The Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS) was set up to give science students the opportunity to work on cutting-edge research projects. Teachers and students can access data and equipment that enable them to tackle real-life issues. As a result, not only do students gain in confidence and experience in their scientific work, they are also able…

Describes the Howard B. Owens Science Center at Prince George's County (Maryland) Schools, which concentrates advanced equipment and highly trained teachers to give visiting students and teachers hands-on experiences they cannot get in the classroom. The center boasts computer-controlled rocketry, laboratories, exhibits, and lectures introducing…

Numerous private and government-run science museums and centers work actively with schools to provide hands-on experience and bolster science curricula. According to a recent Association of Science and Technology Centers report, 88 percent of science museums say they plan their education programs jointly with school personnel, and 57 percent have…

Describes the Science Teacher Education at Museums (STEAM) program and focuses on the approach taken at the St. Louis, Hartford, and San Francisco Centers. Includes examples of the types of workshops offered. Provides a listing of museums that have been awarded grants. (ML)

Describes the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) in Pennsylvania which seeks to develop the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes necessary to improve the relationship of man to nature and man and man. The facility is utilized for elementary student activities, teacher workshops, handicapped programs, and college university groups. (DS)

Describes a cooperative effort made to create a representative international network of centers for integrated science education and an instrument (given in the appendix) to describe integrated science education programs so they can become available to more users and adaptors. Some problems encountered in the instrument's development are…

Discusses in general terms the approaches necessary for effective dissemination and implementation of an educational program in a country and then relates these approaches to the cooperative relationship between the University of California at Berkeley and the Israel Science Teaching Center's MATAL and PELE Projects. (CS)

Examines problems of science and technology (S/T) education in Mexico, indicating that a proposed project will create a pilot, experimental center designed to systematically improve the teaching of S/T at all educational levels. Discusses project objectives, financial aspects, and role of environmental education. (JN)

SMART (Science, Math, and Relevant Technology) Connections, an afterschool offshoot of a program addressing the scarcity of women in science, provides low-income children and children of color, both boys and girls, with hands-on science experience. Efforts continue to be made to ensure that the program works equally for boys as for girls. (CJS)

Presents and integrates findings from selected research and evaluation studies of informal science learning in different settings such as school-based field trips, student projects, community-based science programs, visits to museums and zoos, the press, and electronic media. Contains 91 references. (DDR)

Discusses the necessities of regional resource centers for K-12 levels. Provides some examples of centers and describes their activities. Suggests three conditions for the success of a center. (YP)

The quality of science/mathematics education is declining because of individuals not entering the profession or leaving for better paying jobs. Highlights possible solutions to the problem, including federal funds for science/mathematics education. Also highlights programs for students at Georgia's Fernbank Science Center and the Lawrence Hall of…

Discusses rationale for developing the Exploratorium at San Francisco's Museum of Science, Art, and Perception. Describes typical exhibits, hands-on nature of exhibits, and function of Explainers. Presents information about Exploratorium workshops (currently oriented toward upper elementary/junior high teachers), emphasizing the nature of science…