National Association of Academies of Science 

&

American

Junior Academy of Science

 
 

                                                                               

                                                                         HISTORY



In 1848 the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) was founded.  Since that time forty-seven state, regional, and municipal academies of science have been formed.  These forty-seven academies of science are now affiliates of AAAS.  In 1927, the AAAS Council authorized an Academy Conference to serve as a standing committee on relations among the affiliate academies and between them and the AAAS, and it has presented programs at subsequent Annual Meetings.  In 1969, the name of the Academy Conference was changed to Association of Academies of Science and in 1979 to the National Association of Academies of Science (NAAS).


The governing body of the NAAS is composed of two delegate representatives from each member academy.  The Assembly of Delegates meets annually to approve programs and elect its officers and Board of Directors.  Additionally, NAAS names two delegates to the AAAS Council and AAAS appoints a liaison to the NAAS board.


The NAAS keeps the member academies informed of each other‘s activities via newsletters and this Directory and Proceedings.  It also provides assistance to new academies to organize.  NAAS receives dues from its member academies in order to finance its activities.  The NAAS has a strong interest in the research activities of junior and collegiate academies of science and seeks to encourage young people interested in science.  The academies of NAAS are eligible to receive funds annually from AAAS for projects that encourage and support research by secondary school students.  Additionally, each year affiliated academies nominate two secondary school and two college students for one- year honorary memberships in AAAS.  The honorary memberships in AAAS include a subscription to Science.


For each AAAS Annual Meeting, NAAS invites its academies to send representatives from their junior academies to present scientific papers as part of the program of the American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS).  Much of the effort of the Board of Directors is dedicated to developing and implementing this high quality program for the students attending as AJAS delegates.  NAAS publishes the abstracts of these student projects in the Proceedings and on our website.

 

The National Association of Academies of Science (NAAS) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote the scientific and science education goals of its state, regional and municipal academies of science. The NAAS consists of 44 state and regional academies of science, which are organized to encourage all facets of scientific inquiry and experiences.


One of the most important functions of the NAAS is the sponsorship and parent organization of the American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS). The AJAS mission is to introduce, encourage and accelerate pre-college students into the world of science, engineering and technology by enabling and integrating their participation into the social, cultural and scientific activities of the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.   It does this primarily through science activities that allow students to experience the world of scientific research first hand.  One of the most rewarding experiences for students of the AJAS is their attendance and full participation as young scientists in the annual symposium of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).