DISCOVERY SCIENCE PLACE is ONE OF SEVEN MUSEUMS SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN CASE STUDY PROGRAM WITH New York HALL OF SCIENCE  

The Discovery Science Place has received confirmation of participation in an international case study program funded by the Noyce Foundation. The Science Career Ladder study is scheduled to take place between December 2008 and December 2009.  

The Tyler based, hands-on science center will participate in the study with the New York Hall of Science and five other museums. Seven science centers and museums, both nationally and abroad, will work with Geo Education and Research to conduct in-depth study of the practices and guiding principles that lead to a successful science career ladder model.

According to Michael Shanklin, Executive Director of Discovery Science Place, the museum will create a local workgroup consisting of institutional leaders, staff, community leaders and youth to develop goals and identify indicators of success for science career ladder study.  Additionally, Discovery Science Place representatives will attend a science career ladder institute in New York that will compare practices across institutions and produce a set of best practices that may be disseminated across the science center field.    

“Eighty percent of future careers will demand knowledge of science, math and technology,” stated Shanklin, “From doctors, nurses, and lab technicians to architects, designers, and construction workers; if children aren’t exposed to these disciplines, they will find themselves left out of most careers.” 

By participating in this Science Career Ladder Case Study program, Discovery Science Place will receive technical assistance directly from the New York Hall of Science. This will include on-site evaluation from Geo Education & Research that will give the museum the tools to evaluate the currently developing career ladder program. 

“We see partnerships, like the one formed with the New York Hall of Science, as good for the children of the communities we serve,” explained Shanklin. “This will give the children we work with in our after-school science clubs an amazing opportunity to look toward the future as they pursue their current interests in science, math and technology.” 

Built initially as a pavilion for the 1964 World’s Fair, the New York Hall of Science features the largest collection of hands-on exhibits in New York City. Since 1986, the Hall has served more than five million children, parents and teachers.  

Recently named as one of the Top 25 Science Centers in the nation by Parents magazine, Discovery Science Place is a non-profit, hands-on learning environment whose purpose is to open young minds to science, technology, math and cultures in order to meet the challenges of our times.  Located at 308 N. Broadway in downtown Tyler, it is supported by grants, donations, admissions, memberships and special events.

When approached by the Parents magazine project coordinator in mid-April, representatives at Discovery Science Place had no idea of the significance and impact that answering a few simple questions would have on the hands-on science museum.  It turned out to be the first step in a process that would span a four-month timeframe with multiple submissions, photos and questionnaires to the magazine that has a circulation of over 15 million subscribers.  

Being selected to submit information was an honor for the museum that will celebrate its 15^th birthday in September.  Comfortably positioned in East Texas between Dallas and Shreveport, when viewed on a national scale, the Discovery Science Place isn’t one of the largest or most high-tech museums.  But what it lacks in size is more than made up by their well-loved, hands-on exhibits on display throughout the three museum exhibit halls.  

With over 85 interactive activities in Discovery Landing, visitors are invited to venture deep inside a cave to explore subterranean wonders or to stand atop the great ship “Awakening” to explore maps and currency from around the world.  HomeTown USA, provides a myriad of familiar shops and businesses that are all child-size and invite the imagination to explore day-to-day experiences from a child’s perspective. There is also a third, traveling exhibit hall that features various exhibits such as the recent Weather Watchers that focused on the impact that weather has on daily life. The traveling exhibit hall will soon feature the visual perception exhibit, Color: The Science & Art of Seeing Light.

The magazine's September issue also came up with a list of the country's 10 best science centers, with an emphasis on those catering to younger children with hands-on exhibits and family-friendly experiments.  They are the Center Of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio; the Exploratorium in San Francisco; the Museum of Science in Boston; Liberty Science Center in Jersey City; the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo.; the New York Hall of Science in Flushing, Queens, in New York City; the California Science Center in Los Angeles; the Sci-Port Discovery Center in Shreveport, La.; the Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia; and the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore.

Parents magazine also identified 15 runners-up. Along with the Discovery Science Place in Tyler listed in this category, others include: Discovery Science Center, Santa Ana, Calif.; Detroit Science Center, Detroit; Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh; the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center, Mobile, Ala.; the Louisville Science Center, Louisville; Pacific Science Center, Seattle; Wonderlab Museum of Science, Health, & Technology, Bloomingtown, Ind.; Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago; Discovery Place, Charlotte; and The Children's Museum of Science and Technology, Troy, N.Y.; Sci-Works, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Science City at Union Station, in Kansas City, Mo.; Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, Calif.; Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, Vt.