Museum of Science and Industry

Have a Heart - Ours Is 13 Feet Tall!

Posted By: Jerry Rice, Sept. 9, 2009 11:45 AM

The Museum of Science and Industry has a big heart. You may have even seen it featured recently on NBC5 Chicago. If not, check out the video, “MSI Gets Heart Transplant,” on the NBC5 Chicago Web site. [Missing out on exciting MSI news? Connect with us online on Facebook and Twitter.]

The new 13-foot, 3-D Giant Heart beats in time with your own and invites you to explore any part of the heart, including blood vessels, blood flow and valves.

The new Giant Heart is part of YOU! The Experience, which opens on October 8 in Abbott Hall.

Brought to you through the generosity of Abbott, the Abbott Fund and the Pritzker Foundation. Additional major funding provided by J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family, Mazza Foundation, and Robert S. and Susan E. Morrison.

---

The Countdown Begins: YOU! The Experience in Abbott Hall

Posted By: Jerry Rice, Sept. 2, 2009 1:15 PM

We're officially less than six weeks away from the opening of YOU! The Experience, one of the first and largest exhibitions that showcases what it means to live a vital, healthy life in the 21^st century while inviting you to experiment with more than 50 fun, cutting-edge and provocative interactive displays. 

On your personal journey through the exhibit, you’ll get moving on a human-sized "Hamster Wheel," and see real-time feedback on your body’s response to activity. You’ll play a game of competitive relaxation and diagnose and treat medical conditions suffered by iSTAN®, the Human Patient Simulator, a computer-controlled, full-sized mannequin like those used to train today's medical students.

YOU! The Experience opens on October 8, 2009. Years in the making, there's nothing out there quite like YOU! 

Check back soon for a closer look at some of the key features of YOU!

---

CDW Helps Museum Surprise Science Achievers

Posted By: Jerry Rice, June 30, 2009 2:05 PM

On Tuesday, June 9, graduating seniors in the Museum’s Science Achievers program got much more than they expected at the end of a special participant celebration for the Museum’s Center for the Advancement of Science Education (CASE).

“The Museum of Science and Industry is so proud of the hard work and dedication of all of our young scientists,” said Museum President and CEO David Mosena. “We want each of our graduates to know that you have inspired us. That’s why we’d like to support each of the graduating Science Achievers with a gift – a laptop computer, generously donated by CDW Corporation.”

“We at CDW are proud to support the Museum of Science and Industry in its important work to improve the quality of science education for students throughout Chicago,” said Sandy Pierantoni, senior program manager, community relations at CDW Corporation. “We are pleased to provide these graduating seniors with laptop computers to help them in their studies as they prepare to enter college. Whether or not they choose to pursue a scientific degree, I am confident that thanks to the Museum’s Science Achievers program, they will bring a healthy respect for scientific inquiry to bear on whatever profession they choose.”

The Museum thanks CDW for its generosity in addition to all of our donors, who help make CASE programs like Science Achievers possible.

---

“I’m a Scientist Because …” – CASE Event Celebrates Museum’s Science Rock Stars!

Posted By: Jerry Rice, June 11, 2009 4:35 PM

“I’m a scientist because I’m interested in a medical career and want to become a surgeon,” exclaimed Mariela Gentil.

“I’m a scientist because I want to improve life for all mankind,” added Cyle Colbert.

Mariela and Cyle are graduating high school seniors participating in our Science Achievers program. On Tuesday night, June 9, 2009, the Museum of Science and Industry and some of Chicago’s heavy hitters in education celebrated the achievements of graduating Science Achievers and teachers completing credentialed professional development coursework in our Institute for Quality Science Teaching. In addition to hearing words of encouragement from Ron Huberman, CEO of Chicago Public Schools, all 16 graduating seniors were invited to speak about their experiences onstage.

“I’m Nikita Bactee. I’m a scientist because I believe that every day is a new opportunity to discover and explore,” related one senior.

Emmanuel Horton plans to study electrical engineering at the University of Missouri. “I’m a scientist because I want to experiment with the unknown,” he told the crowd.

“At a time when schools face shrinking resources and growing demands, the Museum is helping to fill the gap by extending the inspirational and educational qualities of our exciting exhibits to help teachers become better science instructors,” said Andrea Ingram, the Museum’s vice president of education and guest services. “We’re also extending new opportunities to neighborhoods and communities through the Science Minors program, which reaches children and teens and encourages them to take a hands-on approach to science.”

We’ve heard from a Nobel Laureate, a NASA astronaut and more that the Museum helped inspire them to pursue science and achieve success. As part of Science Rediscovered, we are developing the Center for the Advancement of Science Education (CASE) to capture those moments of inspiration that kids get when they see our spectacular exhibits and help them pursue their newfound interests.

Personally, I’m a scientist because I like to solve problems and continue trying new solutions until I find one that works. With the Science Minors program and Institute for Quality Science Teaching, the Museum seems to have landed on some key solutions to the problem of inspiring a new generation of motivated science professionals. According to the words of our Science Achievers, we seem to be doing just that—and that’s music to my ears.

