Skip to main content


Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.

Full Schedule

The conference schedule is subject to change

Full Schedule

  • Thursday, September 4, 2025
  • 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM US PT
    Registration
  • Friday, September 5, 2025
  • 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM US PT
    Registration
  • 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM US PT
    Ask Me!
  • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM US PT
    AI in Science Centers: Exhibition Strategies From Development to Implementation
  • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM US PT
    All Bones Great and Small: Integrating Bone and Skeleton Specimens in Your Science Programs
  • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM US PT
    Bringing iNaturalist to Your Museum: Bioblitz in San Francisco
  • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM US PT
    Building Bridges to the Future: Addressing the Leadership Challenges of Today and Tomorrow
  • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM US PT
    IF/THEN® Champions Network: Advancing Gender Equity in STEM Through Connectivity and Collaboration
  • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM US PT
    Lighting the Way: Building STEM Identity and Belonging
  • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM US PT
    Rapid Exhibit Iteration Interactive Workshop
  • 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM US PT
    Experience the Heart of Silicon Valley: Technology, Innovation, and History in Exhibits and Programs
  • 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM US PT
    STEM on the Menu: Creative Community Connections Through Food and Science
  • 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM US PT
    Living Collection Tour
  • 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Museum Open Hours
  • 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM US PT
    Breaking Bad (Ideas) and Making Them Better
  • 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM US PT
    Creating and Sustaining Fresh and Fun Camp Programs for ALL
  • 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM US PT
    Dive In! How to Make Your Storytelling Sink or Swim: Inspiring Climate Action Through Teen and Museum Storytelling
  • 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM US PT
    NASA's Neurodiversity Network Space Camp Training for Informal Educators
  • 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM US PT
    Pathways to Professional Growth: Building Expertise and Advancing Your Career
  • 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM US PT
    Science and Civics: Taking Action With Your Community
  • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM US PT
    Adventures in AI Panel
  • 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM US PT
    Navigation and Networking Gathering
  • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM US PT
    Meet-ups
  • Saturday, September 6, 2025
  • 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM US PT
    Ask Me!
  • 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM US PT
    Registration
  • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM US PT
    Addressing Increasing Social Divisions with ASTC's Global Trends Committee
  • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM US PT
    Capacity-Building with Community Partners: A Strategic Use of Resources with Multi-layered Impact
  • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM US PT
    Co-Creation for Connectivity- Perspectives on the Process and Peril of Co-Design
  • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM US PT
    Connecting Visitors With Development: Using Evaluation To Update Historic Habitat Dioramas and Improve Visitor Experience
  • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM US PT
    Context, Collections, and Community: Curating Cultural Connections
  • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM US PT
    Innovative Approaches to Family Programs: Culturally Sustaining STEAM in Action
  • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM US PT
    Key Performance Indicators for Science Centres
  • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM US PT
    Lightning Session: Accessibility in Exhibits and Programs
  • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM US PT
    Making STEM More Accessible for Blind and Low-Vision Audiences: Hands-On Strategies for Inclusive Design
  • 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM US PT
    What Mathematics Supports Makers and Making? Finding the Math Activity and Assessment Opportunities in an Afterschool Making Programs
  • 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Exhibit Hall Open
  • 10:45 AM - 11:15 AM US PT
    Opening Session
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM US PT
    Day One: Poster Palooza and Planetary Health Action Fair in the Exhibit Hall
  • 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM US PT
    Outreach Meet-up
  • 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM US PT
    VLocker - Hands Free Fun Starts Here!
  • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM US PT
    California Association of Museums Meet-Up (CAM)
  • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM US PT
    Code-Switching Not Required: A Networking Lunch
  • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM US PT
    Lunch in the Exhibit Hall
  • 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM US PT
    Reinventing Immersive Learning: The World’s First LED Dome in a Museum
  • 1:15 PM - 2:00 PM US PT
    Exhibits: Drink and Draw (conference social networking activity)
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    10 Good Reasons Not To Become a CEO: What if Being at the Top Is Not As Glamorous as It Seems?
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Bayview Science Workshop: A Case Study of a Community Science Center in a High-Need Neighborhood.
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Building Data-Driven Engagement: Expanding Educational Reach with Influencers, Advocates, and Strategic Campaigns
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Connecting to the Great Wealth Transfer: Fuel Your Mission and Ensure Sustainability by Securing a Share of Trillions of Dollars That Will Pass From Older Donors to the People and Causes They Love
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Improving Connectivity to Diverse Audiences Through Flexible, Easy, and Culturally Appropriate Evaluation
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Lightning Session: Exhibit Design
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Moon, Mars, and Beyond! Inclusive Space Content for Audiences of All Ages
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Nature in the City: Using Green Spaces, Even Very Small Ones, in Early Childhood STEM Education
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Pathways to Professional Growth: An Updated ISL Professional Competency Framework
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Smart Strategies for Growing Staff Skills on a Small Budget
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Using Universal Design for Learning to create Neurodiversity-affirming STEM Activities
  • 1:35 PM - 1:50 PM US PT
