CILS has four programs related to developing leaders with a vision of science education that is inclusive, learner-centered, and content-rich, and that makes use of community resources and expertise, including informal science institutions such as museums, aquaria, botanic gardens, zoos, and science centers.

All CILS programs are designed to allow participants to develop relationships and experiences that span the practical to the theoretical, and to encounter a rich array of ideas and problems from a number of different disciplinary and theoretical perspectives. This broad exposure provides fertile ground for new research as well as a fundamentally different training experience for the next generation of leaders in informal science education.

Informal Learning Certificate Program at the Exploratorium
 There are currently 100 teacher educators from 50 informal science institutions participating in this two-year leadership program in inquiry, learning theory and school policy.

Graduate Programs at UC Santa Cruz and King's College London
 There are currently 23 students enrolled in graduate programs in science education and developmental psychology. These programs examine learning, and science learning, with an emphasis on social and cultural contexts, scientific discourse and argumentation, and designs for learning in out-of-school settings.

Postdoctoral Research Appointments at the Exploratorium, King's  College London, and UC Santa Cruz
 CILS has funded 12 postdoctoral fellows - three in developmental psychology, seven in science education, and one in biology - to conduct research to advance the CILS agenda.

Science Fellows Program at UC Santa Cruz
 There are currently 15 doctoral candidates in the natural sciences attending this three-year/three-quarter program. Participants take coursework in the learning sciences and develop field projects building on attributes and resources of informal science institutions and learning.