CAISE - caise.insci.org
About CAISE
The Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) is dedicated to advancing and improving the practice of informal science education in its many and varied forms—through film and broadcast media, science centers and museums, zoos and aquariums, botanical gardens and nature centers, digital media and gaming, and youth, community and after-school programs. Founded in 2007 with support from the National Science Foundation, CAISE focuses on increasing and communicating the value of NSF's investments in informal science education.
CAISE is housed in Washington, D.C., at the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC). CAISE partner organizations are ASTC, the Visitor Studies Association, Oregon State University Program in Free-Choice Learning, and University of Pittsburgh Center for Learning in Out-of-School Environments (UPCLOSE).
Partnering in CAISE is an opportunity for VSA to build closer connections between practitioners and a valuable professional network that is dedicated to the ongoing improvement of the informal learner experience. VSA brings to the Center's work best-practice strategies for how to attract, educate, and serve public audiences. In return, the partnership helps VSA to address its core mission to build and share a research base in informal learning and use evaluation outcomes to improve informal learning.