National STEM programmes

The Association for Science and Discovery Centres runs national strategic STEM programmes, delivered by science and discovery centres and museums around the UK.

The ASDC team, together with science advisors from the related field, create a programme of STEM activities that deliver funder's key messages directly to the next generation of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, technicians, researchers, inventors, and innovative thinkers through the UK's network of science and discovery centres and museums.

The co-created STEM programmes are run with grants, often scoped to bring in new working practises, for example finding innovative ways to engage audiences, building resilience or incorporating best practise in working with communities.

Each of the STEM programmes includes hands-on activities, experiments, and often a kit of equipment and resources, including curriculum-linked schools workshops and family shows.

Find out more about each of the projects below.

Our World From Space

A new two-year national STEM programme exploring and sharing the relevance of UK space science for the future health and sustainability of our home planet.

Project Completed

Valuing inclusion: learning about science my way

Developing pathways to support more diverse participation in STEM in partnership with science and discovery centres and museums around the UK. From ‘Science Orchestras’ to ‘Science and Supper’, this 3-month project showcases a snapshot of community engagement projects that took place during Spring 2023.

Bold Futures

Bold Futures brings together a science centre cohort of active champions for community representation and public engagement. The programme aims to undertake values-led work that involves underrepresented audiences and explores how this can affect future purpose and financial sustainability.

Mindsets + Missions

Following over two years of exciting and innovative work across both the museums and science centres’ sectors, we are delighted to launch the Mindsets + Missions for Museums and Science Centres of the Future programme.

The UK Climate Hub

The UK Climate Hub (climatehub.uk) is a website created and operated by ASDC to enable everyone engaging the public with climate change to find and share climate change activities and resources. By sharing climate resources, we can collectively do far more to engage families, young people and communities with climate change, driving action where we need it.

Explore Your Universe

Explore your Universe is a national strategic STEM programme to inspire a sense of excitement amongst young people around the physical sciences by sharing the amazing stories and technologies of Science Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

Operation Earth

Operation Earth is a national STEM programme that engages, inspires and involves school-age children and their families and communities with NERC’s world-leading environmental science research. The programme highlights the relevance of contemporary environmental science issues to everyone’s daily lives and to society's future.

Destination Space

Destination Space is a national STEM programme, funded by the UK Space Agency, created by ASDC for science centres and museums around the UK. Its purpose is to engage, inspire and involve families with school-age children, school groups and communities across the UK with the amazing stories, science and achievements of human and robotic space exploration.

Woman with group of kids using laptop and engineering kits.jpg

Project Completed

PROJECT INSPIRE: Digital Innovation and Leadership Programme

OverviewThe UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) launched Project Inspire in Spring 2021, in collaboration with the Inspiring Science Fund, a partnership between UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)…

Project Completed

Lightyear

ASDC teamed up with Disney and Pixar to celebrate the science that inspired their latest movie, Lightyear. Working in a panel of top space science advisors, the ASDC team co-developed a national engagement campaign, with a programme of resources designed to encourage exploration, curiosity and understanding of some of the big concepts that link with the movie with science.

Project Completed

ASDC Emerging Leaders Programme

The ASDC Emerging Leaders Programme is a short, introductory programme for emerging leaders in Science and Discovery Centres. Fellows will learn about adaptive leadership practices that can help our field to become more inclusive and engaging for the whole community.

Spaceports in Communities

New education programme launched to engage local schools and communities with exciting developments in the UK’s space sector

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