Thank you for your interest in becoming more involved with the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) by raising your hand to be considered for a committee or other volunteer opportunity. As a membership organization, ASTC relies on the voices of our members to guide us in our work to support and engage members and the informal science education field.
ASTC’s commitment to equity and diversity is integrated into all of our work, and each committee and activity is charged with advancing ASTC’s work to seek out and engage with members who have diverse ideas, perspectives, backgrounds, disciplines, knowledge systems, and approaches, and to, where possible, scale what works in equitable engagement in science and technology.
Service on ASTC’s ad-hoc committees and other volunteer roles is generally open to staff at all levels from ASTC’s Science Center and Museum Members and Allied Members in good standing. Pursuant to Article 5, Section 2 of the ASTC Bylaws, Board service is limited to chief executives of Science Center and Museum Members and executive-level leaders of Allied Members.
Ad-Hoc committees provide guidance to the ASTC staff and Board of Directors on areas within their scope of work. Most committees require at least a one-year commitment, which can often be renewed over several years. Please see the individual committee charters for specific information regarding committee service.
Other roles, including service on task forces, award juries, and project advisory bodies are usually time limited with a focused scope and charge and are formed at the direction of the Board Chair, who works with ASTC staff to identify diverse membership representative of the breadth of ASTC members and with experience relevant to the topic of the charge.
All individuals expressing interest will be put forward for consideration to the ASTC staff and/or relevant committee chairs who will make nominations to fill vacancies when they occur to the ASTC Board Chair for approval. Although we are happy to receive the names of interested individuals on an ongoing basis, volunteer opportunities tend to be more sporadic. Some committees will seek to add additional members annually, while others will not have vacancies. As such, you may not receive an acknowledgement or update for some time, but rest assured that your interest will be considered.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about ASTC committee services, email info@astc.org or visit https://www.astc.org/about/astc-committees/.