“I’m a scientist because I appreciate how the field of science has influenced me to become a veterinarian,” said Iris Muhammad.

Congratulations to Iris and all of the Science Achievers and teachers who took part in Tuesday night’s celebration of science rock stars! We all look forward to hearing about your future success.

---

Excited to Learn:  Science Minors Clubs Family Day

Posted By: Jerry Rice, May 26, 2009 12:05 PM

“It’s kind of like learning from your big brother,” explained nine-year-old Sarah, a participant in the Museum’s after-school Science Minors Clubs, when asked about learning about frog dissection from Derrick Ayers, a high school student in the Science Achievers program. “I didn’t think I was going to like this, but it’s fun to see how everything works.”

That’s the whole point behind Family Day and the Science Minors series in general. Younger kids learn from their peers and from older students. The older students get lots of practice explaining and presenting in a low-pressure environment – they can make mistakes and learn how to correct themselves and keep on going. All of them – more than 5,000 students across the three levels of the Science Minors series – get exposure to fun, hands-on science experiences and careers in science, technology, medicine and engineering.

“I want to be a neonatologist,” said Sandi Coffee, a high school student in the Science Achievers program. [Neonatology is the branch of pediatrics that deals with the care of newborn infants – don’t worry, I didn’t know that either!] “I like working with kids, and I want to be there when they are born—and make sure they are doing fine.”

On Saturday, May 8, participants in the Science Minors Clubs were invited to the Museum for Family Day to share their experiences with their parents and to work on hands-on science experiences with the older Science Minors and Science Achievers students. One student described the experience in one word, “Awesome!” Others were too focused on building a trebuchet (a type of catapult) and measuring the distance it could fling a ping pong ball to comment. I’ll chalk that up to a successful event!

As part of the Museum’s Center for the Advancement of Science Education, the Science Minors series is an important tool that helps us inspire the next generation of inventors and innovators. We’re looking forward to the day when we hear from the first astronaut to step foot on the surface of Mars and she shares, “You know, I’ve dreamed of this moment since I was ten years old, and it was the Museum of Science and Industry that inspired me to dream big!”

---

Science Rediscovered Campaign Update

Posted By: Jerry Rice, May 4, 2009 2:45 PM

As of April 2009, we have raised $153,737,624 toward our $205-million goal for the Science Rediscovered campaign. In what can be described as one of the most difficult times to raise money in recent history, support for our campaign is holding strong thanks to our vision, a strategic plan with real community impact, a committed Board of Trustees, and donors who believe in that we’re doing. In this challenging economic environment, there is a growing realization that innovation is the key to America’s future economic prosperity, and our vision is to inspire the next generation of inventors, innovators and thinkers.

As we have stated all along, we are doing much more than building new exhibitions. We are taking a stand for quality science instruction across the Chicago region and beyond. We continue to lead a citywide effort to make Chicago’s science resources accessible to families and classrooms through Science Chicago: Life’s a Lab. We take science straight to the community through our Science Minors after-school science clubs, which now reach 57 sites and nearly 5,000 students. We train teachers through in-depth workshops that help them raise the level of science instruction in their classrooms. And, of course, we inspire children with our incredible exhibit experiences.

We have a ways to go to reach $205 million. It may take time to get there. But with the donor support we have and the momentum we are building for our cause, we are confident that we will achieve the financial goal that will ensure the successful implementation of the Science Rediscovered blueprint. We work hard to make every dollar count, and we appreciate the support of our generous donors.

---

More than Exhibits … Tools to Teach and Inspire

Posted By: Jerry Rice, April 24, 2009 10:34 AM

Our process for building new exhibitions involves much more than just building things that bring people to the Museum. We work to make sure that when we invest in a new exhibit, it teaches fundamental principles of science, provides hands-on ways to have fun and interact, and allows the staff in our Center for the Advancement of Science Education (CASE) to take full advantage of each exhibit to teach students and provide professional development opportunities to teachers.

The Museum brings together the best and the brightest—advisory committees comprised of science, education and design experts—to inform exhibit development. We’re proud to have world-renowned doctors, teachers, cave explorers, astronauts and physicists as part of our team. We also engage education experts from CASE to help us align the exhibit experiences with the science principles that students are expected to learn in school. And last but not least, we prototype the exhibits and invite families and youth advisory panels to test our ideas and tell us what they like—and what they don’t. And we continue to refine our ideas until the very moment we open a new exhibit to the public.

The process doesn’t stop there. Exhibits will continue to be refreshed and updated once they’ve opened to provide guests with the most current, cutting-edge science content. For example, in September, we debuted Fast Forward … Inventing the Future. Families and students on field trips are drawn into several interactive experiences, including talking to Zeno, a Conversational Character Robot designed by robotics engineer David Hanson. Guests also view a vertical farm and play an interactive game that teaches them about the possibilities of urban agriculture. And as new discoveries are made and new inventions debuted, the Fast Forward gallery will incorporate these new ideas and feature new innovators for our guests. An advisory committee is now being formed to help the Museum identify and select new innovations to feature in the exhibit.

