equity, and impact.

Facilitators:

  • Claudia Bustos (Executive Director, Public Engagement, The Lawrence Hall of Science)
  • Victor Bustamante (Director, Guest Services & Events, TELUS Spark Science Centre)
  • María Emilia Beyer Ruiz (Director, Universum, Museo de las Ciencias)
  • Lee Bishop (Biotech & Design Lead, The Lawrence Hall of Science)
  • Vincent A. Medina (Co-Founder, ‘ottoy Initiaitve, The Lawrence Hall of Science)

Track:  Community and Partnerships

Fee:  $180 per person

AI in Science Centers: Exhibition Strategies From Development to Implementation

Friday, September 5, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PT
Exploratorium (Pier 15, Embarcadero at Green Street, San Francisco)

Four Bay Area institutions share their recent experiences developing AI exhibits, exploring whether science centers should invest in AI exhibitions now. Learn from our successes and challenges in making AI concepts accessible and engaging, and discuss strategies for creating relevant AI experiences for public audiences.

Facilitators:

  • Douglas Thistlewolf (New Media Exhibit Developer, Exploratorium)
  • Ari Krakowski (Director, Center for Transforming Science and Society of Science, The Lawrence Hall of Science)
  • Kirsten Tashev (Chief Curatorial and Exhibitions Officer, Computer History Museum)
  • Danny So-Haeg (Interactive Exhibit Developer, The Tech Interactive)

Track:  Trends and Innovation

Fee:  $90 per person

All Bones Great and Small: Integrating Bone and Skeleton Specimens in Your Science Programs

Friday, September 5, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PT
Mission Science Workshop Excelsior (4458 Mission Street, San Francisco)

Learn how to source, store, clean, display and teach with bones and skeletons with a DIY approach.

Facilitators:

  • Sonia Gandiaga (Executive Director, Mission Science Workshop)
  • Bart Evans (Program Director, Mission Science Workshop)
  • Morgan Macdonald (Mission Science Workshop)
  • Veronica Hernandez (Mission Science Workshop)

Track:  Education and Events

Fee:  $90 per person

Bringing iNaturalist to Your Museum: Bioblitz in San Francisco

Friday, September 5, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PT
Moscone Center and Crissy Field

In this session, attendees will use iNaturalist to observe and identify biodiversity in San Francisco, followed by a group discussion about opportunities for using the app in a range of science center and museum contexts. No prior iNaturalist experience is necessary.

Facilitators:

  • Rose Hendricks (Executive Director of Seeding Action, ASTC)
  • Kristin Bayans (Senior Manager of Seeding Acting, ASTC)
  • Alison Young (Director of Outreach Programs, iNaturalist)
  • Tony Iwane (Community and Support Coordinator, iNaturalist)

Track:  Education and Events

Fee:  $90 per person

Building Bridges to the Future: Addressing the Leadership Challenges of Today and Tomorrow

Friday, September 5, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PT
Moscone Center

Come join a “safe space” for CEOs, EDs, VPs, and C-suite leaders to engage in critical discussions and imaginative thinking on change, disruption, and business transformation. We will focus on pressing, relevant topics with near-peer leaders in this cafe-style solution room to develop long-term strategies for the future.

Facilitators:

  • Heather M. Norton (Chief Science Officer, Discovery Place)
  • Christian Greer (President and CEO, Michigan Science Center)
  • Andrea A. Harp (Chief of Staff and Director of Culture and Community, Michigan Science Center)
  • Ben Dickow (President, Columbia Memorial Space Center)
  • Charlie Trautmann (Trautmann & Associates)

Track:  Leadership and Management

Fee:  $90 per person

IF/THEN® Champions Network: Advancing Gender Equity in STEM Through Connectivity and Collaboration

Friday, September 5, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PT
Moscone Center

Calling all IF/THEN® Champions Network members! Join us for a half-day intensive focused on strengthening collaboration and advancing gender equity in STEM. Connect with fellow changemakers, discover new resources and opportunities, and collaborate on strategies to amplify the Champion’s Network impact. Let’s create lasting change in the museum field!

Facilitators:

  • Emily L. Early (Senior Program Manager, National Girls Collaborative Project)
  • Kata Lucas (Senior Researcher, National Girls Collaborative Project)
  • Karen A. Peterson (Founder and Chief Executive Officers, National Girls Collaborative Project)

Track:  Audience and Inclusion

Fee:  $10 per person

Lighting the Way: Building STEM Identity and Belonging

Friday, September 5, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PT
Chabot Space & Science Center (10000 Skyline Boulevard, Oakland)

How can we design STEM spaces where all youth thrive? This workshop equips educators and leaders with reflective practices, peer dialogue, and actionable strategies to foster belonging, empowering participants with tools to create inclusive, inspiring environments for youth furthest from opportunity in STEM.

Rapid Exhibit Iteration Interactive Workshop

Friday, September 5, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PT
Exploratorium (Pier 15, Embarcadero at Green Street, San Francisco)

This workshop, led by seasoned professionals in the museum field, will enable museum professionals to rapidly test and change an exhibit’s user interface, graphics, and text in real-time. The leaders will share their extensive experience with rapid iteration, interpreting user behavior, writing for clarity and inclusion, and inclusive design of exhibits.