    NeuroVivid: A Hands-On Experience in How Neurodivergent Youth (11–14 Years Old) Build a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) in a Maker Camp
  • 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM US PT
    Talk-back Exhibits and Gallery Staff: Facilitating Engaging Conversations about Conservation
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Applying Proven Advocacy Strategies in a Rapidly Changing Policy Landscape
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Behind the Smiles: Navigating the Pressure Points of Volunteer Management
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Beyond Your Inbox: A Solution Lab for Stronger Relationship-Building and Community Engagement
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Getting Strategic With Data: Designing Research and Evaluation for Equity and Change
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Inspiring Planetary Health Action Through Imagination, Creativity & Experimentation
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Living Collections Resource Community: Activating a Community of Practice for Institutions With Live Animal Collections
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Making Making: Combining Art and Science to Create Meaningful Engagement
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    PD Palooza: Exploring the Evolving Role of Museums in Enhancing Formal Education
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    The Connection between Staff Engagement, Leadership Pathways, and Workplace Excellence
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    The Importance of Reaching Remote Indigenous Communities in Outback Australia and Other Worldwide Examples of Transformative Cultural Engagement
  • 2:50 PM - 3:10 PM US PT
    Sparking Curiosity! Inquiry-Based School Lab for 2nd Graders
  • 3:15 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Solvem Problers: Hands-On Activity Ideas To Bring Back to Your Museum
  • 3:30 PM - 3:50 PM US PT
    Exploring New Depths in Traveling Exhibitions: A Glimpse into an Immersive Underwater Science Exhibition
  • 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM US PT
    Coffee Break
  • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Advocating for You and Your Community's Priorities
  • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Big Lessons from Little Learners: Community-Centered Early Childhood Spaces Inspiring Empathy and Playful STEM
  • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Bridging Across Language: Workshopping New Approaches to Multicultural Engagement
  • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Coming Soon: Strategic Phasing for Big Picture Success
  • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Cut through the NOISE and Connect the Dots: Data-Driven Strategic Planning
  • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Gardens in Space and on Earth: How Does What We Learn in Space Help Us Grow Food, Protect Earth and Empower the Next Generation
  • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Ingredients for Action: Approaches that Cultivate a Culture of Hope and Action for Planetary Health
  • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Lightning Session: Trends in Marketing and Communications
  • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Revenue Diversification Through Museum Services: Four Case Studies from San Antonio
  • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US PT
    The Power of Identity Exploration: Tools for Facilitating Visitor Experiences that Inspire Role Identity Shifts
  • 4:20 PM - 4:35 PM US PT
    The Magic of Math
  • 4:40 PM - 4:55 PM US PT
    Veo, Veo, Radio! A Showcase of Activities and Educator Guides About Radio Waves and Wireless Radio Communications in English and Spanish
  • 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM US PT
    Unplug and Play: ASTC Host Party at the Exploratorium
  • 7:30 PM - 8:00 PM US PT
    Small Museums CoP Meet-up at the Exploratorium
  • Sunday, September 7, 2025
  • 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Ask Me!
  • 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM US PT
    Registration
  • 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM US PT
    Breakfast
  • 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM US PT
    Alan J. Friedman Science Center Dialogues Breakfast
  • 10:30 AM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Exhibit Hall Open
  • 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM US PT
    Advancing Accessibility: Disability Work Culture in Science Centers & Museums
  • 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM US PT
    Built to Last: Models for Sustaining a Great Experience
  • 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM US PT
    Exploring Innovative Strategies for Using Digitized Museum Collections To Spark Curiosity and Critical Thinking for Data-Driven Inquiry
  • 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM US PT
    Finance CoP CPE Session
  • 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM US PT
    From Prototype to Progress: How Science Centers' Tinkering Programs Empower Communities Through Creative Problem-Solving
  • 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM US PT
    Navigating the Radical Middle: Museums As Spaces for Complex Climate Conversations
  • 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM US PT
    Supporting Professional Learning and Increasing Staff Capacity
  • 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM US PT
    Teen Science Cafés: Exploring the Importance of Youth Led Youth Programming
  • 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM US PT
    The Blue Whales Project: Designing Flexible Education Programs To Connect With Diverse Informal Learning Environments
  • 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM US PT
    Three Stories and Ten Poems: Museum Frameworks for Building Climate Resiliency
  • 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM US PT
    Museums Supporting Earthquake Resilience
  • 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM US PT
    Lunch and Exhibit Hall Activities
  • 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM US PT
    How can museums and science centers spark curiosity in a digital world?
  • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM US PT
    BIPOC Professionals Meet-up
  • 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM US PT
    Day Two: Poster Palooza and Planetary Health Action Fair in the Exhibit Hall
  • 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM US PT
    Early Childhood Share-a-Thon
  • 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM US PT
    Natural History Museum Network Meet-Up
  • 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM US PT
    IF/THEN® Networking Reception
  • 1:00 PM - 1:15 PM US PT
    From the Lobby to the Lab: Inclusive Wayfinding with Pladia’s Empower PWA
  • 1:00 PM - 1:45 PM US PT
    McCollister's Networking Event
  • 1:00 PM - 1:45 PM US PT
    National Science Foundation PI and Program Officer Meet-Up
  • 1:00 PM - 1:45 PM US PT
    Public Science Festival
  • 1:25 PM - 1:40 PM US PT
    The Online Connection: 5 Digital Marketing Tips to Attract and Engage Audiences
  • 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM US PT
    Brite Strategies for Building Connection and Community Online
  • 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM US PT
