News from the Executive Director

 

The new year brings many changes for the Children's Science Center, all to ensure that we continue to grow this museum.  We must grow to meet the incredible demand from our community's parents and schools.  We served 14,400 visitors last year, yet we had to turn away almost as many. The Children's Science Center is positioning itself to take a giant leap forward to grow into a museum home.  We've been working to finalize site agreements that will help us grow to serve 20 times the visitors we serve today, 300,000 annually.  With no children's museum here today, we feel great urgency to reach the half million children in northern Virginia and many thousands more in the DC metro area. When we hear from parents and teachers that our mobile STEM programs are igniting a love of science in their children, we want to make that possible for many more! That is why it's Time to Grow the Children's Science Center in 2014.  Please join us at one of our Imagine events to see our mission in action and find out how you can help, or take action today and invite others to join our list, Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter. Together, we will grow this museum!

 

Yours,

Nene Spivy

Executive Director, Children's Science Center

Great Progress 

 
See how we inspired a love of STEM learning in 2013 
Click to view slideshow

2013 By the Numbers

  • 14,400 visitors served with Museum Without Walls (MWOW) programs
  • 1,600 volunteer hours to support MWOW at over 60 events
  • 150% growth. Mobile Labs Family Science Night demand sky rockets
  • 12 new activities and workshops including robotics and solar energy update the Mobile Labs curriculum
  • 2 new Signature Events, Operation Ladybug and Nano Days serving 600 visitors
  • 18 summer Mini Labs through the Fairfax County Library System, reaching 1,500 visitors
  • $300,000 in gifts and pledges secured at annual fundraiser
  • $70,000 in grant funding
  • 4 Education Staff:  Director of Education, Science Educator, Education Programming Assistant, and Early STEM Educator
  • 4,100 newsletter readers, 1,500 Facebook and 1,300 Twitter followers
  • 30 Imagine Their Future virtual tours reaching over 260 interested community members.  
  • 20 subject matter experts from the business, federal government, and education sectors in new STEM Advisory Council
  • 2 days at Discovery Communications for the Discovery Impact Creating Change program 
  • 1 signed collaboration agreement with George Mason University
  • 410 donors strong with 160 supporting us with multiple year pledge commitments both big and small
View our slideshow to see how we inspired a love of STEM learning in 2013.  

Ringing in a New Year for the Children's Science Center
Executive Director
Nene Spivy

Organizational changes position Center for continued progress

 

The Children's Science Center is excited to ring in the New Year, in what promises to be another year of progress for our organization. In 2014, we will focus on entering the next phases of our initiative, opening an early operating site and preparing for our full-scale center. Our strategic priorities for 2014 include:
  • Finalize our first operating location and full scale museum site
  • Grow and enhance current education programs with preschools, elementary schools, museums, and other partners
  • Complete conceptual plans and campaign plans for full scale museum
  • Continue to build organization in key functional areas by adding staff, recruiting volunteers, and engaging industry professionals
Board Chair 
Tanya La Force

In order to accomplish our 2014 goals and position our organization for 

future success, Nene Spivy, the immediate past board chair, has been hired as the Children's Science Center's new executive director.  Tanya La Force, who has served as development chair and led efforts to raise more than $1 million dollars in seed funds for the museum, has been elected as the new board chair.  Board member Amy Burke will serve on the leadership team as vice chair.

 

Nene Spivy, an engineer and MBA, brings 25 years of diverse management experience and more than a decade of experience with children's museums to the position of executive director.  As executive director, Spivy will be responsible for carrying out the mission and implementation of the organization's strategic plan, providing administrative support to the board's policy making activities, 

coordinating the overall fundraising effort and managing staff.

 

Board Vice Chair
Amy Burke

 

La Force says the board is looking forward to another year of organizational growth with Spivy as executive director.  "The board is pleased that Nene has taken the executive director position. She is the right leader as the organization begins this next phase. Her transition to full-time executive director allows her to more fully focus on developing the team of staff, volunteers and industry professionals needed to design, fund and build a world-class children's science museum."

