Dope Stories from Nature #15: B-boy Skunk!
From the American Museum of Natural History's Hall of North American Animals.
MacArthur Foundation Ending Support for Digital Media and Learning
Although we've known about this for awhile, this is the most public statement from the MacArthur Foundation, indicating that they are stepping back from their digital learning support. The latest essay from Julia Stasch the president of MacArthur Foundation makes clear that they are ending their support for several key parts of their portfolio, including affordable …
The Power of Pivoting in Teen Programs: “Failure” Is Just Another Data Point
One of the buzzwords we use a lot in Cal Academy youth programs is “pivoting.“ To pivot is a necessary and even welcome part of the process of working with youth. “Pivoting” is a term borrowed from business, and in particular tech companies, to describe how a firm can rapidly shift strategy or even entire product …
Program Coordinator Position Open with Cal Academy Youth Programs
Guess who's hiring? My Youth Programs team at the California Academy of Sciences! We're hiring an entry-level Program Coordinator to assist in the delivery and planning of programs that serve middle school and high school youth. If you have experience working with young people, have good organizational skills, and love science, this could be a great position …
Khan Academy Videos on Biodiversity in Tagalog / Filipino!
Back in May when I was on expedition in the Philippines, one of the most helpful resources we brought with us was a set of our biodiversity videos created for the Khan Academy translated into the local Filipino / Tagalog language. Most Filipinos have some facility with the English language, which is a part of …
De-digitizing a Mobile Game: Analog Spaceteam!
The “cooperative shouting game” called “Spaceteam” has been a part of the culture of my Digital Learning team for a couple of years now, ever since my friend Manu turned me on to it. If you have never played, you need to download the app to your phone or tablet, get 2-3 friends together immediately …
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The Science of Color: Videos from the Cal Academy
To coincide with our new and amazing "Color of Life" exhibit, we have several neat videos on the science of color created by our viz studio. Check them all out! Monarch Colors Colorful Cephalopods Chameleon Color Change Creating a Colorful Exhibit
Cal Academy’s Zeray Alemseged Shows “Lucy” to Obama, Gets on “The Daily Show”!
The Cal Academy's senior curator of anthropology Dr. Zeray Alemseged is not only one of the world's experts on human evolution, he's also great at media sound bites. Here he is in Ethiopia with President Obama showing the President the 3.2 million-year-old fossil "Lucy," a key ancestor to the human race. Zeray noted that all …
All Teens Invited to 3rd Annual Teen Science Night at Cal Academy August 14!
Teen Science Night at the California Academy of Sciences is BACK on Friday August 14! Teen Science Night is a free event open to all Bay Area youth aged 13-18 to come explore science through fun activities led by teens from a dozen different organizations, including Chabot Space and Science Center, the San Francisco Zoo, …