    Community Science Lessons from the Field
  • 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM US PT
    Cultivating Connection: Fostering Belonging for Visitors and Educators in Museums
  • 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM US PT
    GSCA Session: Leading with Impact in Giant Screen Strategy
  • 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM US PT
    Lightning Session: Learning from Across Practices
  • 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM US PT
    Shape the Future: Empowering Learners Through Exhibitions and Programs
  • 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM US PT
    The Age of Curiosity: Designing for Lifelong and Cross-Generational Learners
  • 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM US PT
    Unlock the Power of Community Partnerships
  • 1:45 PM - 2:45 PM US PT
    Weaving Connections in Experience Design
  • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM US PT
    Building and Strengthening Your Museum's Digital Marketing Strategy
  • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM US PT
    Building Trust and Addressing Misinformation through Museums and Science Centers
  • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM US PT
    Cultivating a Culture of Connectivity: Leadership Stories, Strategies and Struggles
  • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM US PT
    Emerging Roles for Science Centers in AI Engagement
  • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM US PT
    Lightning Session: Expanded Role of Science Centers in Their Communities
  • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM US PT
    Rethinking Science Engagement in the Face of Extremism
  • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM US PT
    Revitalizing on a Dime: Low-Budget Strategies for Museum Renovations
  • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM US PT
    Strengthening Early STEM Learning: Building Effective Partnerships That Support Universal PreK
  • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM US PT
    Supporting the Future of Work
  • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM US PT
    When Natural Disasters Strike: Communicating Science and Resources in Times of Crisis
  • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Happy Hour in the Exhibit Hall
  • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US PT
    The Air We Share: Mixer by Sanofi
  • 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM US PT
    Celebrating Regeneration: ASTC Soirée at the California Academy of Sciences
  • Monday, September 8, 2025
  • 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM US PT
    Registration
  • 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM US PT
    Ask Me!
  • 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM US PT
    Breakfast
  • 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM US PT
    Plenary Session: Recognition and Keynote
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM US PT
    Bridging the Gap: How Museums and Science Centers Foster Authentic and Meaningful Engagement
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM US PT
    Designing Useful Strategies for Museum Professionals: Observation Tools for Facilitator Evaluation
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM US PT
    Exploring and Shaping AI Education and Technology in Informal Learning Spaces: The Role of Research and Development in Museums
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM US PT
    From Static to Splashy: Refreshing Exhibits Without Starting Over
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM US PT
    Leveraging Informal STEM Programs for Workforce Development: Building Inclusive Pathways to STEM Careers
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM US PT
    Lightning Session: Building and Shifting Organizational Culture
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM US PT
    Online Digital Member Portal: The Cake Is a Lie, but a Digital Member Portal Enhances Member Engagement
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM US PT
    Science Center Sit-In: Going Rogue for a Good Cause
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM US PT
    Tappenin Himmetka: Building meaningful relationships and centering Ohlone voices at Bay Area science institutions
  • 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM US PT
    What Tastes Like Home? Recipes for Success in Developing Inclusive Sticky-Note Response Walls
  • 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM US PT
    Lunch on own
  • 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM US PT
    Seeding Action Meet-Up
  • 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM US PT
    Voya STEM Futures Networking Lunch (By invitation only)
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    A Network Approach to Advancing Science Culture
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Can Standardized Practices Benefit and Hinder Traveling Exhibits?
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Failing Forward: Designing for Failure in Programs, Exhibits, and Research
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Interconnectedness of People and Place: Botany of Nations & the California Native Homeland Festival
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Lightning Session: Climate and Environment
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Navigating the Global Landscape of International Partnerships: a Focus on Traveling Exhibitions
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Techbridge Girls: A Retrospective of 25 Years of Systems Change With Reflections for the Future
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    The Future of School and Museum Partnerships
  • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM US PT
    Trust in Action: Rethinking Student Engagement in Museums
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Beyond Covered Cases: Two Museums' Response to the New Regulations of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Collections Should Be welcomINg: Engaging External Communities in Collections Work.
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Exhibits² Debates Round³: Sophisticated, Smart, & Serious Shenanigans in San Francisco
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Experience Design from the Outside In: Observations, Perspectives, and Dreams
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Global Goals, Local Action: The UN Sustainable Development Goals as a Framework for Education Programming
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Igniting Exceptional Service: Transforming Visitor Experiences through Engaging Front-Line Staff Training
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Lightning Session: Using Technology to Support Science Engagement for Learners and Teams
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Revenue Diversification Through Engaging Makers and Artists: Transforming Museum Retail
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    Show Up and Listen: Working With Communities To Understand the Past and Imagine the Future
  • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM US PT
    When Disaster Strikes: Serving Community During Times of Acute Crisis
  • Tuesday, September 9, 2025
  • 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM US PT
    Museum Open Hours