Informal Stem Education Resources For Covid-19 And Online Learning
This page was originally created in May 2020.
Offerings from the Community
One result of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a robust response from across the STEM education ecosystem of institutions, organizations, programs, projects and individuals who are creating, converting and sharing online learning activities and resources. CAISE has been receiving links daily from a wide variety of informal learning providers who have stepped up to contribute their lists, links, ideas, materials and platforms.
Professional Associations and Societies:
MuseumExpert.org connects unemployed or underemployed museum professionals with prospective employers and freelance opportunities. The site was created in response to museum closures and staff layoffs due to the COVID-19 crisis. Click here.
The Association of Science and Technology Centers has created a Science Centers and Covid-19 page with links to online learning activities from science centers and museums here. ASTC also hosts an ongoing “Re-think, Re-frame, Re-open”, informal discussion series on topics related to pandemic pivoting, here.
The European Network of Science Centers and Museums has created a web page that offers tools & resources through digital media for exchanging ideas and networking with colleagues here.
MCN (The Museum Computer Network) has created a Guide to Virtual Museum Resources, E-Learning, and Online Collections page here.
The Association of Children's Museums has created a page that includes resources for talking to children about COVID-19 as well as a curated list of sites with learning activities here. The ACM has also released reports on impacts on museum workforce and audience impacts here.
The Citizen Science Association has created a Covid-19 Citizen Science Resources page, that includes opportunities to get involved with efforts to track the virus here.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Science Magazine have created a coronavirus research commentary and news page here.
Jackson Wild has created a Staying Happy and Healthy Inside blog with a variety of film, giant screen and other media viewing opportunities and resources here.
The American Public Gardens Association has created a COVID-19: Resources for Gardens page here.
Learning Research-Based Organizations & Practitioner Networks:
Communities for Immunity is an initiative supporting the work of museums and libraries in engaging their communities in COVID-19 vaccine confidence. Communities for Immunity is administered by the Association of Science and Technology Centers in partnership with the American Alliance of Museums and the Network of the National Library of Medicine, with the support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Click here.
The Aspen Institute has a video of a Fireside Chat with Dr. Nancy Messonnier on the CDC and coronavirus vaccines here.
SciToons has created a video, "How Do COVID-19 Tests Work?" here and a video about the different types of viruses "Viruses: Good or bad?" here.
The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) offers free educational activities for K-12 STEM Education that can be used for outdoor or indoor learning here.
The National Informal STEM Education Network has posted a Coronavirus resources and Network response blog here and a curated list of Do Science at Home! activities here.
The STEM ecosystems initiative has created a COVID-19 Resource Library with activities for children here.
The Partnerships in Education, Afterschool and Resiliency (PEAR) Institute has created a COVID-19 Resources and Strategies page, including a new article on Flexibility in Crisis here.
TERC has created a Free Educational Resources page of evidence-based activities here.
EDC (The Education Development Center) has created a Resources for Covid-19 Crisis page that includes activities, guides and ideas for parents & caregivers, educators and everyone here.
The Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) has created a COVID-19 Survey Archive, a searchable, open-access archive housing probability-based surveys on the COVID-19 pandemic conducted in the United States and internationally, here.
NSF Resource Centers:
Digital Promise, the lead organization on CIRCL, the NSF-funded Cyberlearning resource center has created an Online Learning Resources Library for educators here.
CADRE, the NSF-funded DRK-12 resource center has created a COVID-19 and Online Learning page with evidence-based curricula, modules, tools, apps and tips here.
The NSF-funded STEM for All Multiplex resource center has curated a playlist of videos created by federally-funded STEM learning projects, organized by grade level here.
The NSF INCLUDES National Network has created a Supporting Broadening Participation During Covid-19 Disruption page here.
Other Federal Agencies:
The Institute of Museum and Library Services has created a Facing Challenge with Resilience: How Museums are Responding During COVID-19 page here and their own COVID-19 Resources for Libraries and Museums page here.
The National Institutes of Health Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program has created an Information for Educators on Novel Coronavirus page here.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has created a NASA Science at Home page here.
The US Department of Education has created a Coronavirus Information and Resources for Schools and School Personnel page that includes links to other federal agencies' at home activities here.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has created an Information from NSF on coronavirus page. This page is updated frequently and includes links to the latest guidance on upcoming program deadlines, as well as budget and logistics questions pertaining to existing awards that may be affected in various ways. It is a good starting place for help in answering questions about disruptions to NSF-funded work.
NSF released additional information for the broader grantee community regarding adjustments that may be needed due to covid-19. See this guidance on NSF's implementation of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum (M-20-17), entitled, Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) due to Loss of Operations. Grantees are requested to review these documents, and bring any additional questions or concerns to their cognizant program officer. NSF encourages the research community to respond to this challenge through existing funding opportunities.