For Immediate Release
Contact: Diane LaFollette
500 President Clinton Avenue, Suite 150
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 396-7050, ext. 119
dlafollette@amod.org
Arkansas Discovery Network Kicks Off Major Educational Initiative
Gift from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation Funds First-of-its-Kind Museum Network
LITTLE ROCK, AR (Oct. 10, 2006) – This October Arkansas children will discover new ways to learn science. The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation of Las Vegas, Nevada has awarded more than $7 million to an innovative state-wide museum collaborative that will tour high-quality educational exhibits throughout Arkansas. The Arkansas Discovery Network is the first of its kind in the nation and launches its operation this fall.
“Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body” is the first exhibit to be shared by the seven partners of the Network. Opening at the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, the exhibit is highly interactive and uses animatronics and imaginative play to explore the good, the bad and the downright ugly about runny noses, body odor and much more. Kids and adults around the country have been fascinated with the creative and fun activities based on the best-selling book by Sylvia Branzei. Now families and students in Arkansas can enjoy these experiences through January 2009 at Network partner museums as it travels around the state.
The $7,373,173, five-year grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation of Las Vegas, Nevada comes after two years of state-wide planning for the museum network. The new network will focus on making hands-on, interactive museum experiences more accessible to the state’s 498,000 schoolchildren and their families.
“We know that many children in Arkansas seldom, if ever, have the opportunity to engage in the exciting experiential learning that comes from visiting our nation’s first-rate discovery museums,” said Fred W. Smith, Chairman of the Foundation. “The Discovery Network will allow children even in the most remote parts of the state to share in the hands-on learning and the sheer fun that comes from experiencing wonderful museum exhibits.”
In addition to the “Grossology” tour, the Network is developing a “museum on wheels”. The 40 foot vehicle will travel to rural areas featuring 10 interactive exhibits that will engage girls and boys in engineering skills. In “Race to the Planet X” student “Explorers” will execute assignments in computer-aided design, aerodynamic testing and laser beam splitting to gather information about the new planet. All activities and supplemental educational materials are aligned with the state science education framework to ensure it is a valuable learning experience for students. The vehicle will begin touring the state in 2007.
As a part of the Network activities, eight teachers have recently returned from the world-renown Exploratorium Summer Teacher Institute in San Francisco, California. Each spent four weeks immersed in the latest techniques in inquiry learning. Middle school and high school math and science teachers spent 110 hours with scientists discovering unique ways to teach science to children.
“The Institute was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career as an educator. The institute instructors were exceptional,” said Connie Tenberge, a recent Institute alumna. “My students are going to love doing these activities and hopefully love science because of them. I can't wait to share these ideas with the other teachers at my school.”
For those schools that rarely get the opportunity to visit a partner museum, the Network is offering scholarships for transportation and admission fees (where applicable) to a network partner museum. Schools may apply for the scholarship by contacting the network partner located nearest their school.
Network members include the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, Mid America Science Museum in Hot Springs, Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas in Pine Bluff, Texarkana Museum System in Texarkana, Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in Smackover and Arkansas State University Museum in Jonesboro. The Center for Mathematics and Science Education in Fayetteville will host network exhibits until a permanent northwest Arkansas museum partner is identified. Member museums are dedicated to hands-on discovery learning for children, families and educators.
“Our primary goal in funding this initiative is to touch as many rural children as possible in the state. Secondly, we hope to strengthen the individual member museums by providing resources through the network that they may never have had access to individually”, said Steven L. Anderson, president of the Foundation.
About The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation
The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, headquartered in Las Vegas, is a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named. The Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States.
About Arkansas Discovery Network
The Arkansas Discovery Network, funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, works to strengthen partner museums by sharing resources and expanding discovery learning opportunities across the state. The Museum of Discovery in Little Rock serves as the “hub” for the innovative museum network. Visit the website at www.arkansasdiscoverynetwork.org.
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