miSci Newsletter

March / April 2014

Our Mission: To inspire people to celebrate and explore science and technology, past, present and future.

Quick Links

Our Website

Upcoming Events

1 - 2:30PM
Through April 6.

Celebrate a national week of nanoscale science and engineering with educator-led demos and hands-on activities.

April Break
Hands-on Science Classes for Kids

Mon. Apr. 14 -
Fri. Apr. 18
8:30am - 5pm

Week-long,
full-day
hands-on FUN!

Astro Kids
Grades 3 - 5

Engineering Mission
Grades 6 - 8

Space is limited. Register TODAY!
Call 518-382-7890
x 237

April Break

Sat. Apr. 12
through
Sat. Apr. 19

9am - 5pm
Mon. - Sat.

12 - 5pm Sun.

Explore Butterflies!
Discover hands-on fun from San Francisco's Exploratorium in Notion of Motion!

Enjoy Planetarium Shows, Pocket Tech demos and more!

Little Wonders
of Science

More sessions to accommodate more families!

Thurs., Apr. 17,

Fri., Apr. 18
&

Sat., Apr. 19

9:30AM & 11AM

Planetarium Shows

Schenectady Museum's Suits-Bueche Planetarium

NEW! Spring Show

Night of the Lion

Weekends, 3pm

Special April Break Shows
4/12 - 4/19*
10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm

*shows start at 1pm on Sundays

Summer Hands-on Science Classes

Full-day, week-long FUN!

8:30am - 5pm
Monday - Friday

Explore forensics, robotics, astronomy and more!

Complete list of classes

COMING SOON!

GROSSOLOGY

May 17 - Sept. 1

Special Member Preview Night

Thurs. May 15

COMING SOON!

Making Sense of Sound

Opens June 14

Neil and Jane Golub

miSci After Dark

Ever wonder what happens after miSci closes for the day? Are you thinking that the butterflies must enjoy a respite from the commotion and light of the day's visitors? We used to just turn off the lights and lock up, but at the new miSci we are often busy at night. We have added evening member previews for our new exhibits, increased the number of evening special events, continued to do the occasional lecture, have special employee or customer nights for our corporate and business supporters, host monthly meetings of Schenectady's ham radio club SMARA, the Dudley Observatory Board, and the Albany A miSci gala 2013

rea Amateur Astronomers, and offer teacher staff development for local educators four nights a year. In addition, we will host our annual gala - The Big Bang at miSci - Friday, May 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. For tickets to this evening of premier networking, gourmet cuisine, live music, an exciting silent auction and a memorable ground fireworks display, please call 518-382-7890 x 250. Finally, miSci is a perfect place to rent for private special events after hours. To this array of activity we have just this last year added Camp-Ins.

For Camp-Ins, we welcome 30 to 100 or so scouts or other youth groups (and their chaperones, of course) for an unforgettable adventure of hands-on fun. These amazing nights include an exploration of all of miSci's interactive exhibits, a special scavenger hunt, a planetarium show, delving into a science topic of special interest with an educator-led program ... and even some sleep. Camp-Ins also includes communal meals -- dinner and breakfast (with lots of coffee for the chaperones).

Our specially trained Camp-In Educators help "campers" establish camp sites for sleeping in different areas of the museum. Some nights our auditorium is full of sleeping bags and pillows; some nights our lobby floor is just the spot for tired, content campers after a long night of fun.

These special nights represent a stark departure from the routine weekend nights for most of today's youth. They are a break from miSci Camp-Ins

television, computers and I-pads; cell phones are only used to capture pictures and memories. Camp-Ins at miSci are a great time of togetherness in a stimulating and fun environment. They are a key ingredient in fulfilling our mission: to inspire people to celebrate and explore science and technology, past, present and future. Our education staff has developed activities that allow Campers to achieve their Scout advancement goals whether it is a Girl Scout Journey Requirement or a Boy Scout Merit Badge. If you want our help meeting a particular goal, please let us know and we can provide it. The same goes for school teachers; we can craft activities to fit your class needs.

Imagine hosting a sleepover for a guest list of 100 with cutting-edge entertainment available at a regional science center. That is a miSci Camp-In.

Dr. William "Mac" Sudduth
Executive Director, miSci

PS. If you are interested in booking a Camp-In for your group, a rental for a private party, or a special night for your employees or customers, please call 518-382-7890 x 237.

