News from the Chair

 

As we ring in the New Year, the Children's Science Center celebrates the many accomplishments of 2010 and looks forward to 2011.  This year is a year of great opportunities; opportunities to increase the number of children we excite about the wonders of science with our Museum Without Walls programming, opportunities to enrich our exhibits and activities with even more exciting hands-on science learning, opportunities to expand our circle of friends and supporters, and the opportunity to find a home for our museum in Northern Virginia.  

We laid the groundwork for our efforts in 2010 by launching new science-rich exhibits, engaging more volunteers, hiring children's museum professionals to solidify our plans, and designing an exciting virtual tour program where community members can imagine the future for children in Northern Virginia with the Children's Science Center.  We look forward to a remarkable 2011 filled with learning, excitement and great progress towards opening our museum with walls!

 

Yours,

Nene Spivy 

Chair, Board of Directors
 

 2010 Accomplishments at a Glance

 

  • Hosted five Community Conversation forums to collect input from key cCommunity Conversation wtih businessesonstituent groups within our community.  Thanks to a team of leaders from Leadership Fairfax Emerging Leaders Institute we obtained valuable input to drive our plans and design for the museum and determine how best to support our community needs.
  • Provided 14 Museum Without Walls science education events reaching 3,861 children utilizing 391 volunteer hours.  This was made possible by significant logistics, funding, and in-kind support from Junior League of Northern Virginia and Family Magazine.  This programming has not only allowed us to fulfill our organization's educational mission but also to publicize our Enchanted Forest Iefforts and make numerous contacts with potential donors, local schools, interested parents and community volunteers.
  • Collaborated with area companies to encourage employees and teams of employees to join our volunteer force.   Thanks to support from Cornerstone Montessori, SAIC and Tetratech employees, we are expanding our capacity to serve local children with exciting hands on science activities.  We look forward to working with many more companies in 2011.
  • Designed and launched an innovative new community outreach Charette IIIand fund raising program along with new marketing materials.  Our virtual tours, called "Imagine Their Future With The Children's Science Center", will continue monthly throughout 2011.
  • Engaged professional children's museum consulting firm, Northstar Museum Advisors, to develop our comprehensive start-up plans which will be available in early 2011.
  • Held two charettes, collaborative design sessions.  One of these was kids-only in keeping with our unique "For Kids, By Kids" design philosophy.  These sessions allowed us to define the overarching themes for the content of our museum and build our Conceptual Plan.

2010 has been a busy and productive year, leaving us well positioned for the museum-building work that lies ahead.  Look for news in our next issue about Children's Science Center's 2011 goals and future events.

 
Thank You to our Wonderful Volunteers 

 

Volunteers at 1stIn 2010 the Children's Science Center made great progress toward its goals with the support of many wonderful volunteers.  As a volunteer-run and volunteer-supported organization, volunteers are literally the lifeblood of our organization.  We could not do anything without our volunteers.  We wanted to take this opportunity to thank those who have given their time and talents in 2010.  While we don't have a "red carpet" or an awards show to give recognition to these great people, we have posted a virtual "Wall of Thanks" on our website to recognize our volunteers.

 "Volunteers don't get paid, not because they're worthless, but because they're priceless."  ~Sherry Anderson 

 
New Year's Resolution: Volunteer!

Make a difference in your community by volunteering with the Children's Science Center                                    Volunteer

 

Is one of your resolutions for the New Year to volunteer?  If so, you are in good company.  Volunteering is one of the top 10 resolutions that people make  in the new year. 

 

Last year, 63.4 million Americans age 16 and older volunteered and the number of Americans volunteering in their communities jumped by 1.6 million last year, the largest increase since 2003. 

 

The Children's Science Center has many opportunities for you to get involved.  Whether you are looking for a regular commitment or sporadic opportunities, we have something that will suit your schedule and interests.  We have roles in fund development, Museum without Walls programming, education, community outreach, marketing, communications etc. etc.  Send us a quick note at volunteer@thechildrenssciencecenter.org to let us know your interests.  Thank you in advance!

 

 

 

Welcome New Board Members   

 

The Children's Science Center is pleased to welcome James L. Dunn and Rene' Wilkinson as new members to our Board of Directors as a part of our ongoing initiative to build our Board with new expertise and experience.  Their talent and dedication to excellence will help the Children's Science Center chart the future and set a new standard for Board participation.

 
 
Museum without Walls Event
Fun Family Event at the National Building Museum
 
Look for a new "Museum without Walls" exhibit at the Discover Engineering Family Day Festival at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C on February 19, 2011.  The annual festival features dozens of hands-on activities provided by local engineering chapters and national organizations.
 
Each year at the start of Engineers' Week, the impressive main hall of the National Building Museum  is taken over by thousands of children of all ages experiencing the excitement of engineering . . . not to mention gumdrops, toothpicks, and slime!  
 
Join the Children's Science Center's "Museum without Walls" as we present an engaging, hands-on, engineering-themed exhibit for our visitors on February 19, 2011.  Volunteers will be needed from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  To help, contact MuseumWithoutWalls@theChildrensScienceCenter.org 
 
Challenge:  Lift an Ice Cube out of the Water with just a String
Change the freezing point of water

What You Need:
  • Ice Cubes
  • Glass or cup of water
  • String
  • Salt

What You Do:Ice Salt experiement

  • Put an ice cube into the glass.
  • Place the string over the ice cube.
  • Sprinkle salt over the portion of the ice cube where the string makes contact with it.
  • Lift the string after a minute or two.
  • Fill the glass with water. 
Why this Works:
 
The ice surrounding the string starts to melt as it extracts heat from the surrounding water, which in turn refreezes around the string.  Subsequently the cube adheres strongly to the string and it can easily be lifted using this string. 



     
The Children's Science Center is an interactive hands-on museum being planned for Northern Virginia. Our mission is to excite children about science, technology, engineering, and math by making these subjects fun and enabling children to learn through play. For more information, visit www.TheChildrensScienceCenter.org. Please direct all inquiries to The Children's Science Center, 485 Spring Park Place Suite 500, Herndon VA 20170.
 
The Children's Science Center is a signature project of the Junior League of Northern Virginia.    JLNV logo
 
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