Museum of Science and Industry

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY PRESENTS SCIENCE REDISCOVERED

$205-Million Capital Campaign Focuses on Education, Exhibits and Engaging Experiences

CHICAGO—The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago announced in April 2008 its Science Rediscovered capital campaign to raise $205 million to support its vision to inspire and motivate children to achieve their full potential in the fields of science, technology, medicine and engineering. Science Rediscovered is the Museum's largest fundraising effort since its opening more than 75 years ago.

The Museum will secure the funding to complete a plan that encompasses three main priorities — engaging education and public engagement programs, transformative exhibits and enhanced guest experiences.

The Museum's dedicated vision is in response to America's need for new generations of scientists and engineers who can help sustain our nation's legacy of innovation and scientific leadership. In the Museum's "State of Science in America" survey, conducted by Harris Interactive® in 2008, 79 percent of Americans said they feel that science is not receiving the level of attention it deserves in our nation's schools, and only 35 percent believe America will be the world leader in science 20 years from now.

"We are taking a leadership role in addressing this critically important issue with a bold vision to help inspire as many children as possible," said David Mosena, president and CEO of the Museum of Science and Industry. "The Science Rediscovered capital campaign places educational programming at the heart of the Museum experience. It has the potential to expose millions of children and adults, here at the Museum and in the community, to programs that reinforce essential scientific values and teach methods of thought and inquiry that last a lifetime."

Center for the Advancement of Science Education

In response to the limited amount of time devoted to science in the typical school day and the low numbers of teachers actually certified to teach science, the Museum has created the Center for the Advancement of Science Education. The Center's goals are to empower teachers, excite students and engage the community. All of the programs are designed to go beyond the Museum's walls to serve children where they are—in schools, community organizations and even at home, through our Web site, www.msichicago.org.

The education initiatives driven by the Center will reach children at the Museum and at their after school and weekend activities; provide tools and training for science teachers to improve the quality of classroom learning; and expand Museum programming, such as the Science Minors program, which provides teens with science instruction and service-learning hours. Science Rediscovered is also providing funding for new state-of-the-art lab spaces in the Museum that offer students inspiring, hands-on learning opportunities.

Transformative Exhibits

Spectacular exhibitions are at the heart of the Museum experience, and they are a key part of the strategy to achieve our vision. The Museum's dynamic exhibits, with their awe-inspiring size and scale, serve as a breathtaking backdrop for in-depth learning opportunities for all of our guests.This Science Rediscovered effort includes the redevelopment of the Museum’s core science content and the renewal of beloved Museum icons. New large-scale “iconic” exhibits include YOU! The Experience, which opened in October 2009; Science Storms, which opened in March 2010; and  Explore: Blue Planet • Red Planet and Energy Planet, which will open in the next few years. Other exhibit renewal efforts that are already complete include significant enhancements to Farm Tech, the Henry Crown Space Center, the Transportation Gallery, Idea Factory and the Coal Mine.

Guest Experiences

In order to fulfill our vision, the Museum must present unique, dynamic experiences that engage students, teachers and parents. The campaign will fund several new on-site offerings including dozens of live floor demonstrations; new facilitated experiences such as the Fab Lab and Earth Revealed; specially trained staff in exhibits and throughout the Museum that will make a personal connection for each and every guest; and new amenities such as eco-friendly restrooms and improved signage.

Science Rediscovered will also fund a variety of new ways to use new technologies to link families with the Museum from the convenience of their home computer. New technologies will be incorporated into each iconic exhibit that will allow guests to communicate and interact with the content. Examples include downloading at-home science experiments and being able to create personalized Museum Web pages that allow guests to capture and share the favorite photos and videos collected during their Museum visits.

Campaign Leadership & Advisors

The Science Rediscovered campaign officially began in 2005 after a unanimous vote by the Museum's Board of Trustees, then led by W. James Farrell, retired chairman and CEO of Illinois Tool Works SLP, LLC and now led by Board President William Goodyear, chairman and CEO of Navigant Consulting, Inc. The campaign is chaired by W. James Farrell. Barry L. MacLean, president and CEO of MacLean-Fogg Company and William A. Osborn, chairman of Northern Trust Company serve as co-chairs of Science Rediscovered.

To create the plan funded by Science Rediscovered, the Museum enlisted the help of more than 300 scientists, educators, topic experts from all over the United States and local civic leaders. Their ideas continue to provide the Museum with exciting ways to implement new technologies into all of our projects; exhibit and content topics to explore; and inventive ways to capture the minds of kids and educators.

• Science Rediscovered Press Release (PDF)
  

Institute for Quality Science Teaching

Teacher Development Workshops within the Museum's Institute for Quality Science Teaching provide hundreds of educators a year a variety of ideas for experiments, the supplies to bring these experiments back to their classroom and the chance to inspire their students. (photo by J.B Spector, Museum of Science and Industry)

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After-School Science Clubs

The Museum hosts more than 260,000 school children a year on field trips and approximately 18,000 students per year take advantage of Learning Labs like this Crime Lab, in which kids experiment with the principles of forensic science. (photo by J.B Spector, Museum of Science and Industry)

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After-School Science Clubs

After-school science clubs allow the Museum to go into more than 50 communtity organizations and schools to offer additional exposure to fun and interactive science activities. (photo by J.B Spector, Museum of Science and Industry)

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Science Minors

The Museum's Science Minor and Science Achiever programs engage and train area teens in science—and transform them into facilitators on the Museum floor. Since the programs inception in 2003, the Museum has "graduated" more than 500 teens. (photo by J.B Spector, Museum of Science and Industry)

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