GUIDING PRINCIPLES:

Science is an indispensable tool for understanding our world, becoming an informed citizen, and enriching people's lives. In today's world, each citizen must have a solid base in the understanding of, and appreciation for, scientific concepts and their essential role in the betterment of humankind.

Our Mission

Aspen Science Center's mission is--through excellence in science education, outreach and policy--to promote scientific literacy, critical thinking and innovative scientific solutions to our largest challenges worldwide.

Organization

The Aspen Science Center is a 501 (c)(3) organization committed to using high-level access, a focus on solutions (rather than colloquy) and agility to create and effect large-scale change in otherwise immovable institutions and systems.

Our goal is serve as a catalyst: to bring unexpected, high-level resources and thought-leaders to bear on specific large, unwieldy challenges: the woeful state of science education in the US, science and the media (why can't they get along?), developing a scientific "critical path" solution set for an optimized, high-energy/low carbon future, proliferating inquiry-based science as an engaging portal into the larger world of scientific exploration.

Education:

At the student level, the ASC exerts leadership in promoting science education in the region, state, and nation. It serves learners of all ages. We will focus our resources on those efforts that have the potential to be most fruitful for improving the knowledge, understanding, teaching and learning of science.

We employ the latest technology and instructional techniques, including traditional, innovative, formal, and informal methods. These may include student services through an active museum and traveling science programs, teacher education, curriculum development, and research into the teaching and learning of science. In accordance with the interdisciplinary nature of modern scientific inquiry, The Aspen Science Center has partnerships with universities and other educational institutions, collaborating with them to serve a broad and diverse audience throughout the United States and beyond.

Outreach

Whether you are one of the 200 community members attending our Physics Cafes and Physics BBQs, or one of our gifted minority students enjoying accelerated math and science while learning how to white-water raft, or learning physics algorithms to describe the angular momentum of the roller coaster ride  you took at Elitches, you are experiencing the engaging, "informal science" that ASC presents to keep enthusiasm and wonder alive. The AAAS describes grades 3-8 as "the valley of death", where a majority of students--who were enraptured with science till now-- become bored, disillusioned, and leave, never to return in a meaningful way. We provide the bridge over that valley with innovative and captivating experiential (ie hands-on) science explorations that keep the curiosity, independent thinking, and self-driver (as opposed to top-down) solution seeking that are critical to maintaining a passion for science.

Solutions

Our Solutions Summits are national, policy-level gatherings convened under the Chatham House Rule to enable free and frank discussion. They are designed to tackle a large, unwieldy challenge and develop a coherent solution set with a clear strategy for implementation, ready to go as soon as the meeting finishes.

Our 2010 Energy Summit

During the highly successful strategic summit in Aspen, NGO, government and Industry leaders recognized that there is tremendous value in working together to fast track increased demand for natural gas in the power and transportation sectors through federal, EPA and state by state initiatives (4 TCF of increased demand offsetting 400 million tons of CO2).

The assembled NGO, government and Industry leaders agreed that the only way to unleash the economic, social and environmental benefits of natural gas was to work much more closely together.  The Critical Path Energy Project provided a program of projects to help enable the best environmental use for Natural Gas.  The Aspen Science Center will continue to  serve as a catalyst to drive the strategic programs that emanated out of the meeting.

Ambassador C Boyden Gray concurring with Robert F Kennedy Jr

The Aspen Science Center is a 501 (c)(3) organization founded to explore,optimize and drive superior education, outreach, and scientific solutions to everyone from the local student to the German Energy Commissioner. You can help support science education, outreach and solutions by contacting us at (970) 300-4784 or info@AspenScienceCenter.org.  All donations are tax deductible.