Facilitators:

  • Denise King (Director of Exhibit Development, Exploratorium)
  • Amparo Leyman Pino (Founder and Principal Education Consultant, Yellow Cow Consulting)
  • Claire Pillsbury
  • Hugh McDonald (Director of Exhibits, Exhibitions, and Environments, Explora)
  • Meghan Kroning (Manager, Visitor Research and Evaluation, Exploratorium)
  • Erik Thogerson (Exploratorium)

Track:  Facility and Exhibit Design

Fee:  $90 per person

Breaking Bad (Ideas) and Making Them Better

Friday, September 5, 2025
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. PT
Moscone Center

Let’s challenge the creative process, starting with bold—even “bad”—ideas. By finding value in “bad” ideas, we practice discovery, play, and focused investigation of a concept. Develop rubrics for evaluation, uncover emotional and cognitive concept cores, and revitalize or create ideas to share with your teams.

Facilitators:

  • Jussi Kahlos (Head of Experience, Heureka, the Finnish Science Center)
  • Brad MacDonald (Adjunct Professor, Parsons School of Design)
  • Audrey Chang (Director of Global Affairs, National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan)
  • Cynthia Doumbia (Senior Director of Business Development, National Geographic Society)

Track:  Organizational Culture and Workforce

Fee:  $90 per person

Creating and Sustaining Fresh and Fun Camp Programs for ALL

Friday, September 5, 2025
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. PT
Moscone Center

This session will explore how cultural institutions of all sizes can create and sustain fresh camp programs for campers and staff alike. Participants will take away ideas, connect with colleagues, and consider best practices for camps run both on-site at institutions and remotely with off-site partners.

Facilitators:

  • Emily Lemonds (Manager, Early Childhood, Camps and School Engagement, Saint Louis Science Center)
  • Davis Tate (Director of Camps and Corporate Experiences, Museum of Life and Science)
  • Danae Pineda (Senior Manager of Education, Children’s Museum Tucson)
  • Jeehyun Park (Director of Strategic Initiatives, Science Mill)
  • Nick Joseph (Camps Manager, Griffin Museum of Science and Industry)

Track:  Education and Events

Fee:  $90 per person

Dive In! How To Make Your Storytelling Sink or Swim: Inspiring Climate Action Through Teen and Museum Storytelling

Friday, September 5, 2025
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. PT
Moscone Center

An interactive workshop exploring the concepts, tools and techniques that enable museum professionals and teens to craft compelling climate stories amplify youth voices, connect communities and inspire action. Participants will learn storytelling techniques, explore creative formats and develop strategies to integrate storytelling into museum programs for impactful climate engagement.

Facilitators:

  • Madlyn L. Larson (Associate Director of Education Initiatives, Natural History Museum of Utah)
  • Ben Templeton (Creative Director, Thought Den)

Track:  Community and Partnerships

Fee:  $90 per person

NASA's Neurodiversity Network Space Camp Training for Informal Educators

Friday, September 5, 2025
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. PT
Moscone Center

Join us for hands-on activities that teach space science, and gain access to three curricula rooted in inclusive design practices. Educators will showcase a diverse set of activities that highlight the skills needed to work with NASA. Soldering, art, free digital tools from NASA and more in this session!

Facilitators:

  • Genevieve Ward-Wernet (Senior Science Instructor, New York Hall of Science)
  • Don Luistro (Senior Coordinator of Out of School Time Learning, New York Hall of Science)
  • Wendy Martin (Principal Research Scientist, Education Development Center)

Track:  Education and Events

Fee:  $90 per person

Pathways to Professional Growth: Building Expertise and Advancing Your Career

Friday, September 5, 2025
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. PT
Moscone Center

Explore and apply new tools for building expertise in the Informal STEM Learning field. Whether you are just starting out or advancing your career, this session will help you identify and develop professional competencies for a range of roles—from education to exhibits to executive leadership, and everything in between.

Facilitators:

  • Eve Klein (Senior Advisor for Public Engagement With Science, ASTC)
  • Kris Morrissey (Principal Consultant, Morrissey Research)
  • Dennis Schatz (Senior Fellow, Institute of Learning Innovation)
  • Donnelley Hayde (Researcher, Center for Research and Evaluation, COSI)
  • Laura Weiss (Researcher, Center for Research and Evaluation, COSI)
  • Amanda Fisher (Associate Director of Programs, ASTC)
  • Jenny Crayne (Manager of Programs, ASTC)
  • Melissa Ballard (Director of Programs, ASTC)

Track:  Organizational Culture and Workforce

Fee:  $50 per person

Science and Civics: Taking Action With Your Community​

Friday, September 5, 2025
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. PT
Moscone Center

This session will provide a foundation for planning collaborative, community-based civic engagement work. Join us to learn more about Community Science, try out some discussion questions and planning tools, and find the role your museum can play to support civic engagement in your community.

Facilitators:

  • Naomi Wallace (Senior Manager of Programs, ASTC)

Track:  Community and Partnerships

Fee:  $10 per person

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