 

Spivy looks forward to her new role, "It is my honor and privilege to continue my leadership in this new chapter and work alongside dynamic staff and volunteers to grow this museum to serve the half million children in our region."   

Make Volunteering Your 2014 Resolution!

We need you

 

Did you make a New Year's resolution as you counted down to midnight on December 31?  No?  It's not too late - help the Children's Science Center strengthen its volunteer program by joining us as a volunteer! 

 

  • The Education Outreach Team needs youth volunteers to prepare supplies for our programs. Tasks include making Bottle Rocket Car nozzles, cutting and preparing egg cartons, and making minor repairs to our program equipment. Tasks will be distributed appropriate to age and/or experience. Some tasks can be performed at home with prior notification. Other tasks are more appropriate for after school time in our Herndon office. Service hours for academic credit will be honored.
  • Help spread the word as a Presenting Ambassador for 2014 events.  Our goal is to have information tables with a Presenting Ambassador at every Museum Without Walls event to share information and encourage people to sign up for our newsletter.   
  • Scientists agree that money does not, in fact, grow on trees ...The Grants Committee is looking for new members to help research funding sources, write, and edit grant proposals. Most work is done on your schedule, and participation in one monthly committee call or meeting.      
  • Volunteer Team Administrator: We are looking for a volunteer to post and edit events in our volunteer database. The volunteer is also responsible for contacting volunteers monthly and logging their individual hours. This position requires a time commitment of 3-15 hours/per month with the most time consuming months being August/September and April/May as new events need to be entered into the system for the school year and summer. 
  • Are you a designer that could help us create collateral and other materials?  The Marketing Committee needs your talents to bring our brand alive visually. 

Volunteer opportunities are available from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at each the following upcoming Museum Without Walls Mobile Labs Family Science Nights:

  • Wednesday, January 15: Rolling Ridge Elementary, Sterling
  • Friday, January 17: Marumsco Hills Elementary, Woodbridge
  • Wednesday, January 22: Kent Gardens Elementary, McLean
  • Friday, January 24: Brookfield Elementary, Chantilly
  • Wednesday, January 29: Hunters Woods Elementary, Reston
  • Wednesday, February 5: Buffalo Trail Elementary, Aldie
Do one of these roles sound like you? Contact us for more information about these and other volunteer roles at the Children's Science Center.
Importance of Hands-On Learning
A Personal Experience

 

As America prepares students for the 21st century, it is essential to foster an interest in Science,Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) content areas in early education.  How exactly does that interest begin?  As parents, we have a great deal of influence, in fostering an exposure and interest for our children.  I learned the hard way.  My technical and business education prepared me well for the work force; however, these same skills were not directly transferable to becoming a Mom and teaching my own children.  It was during my pregency with my second child, that I stepped back from my career, to stay home with my growing family. 

 

There began the journey -- some twenty-something years ago -- what could I possibly do with my children and how could I teach them?  As young children, the food containers or pots were infinitely more interesting than any toy I could provide.  We would build, stack, make music, go on adventures; the possibilities were endless.  The days were filled with drawing, reading, making "creations" of all kinds and shapes and observing the many birds that visited the birdfeeder everyday.  As the kids got older, they and their friends would spend hours in an imaginary world of dress-up and rearranging furniture for the stage of their next play. 

 

Well, these activities were building episodic memories and experiences, observing their world and making connections, for instance, rolling something with wheels: car, truck, or train.  The child would store this information as an episodic memory, usually physically moving the vehicle, later transferring the learning to semantic memory (fact based knowledge).  This learning process builds a set of guidelines, and allows the child to make connections based on the vivid experiences: wheels move things; with force the car would move either independently or by guiding the vehicle. 

