As a physician, I am concerned about the current and future workforce needs for highly qualified healthcare professionals and our need for medical science innovation to discover the next breakthrough intervention that will improve the health of our friends and neighbors. The Science Factory is a wonderful community asset to stimulate the scientific minds of the youth in our community and to provide a setting for them to become excited about growing up to be doctors, nurses, and research scientists. In a time of economic challenges in our schools the Science Factory supports many school groups by offering high quality science instruction in a fun, creative setting.
Review from Guidestar
I am an engineer for 30 years and have been a volunteer Board member of the Sceicne Factory since 2003. In that time I have seen the development of educational programs including: interactive exhibits, plaetarium shows, labs, and camps. There has been a culture shift toward improved education and staff development in that time, with direct ties to local schools and activities for families. The result of this has been a sustained growth rate in visitor participation. That rate has been from 5700 visitors in 2003 to over 35,000 in 2010.
In 2009 the obstacle to advancing programs was the outdated equipment in the Planetarium. That was quickly addressed with a 6 month fundraising campaign. The growth rate contiunues.
The next obstacles are space related. Space to expand and store exhibits, space for staff work.
The Science Factory, with it's new exploration dome, is a great hands on museum where children are exposed to the wonders of science. We know that many of the children have gone on to make science their career as a result of this museum. Since the board of directors is aware of the relatively small size of museum in proportion to the size of the area it serves, a capital campaign to expand the museum is always on our mind. This expansion would allow for both traveling and permanent exhibits to exist at the same time. In the mean time, the museum offers numerous programs to service the children of our community.
Review from Guidestar