2022 highlights for ASDC

We invite you to look back at 2022 with us for a snapshot of all things ASDC…

Who came to one of our members’ forum meetings? Now running every month, it’s always great to see lots of our members coming together for connection and peer-to-peer learning. Topics over the year ranged from strategies for increasing staff diversity, running a volunteer programme, safety and security in science centres, CRM systems and many more. We also ran two awaydays, providing the space and time for ASDC Ambassadors and CEOS to reconnect and share inspiring practise (over many cups of tea and biscuits 😉).

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We’ve welcomed new science and discovery centres members Dark Space, National Stone Centre, Oriel Science, new National Partners STEM Learning and Edinburgh Science and Associate Members Blenheim, Engineering UK, Exhibits.nl, Huettinger, Navigate, NSC Creative, Point Creative, Rubber Cheese, Unboxed, Unusual Projects and YIPP. There are now over 65 organisations in the ASDC network!

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With a newly revised vision and mission, we also gave the ASDC logo a refresh to represent the beautiful diversity of our sector, our collaborative nature, strength together and our commitment to everyone who works for the smallest of science centres to the largest.

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In ASDC project news, UK Space Agency-funded project ‘Destination Space’ (phase 3) reached over 67,000 people through direct engagements across a range of different delivery models, with approximately 93% of the recorded engagements taking place in person.

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The inclusion handbook has landed! One of the key outputs from the STFC-funded project ‘Explore Your Universe’ (phase 4), printed and distributed to members and sector colleagues over the past few months is the juiced and distilled learning from 8 science centres, 21 community partners, consultants, advisors over the last 4 years! Now available to download from our website* Inclusion handbook - The Association for Science and Discovery Centres (sciencecentres.org.uk)

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Three new centres joined the NERC-funded programme ‘Operation Earth’ this year: Exeter Science Centre, Life Science Centre and Science Oxford, joining the national network of centres and museums engaging and inspiring school-age children and their families and communities with NERC’s world-leading environmental science research.

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To infinity and beyond! ASDC teamed up with Disney and Pixar to celebrate the science that inspired the movie, Lightyear. Working with members, the team at ASDC co-developed a national programme of resources designed to encourage exploration, curiosity and understanding of some of the big concepts that link the movie with science.

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We’re incredibly proud to have delivered another highly successful annual conference, welcoming over 160 delegates to be inspired by a new culture of science. We also launched the volunteer of the year award, congratulations again to the winner, 18-year-old Stuart Philips, who regularly volunteers at Glasgow Science Centre.

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We welcomed three new trustees from outside the sector: Savita Willmott, Hassan Joudi and Sheila Kanani, bringing a broader and more diverse perspective to the strategic leadership and scrutiny of the charity. We look forward to working with you in 2023.

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Focusing on collaboration, we’re excited to be working with The Museums Association to collaborate on delivering new projects and programmes to develop new approaches to engaging underrepresented groups. Exciting times ahead for ASDC members taking part in the Bold Futures and Mindsets + Missions programme.

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As part of our mission to achieve collective impact and reach through connection, advocacy and insight we’ve created new groups for our members; the Decarbonisation Group to support members on their journey to net zero, the DEIA advocates group to support sharing inspiring practice with more to follow in the new year for marketing and education teams.

And there’s plenty more happening behind the scenes of course!

Wishing all our members, our team, trustees and supporting staff – the accountants, HR and IT teams and the design and website freelancers we work with – a happy and peaceful festive holiday. ⭐⭐⭐

*This downloadable handbook brings together evidence of the depth of impact, advocating for inspiring practice, and sharing our learning – warts and all! The programme focussed on science centre / community partnerships and the learnings over the past 3.5 years, which are now distilled into five main areas that we believe have relevance beyond our distinct sector:

  • Why Community Engagement? (page 11)
  • Working in partnership (page 17)
  • Evaluation in practice (page 31)
  • Strategies for engagement (page 45)
  • Catalysing organisational change (page 63)