 

Once the formal learning began, things became more difficult.  How do I engage my children when they didn't understand?  What could make learning fun?  Thus, an endless series of "trial and error" experiments to teach in a different way than was taught in school.  Through this quest, I developed a true love of both learning and teaching.  Yes, my own four children taught me that every child engages in academics differently; the trick, where to begin?  In the field of learning, research indicates that students make knowledge connections and develop deep understanding of concepts through hands-on, project-based learning (AAAS, 2000; Wells, 2013).  Activities that allow for "how did that happen?" or "why did that happen?" begin to engage the child in the hands-on-learning activity.  As children become engaged in their learning process the ultimate goal: to introduce and practice a technology/engineering design that embodies habits of both the hand and mind that together afford the learner knowledge and understanding necessary for developing appropriate solutions to human wants and needs (Wells & Ernst, 2012).

 

The hands-on learning is why I love volunteering with the Children's Science Center. 

 

Written by Mary Muldowney Jarratt, Children's Science Center volunteer, educator, First Lego League Robotics Coach and graduate student in Integrative STEM Education.  

 

References:

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2000).  Project 2061: Science for all Americans.  New York: Oxford University Press.

 

Wells & Ernst, Virginia Technology Integrative STEM Education 2012. retrieved : http://www.soe.vt.edu/istemed/

Nysmith School for the Gifted Hosts Imagine Their Future Tour  

Host a virtual tour at your school or organization 

 

Nysmith School for the Gifted in Herndon, Virginia hosted an Imagine Their Future Tour on November 15. Lower School Headmaster Gloria Small, who is also a Children's Science Center Community Ambassador, invited us to share the latest news of our STEM programming as well as the Children's Science Center's vision and plans to build a full-scale hands-on children's science center in the Northern Virginia region. Parents as well as the founder of the Nysmith School, Carole Nysmith, listened and then had the opportunity to ask questions after the presentation. If your school is interested in an Imagine Their Future Tour, please contact us. 

 

In photo: (left to right) Children's Science Center Executive Director
Nene Spivy; Nysmith PTA member Karin Varblow; Children's Science Center Board Chair Tanya La Force; Nysmith Lower School Headmaster Gloria Small; and Children's Science Center Board Member Lee Ann Brownlee

Imagine Their Future Tours 

Come learn about our plans firsthand


Join the hundreds of guests who have heard about our programs and plans first hand.  Come and hear what others are calling, "Exciting! Inspiring! Professional! and "This is a no-brainer!" Meet, Nene Spivy, executive director, Tanya La Force, board chair, and other board members and volunteers who are Making It Real.

 

Our goal is to spread the word about the Children's Science Center's work and vision for a hands-on interactive center focused on STEM learning so bring a friend, neighbor, colleague or your favorite educator to join us for an insightful hour.
 
Upcoming Dates:

Tuesday, January 14, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, January 22, 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 11, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, February 19, 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

 

Above events are held at our office in Herndon at the Center of Innovative Technology campus. Let us know when you are coming and we will share the venue directions and more details RSVP today!

Volunteer Spotlight: Dr. Tim Livengood

"Exploring Space: Inspiring Young Minds to Look Beyond Our World"

Dr. Tim Livengood is a planetary scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center who has spent 20 years exploring the atmospheres of other planets and recently begun working on the moon! Tim is involved with the Children's Science Center by working mostly with the Education team at Museum Without Walls events, by taking photos at the Operation: Ladybug and Mobile Labs events, and by lending time to the grants committee. Below are a few questions we pitched to Tim:

 

How did you become interested in science?

President Kennedy issued his challenge to the nation to reach the Moon about a year before I was born. I spent my childhood growing up with the manned space program and the Apollo program. I watched every lunar mission with my father....Of course, like any sensible child, I also was fascinated by dinosaurs! I learned to read by reading about dinosaurs. 

 

Why did you get involved with the Children's Science Center?

I have been going out to do science education and outreach for over a decade now. I have always been excited by discovery, and I have always been excited by sharing discoveries with other people, so they could know the same excitement. The Children's Science Center is an opportunity to share lots of discovery with lots of people, and to learn new things for myself at the same time.


What do you view as the most important scientific discovery?

That's a hard one! The most important discovery is the one we haven't made yet, but is just over the horizon. Forced to pick just one discovery from the past, I think I would pick the discovery of magnetism.

