The NISE network is a community of people who are passionate about making the world
a better place and we're using science as a way to do it because it's something that
we believe has the power to change the world and has the potential to impact all of our
lives and the decisions that we make.
And the great thing about the NISE network is that with over 600 partners, we know that
these programs are going to reach audiences of all different backgrounds, of all different
ages, and it's a great way to just amplify the message that scientists want to communicate
and get it out to the broadest possible audience.
The message that we have in terms of communicating science and showing that science is relevant
and engaging and fun, I think that's really important, so I think what we're doing is
we are showing that science can be approachable, that you can do an activity that lasts only
a couple minutes and you can still get a taste of what it's like to be a scientist in a real
authentic way.
The way that the NISE network takes science concepts and experiences and practices and
brings it to the public in an authentic, real way is some of the best I've ever seen.
I think it's really exciting that we have made hundreds of kits and we have put these
out all across the country and it's really a unique resource in the sense that we've
distributed these to science centers, museums, in urban areas, in rural areas, we're reaching
a really broad swath of people.
Children's museums come in a variety of different sizes.
With a network like this network, they are able to not only get programs that they otherwise
would have access to, but also to grow in a way that continues to progress their mission
and allows them to better serve their audience, allows them to better serve the needs of the
kids in their community.
In science centers and in science museums, it's super important to engage this kind of
audience because it's a different kind of education they're getting in schools.
So it's allowing them to have a lot of freedom and exploration instead of learning by standards.
When a NISE net kit arrives in the mail, it's a box full of potential.
It's a box full of memories that are about to be made.
That's something really special and that we try to deliver on every time we bring a kit
out to the floor.
The volunteers are excited to be a part of this network and the visitors are excited
to interact with the people behind the table and getting their hands on the kit materials.
I've had so many amazing experiences talking about space and earth science with kids and
they have that look of wonder in their eyes because they don't, they learn something new
or they are excited to share something they already know.
Some of the greatest things are using a telescope, for example, getting someone, whether it be
a child or adult to look through the telescope and see Saturn for the first time, to actually
see that it has rings, see that it's an actual planet in orbit.
You can look at their face but their excitement, their energy, they're hooked now.
You can tell that in the years to come, STEM, space science, NASA are all going to be things
that they're going to be interested in just from that one single experience.
I think it was cool to see what is happening to the ice that is on the planet.
I thought that was amazing, I mean, wow, it's fun, right?
It's all fun and cool.
I love it.
Learning is fun.
These type of activities, it makes kids get more into science and want to learn more about
it.
I kind of wish as, you know, as a female, I was told, you know, girls can do this too
because I feel like I would be a scientist if that was the path that was presented to
me at the time.
It's important to get the message out to the public of what NASA is doing and the museum
brings about events that may attract larger numbers of people than perhaps me as a single
solar system ambassador could possibly attract by myself and that's a really big tool for
us as ambassadors to be able to have a partnership with these museums.
We were also really excited about the opportunity to collaborate with local scientists and researchers
who could help us with that content piece of the science that we do here at the museum.
We have that opportunity to hopefully change someone's lives, especially with children,
to get them to hopefully look towards a future in STEM, looking towards a future in space
exploration or anything to do with NASA and if we can affect one life, make one positive
change, get somebody to go towards the sciences, it's just a huge opportunity.
