The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) is a professional membership organization with a vision of increased understanding of—and engagement with—science and technology among all people and a mission to champion and support science and technology centers and museums.

Founded in 1973, ASTC champions and supports more than 500 science and technology centers and museums, natural history museums, children’s museums, and other STEM-rich, place-based institutions, such as nature centers, aquariums, planetariums, zoos, and botanical gardens throughout North America and in nearly 50 countries, as well as nearly 200 other organizations that share an interest in science learning and engagement.

ASTC’s Strategic Direction

ASTC is implementing a new strategic direction for the association to better support and engage its members. Grounded in a commitment to work inclusively, collaboratively, humbly, and effectively with members and partners, ASTC is building capacity across three strategic pillars:

• Champion and support science engagement, by elevating the work of science and technology centers and museums, forging new collaborations across the science-engagement ecosystem, and investing in communications and advocacy.
• Set course together for new frontiers, by supporting ASTC members to prepare and lead with their communities, act on market and societal trends, and embrace effective approaches that advance equitable engagement in science and technology.
• Support and connect ASTC members, by facilitating learning, catalyzing shared efforts, sharing data, and cultivating leadership and skills across the science-center workforce.

ASTC’s Commitment to Science

ASTC and its members agree that science is a human endeavor that uses scientific methods, observations, and experimentation to develop explanations of the natural world; scientific theories are grounded in and compatible with evidence internally consistent, and demonstrably effective in explaining a wide variety of phenomena; science is based on scientific methods, scientific observation, experimentation, and many thousands of peer-reviewed publications; and the development of technology has always, and continues to, depend on scientific research and human ingenuity.