 

What is one thing everyone should know about science?

There have to be two things: science is creative, and science also is skeptical! Discoveries come from observing the world and concocting new ideas to understand how causes and effects are connected to each other.... Real discovery comes from learning that something we thought to be true, is not true.

 

What was the best lesson you learned from a mentor?

The best lesson I have learned is to follow my crazy ideas. I learned this by ignoring crazy ideas because they were so obviously silly, only to see someone else pursue the same crazy idea and make something of it. 

Congratulations to Community Ambassador Coordinator Sue Fajer

Association of Fundraising Professionals Distinguished Volunteer Award

 

Winchester, VA -- The Children's Science Center congratulates Sue Fajer, our Community Ambassador Coordinator, for her recent recognition as one of the recipients of The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Distinguished Volunteer awards.  Sue, along with 25 other volunteers, was recognized by the AFP at a volunteer luncheon on Friday, November 15 at The George Washington Wyndham Grand Hotel in Winchester.  November 15 is National Philanthropy Day.

 

Sue was recognized for her tireless work as the Children's Science Center's Community Ambassador and Special Events Manager.  "Sue's motivated to encourage her own children and the 40,000 we have reached, to love learning science and math through fun, engaging, hands-on activities," said Tanya La Force, Children's Science Center Board Chair.  "Sue is professional, organized, committed, trustworthy, creative and kind.  We are lucky to have her."

 

The AFP represents more than 30,000 members in 213 chapters internationally, working to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education and certification programs.

 

Thank you Sue and all of the outstanding volunteers for your amazing work with and for non-profit organizations!

Challenge: Science Experiment  

Blubbery Science


Blue whales migrate between warm breeding waters and cold feeding waters near Antarctica and inthe Arctic. Do you know how whales and other marine mammals keep warm when they are in very cold water?  They have a thick layer of fat under their skin called blubber. The blubber keeps them warm and also stores nutrients their body can use when they are in waters where there isn't much food.

 

Do this project to see how blubber can help keep whales and other marine mammals warm in the cold water.

 

Materials:

  • Container of ice water
  • Vaseline
  • 4 ziplock sandwich bags
  • Timer or clock / watch with second hand
  • Thermometer  

 

Process:

  1. Turn one of the ziplock bags inside out and place it inside another bag. Make sure you have the "zippers" lined up correctly so that you will be able to zip the two bags together. Fill the space in between the two bags with a thick layer of Vaseline, then  zip the edges together. This makes a type of glove with an opening for your hand to go in.
  2. Make a "control" glove by putting the other two ziplock bags inside each other. This will you give you the same amount of plastic, but with no insulating "blubber" layer.
  3. Put your hand in the control glove and stick it in the ice water. Time how long you can keep it there before it gets too cold for you.
  4. Now put your hand in the glove with the blubber in between the bags and submerge it in the water. Time how long you can keep it there. Can you hold your hand in the water longer?
  5. Put a thermometer in the control glove and put the end in the water. Record the temperature.  Do the same thing with the blubber glove.  What is the difference between the two temperatures? 

 

Explanation:

The fat molecules in Vaseline make them act a little like blubber.

 

Blubber helps keep animals warm because it acts as an insulator. An insulator slows down the transfer of heat, keeping the animal's body heat from escaping into the water and protecting it from the cold.

 

Finally, did you know that other marine mammals like seals and sea lions also have blubber.

 

Source: http://easyscienceexperiments.co.uk/blubbery-science 

The Children's Science Center is an interactive hands-on museum being planned for Northern Virginia. Our mission is to instill a love of learning science, technology, engineering and mathematics in all children by providing unique opportunities to explore, create, and be inspired. The Children's Science Center's Museum Without Walls program currently brings hands-on activities to thousands of children each year. The Children's Science Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Learn more: www.ChildSci.org. JLNV logo

 

The Children's Science Center is proud to have Junior League of Northern Virginia as a community partner.

 

  

 

These programs are made possible by the

generous support from our donors.