In addition to providing great experiences for guests, Fast Forward also serves as a teaching tool for CASE. Middle-school teachers attend professional development workshops at the Museum, and our facilitators use Fast Forward’s vertical farm and Reactable (see image above) to help them understand science principles involved in everyday activities, such as the way sound travels in waves.

Learn more about our future exhibitions, including YOU! The Experience, which opens later this year: 
YOU! The Experience
Science Storms
Explore: Blue Planet • Red Planet

---

VP Andrea Ingram Brings ‘Inspire and Motivate’ Message to D.C.

Posted By: Jerry Rice, March 4, 2009 11:10 AM

Last Thursday morning, Andrea Ingram, our vice president of education and guest services, took our vision to inspire a new generation of innovators straight to lawmakers in Washington, D.C. She testified before a Congressional subcommittee in a hearing titled “Beyond the Classroom: Informal STEM Education.”

“America’s social and economic future depends on new generations of scientists who can sustain our legacy of innovation and science leadership,” said Ingram. “It is critical that we support students, teachers and families as we work to advance science education and inspire a new generation of scientists.”

Ingram joined a small panel of witnesses to discuss the role of informal environments, like the Museum, in promoting learning in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). There is growing consensus that improving STEM education is critical to our nation’s economic strength and global competitiveness. The current economic climate underscores the importance of successful innovation to a strong economy for future generations of Americans.
“The timing is critical,” Ingram told Chicago Public Radio’s Lynette Kalsnes before the hearing. “With the weak economy, the U.S. needs to focus on innovation.”

Ingram highlighted the Museum’s bold plans to inspire and motivate our children to achieve their full potential in scientific fields and achieve breakthroughs that change the world. Our Center for the Advancement of Science Education trains teachers and supports students by making science fun, exciting and accessible. We are developing spectacular new exhibits with local and national science learning standards and school curricula informing the design process. Our work with universities, schools and national labs through Science Chicago: Life’s a Lab is helping us make Chicago’s wealth of science resources accessible to the public and creating lasting partnerships among organizations that will continue to serve Chicago.

We were honored to participate. We are pleased that our hard work, along with the support we receive for Science Rediscovered, is helping to spread the word that organizations like ours can be a strong force for positive change in a critical area like STEM education.

---

A Hands-on Green Revolution!

Posted By: Jerry Rice, February 13, 2009 3:28 PM

Hands-on science experiments are at the heart of what we do at the Museum every day. We learn by having fun!

Last weekend, children at the Museum got their hands dirty as they used indigo powder and other natural products to create their own tie-dyed handkerchiefs as part of the Museum’s annual Black Creativity program. This year’s exhibit, Green Revolution, focuses on green technology and innovation and introduces you to African-American architects, engineers, designers and business leaders involved with the green movement. More than 1,500 people turned out for Black Creativity Family Day last Saturday.

This weekend will offer even more exciting opportunities to participate in activities surrounding the Green Revolution exhibit. On Saturday, drop in for some fun recycled paper-making activities, attend one of two panel discussions on eco-centric research and sustainability, or brush up on your green knowledge with a “mini-course.” Check out the full schedule of events here!

In our effort to inspire the next generation of scientists, we continuously develop new and exciting science activities that are both fun and educational. This coming weekend is Valentine’s Day, and we have some fun Valentine’s Day activities planned. On Saturday, February 14, continue the “green” theme and make a recycled paper Valentine from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. or create heart-shaped “loveflakes” from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

As always, you can support these great programs by making a gift to the Museum’s Annual Fund today!

---

Imagine. Invent. Inspire.

Posted By: Jerry Rice, February 5, 2009 3:19 PM

Peek behind the scenes as we transform our Museum from top to bottom!

Welcome to the official blog for Science Rediscovered, our campaign to inspire the next generation of inventors, innovators and thinkers!

Most people see the Museum as a building with a collection of amazing objects and exciting hands-on exhibits. And they’re right! But we are much more than that. We are truly a mission-driven non-profit organization, and our spectacular exhibitions are just one component of our efforts to realize our vision: to inspire and motivate our children to achieve their full potential in the fields of science, technology, medicine and engineering.

To achieve our goal, we developed Science Rediscovered, a campaign to raise $205 million, and our effort to reenergize the Museum of Science and Industry from top to bottom. We are:
•    Transforming more than 90% of our exhibit space through new exhibits and exhibit renewal projects.
•    Developing our Center for the Advancement of Science Education to improve the quality of science teaching and directly inspire students.
•    Creating a more dynamic guest experience, including a new, interactive Web site, improvements to the building and more.
•    Leading the year-long Science Chicago: Life’s a Lab celebration in partnership with more than 140 other organizations.

Where did we get all the great ideas? We invited brilliant people from all over the country to help us brainstorm, create plans and test our ideas. We included a Nobel Laureate, teachers, NASA astronauts, Disney Imagineers, civic leaders and even children. The results are breathtaking—our plans are coming to life every day here at the Museum and at locations across the city.

This blog will give you a peek behind the scenes as we build the exhibits, experiences and programs transforming the Museum. Come back often for new updates—or if you can’t wait, you can begin by exploring our Web site at sciencerediscovered.org!

---