See Butterflies Through April 19

Thank You to Volunteers & Partners

Welcome Spring with a visit to Butterflies, miSci's indoor butterfly house. Discover Monarchs, Black Swallowtails, Painted Ladies, Spicebush Swallowtails, and Tiger Swallowtails flying about (and possibly landing on you!). Be sure to stop at the chrysalis chamber to see the butterflies as they emerge and learn about the life cycles of butterflies.

Master Gardener Michele Mickels watering plants in the Butterfly house.

It takes many volunteers to make the butterfly house a success -- from constructing the house to educating visitors to caring for the butterflies and plants. Thank you to the following organizations for thier help with the exhibit: Audubon Society of the Capital Region, Capital District Garden and Flower Show, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Eureka Girls from Girls Inc., Pine Bush Discovery Center, and miSci volunteers. We especially appreciate the time and expertise from Master Gardener Michele Mickels from Cornell Cooperative Extension.

miSci Names Director of Development

Carmel Patrick, a non-profit management professional with more than 30 years of experience in fundraising, grant writing, marketing and community development, has joined the miSci team as Director of Development.

Carmel comes to miSci most recently from Schenectady County

Community College, where she served as Executive Director of Development since 2010. Previously, she has served in leadership positions at Senior Services or Albany, United Way of Northeastern New York, and the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York. Carmel is a member of Women in Development and of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Read more.

Be Part of The Big Bang at miSci! Friday, May 2, 2014 | 6pm

Experience the wonders of our science center on Friday, May 2, 2014 as we celebrate the accomplishments of the past year at the 7th annual fundraiser, The Big Bang at miSci!

More than 200 guests will gather to enjoy an evening of premier networking, gourmet cuisine, live music, an exciting silent auction and a memorable fireworks display! The event, held at miSci will begin at 6pm. Tickets are $125 per person and available by contacting the development department at 518-382-7890 ext. 250.

miSci Gala 2014

The event is presented by the Neil, Jane, William and Estelle Golub Family Foundation and Price Chopper's Golub Foundation. A number of corporations are supporting this primary fundraiser for miSci including, Mazzone Hospitality and The Gazette. Fireworks are sponsored by Roemer, Wallens Gold & Minneaux. Cosmic Sponsors include Arthur J. Gallagher & Company, Bonacio Construcion, DeCrescente Distributors, E. Stewart Jones Law Firm, Freihofer's, IBM, MVP Health Care, The Riggi Families - Ron and Michele Riggi and Vince and Patty Riggi and Wells Fargo Advisors.

Comet Sponsors include CDTA, Ellis Medicine, Fenimore Asset Management, First Niagara, Fortitech, Galesi Group, GE, KeyBank, Langan Motor Car, New York Oncology Hematology, Nigro Companies, Railex and SuperPower.

Additional supporters include Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Bouchey Financial Group and Bouchey & Clarke Benefits and Legere Restorations, LLC.

miSci & The Dudley Observatory Receive CDLC Grants

miSci and The Dudley Observatory have each received $2,500 Capital District Library Council (CDLC) grants to assist with the cataloging and digitization of historic photographs, films, print materials and artifacts from their collections, and making them available to the public through the New York Heritage website at New York Heritage.

miSci will utilize this grant to digitize and catalog images documenting invention and innovation at General Electric research laboratory in the 1950s and early 1960s. The Dudley Observatory will digitize and catalog items that help tell the Dudley's story including 8 mm films of rocket launches, moon visits, and research on micrometeorites, lantern slides of comets and 19th century letters that expose the Dudley's controversial history in the establishment of serious American scientific research. Read more.

miSci Archives image currently on New York Heritage. General Electric inventor and engineer Charles Steinmetz (Left), poses with electrical pioneer and GE co-founder Thomas Edison (Right). circa 1913.

miSci Holds First After Hours Event Buttterfly-Themed Evening a Hit

Visitors flocked to miSci to start their St. Patrick's Day weekend with butterflies. They Savored delicious eats from local restaurants, sipped one of the event's signature cocktails -- a Red Admiral or a Painted
Lady -- listened to live music featuring guitarist Rob Flemming -- all in our unique setting: an indoor butterfly house, hands-on fun from San Francisco's Exploratorium, planetarium shows, and a spectacular view!

Special thanks to the following for their donations and discounts:
20 North Broadway Tavern, Bocia's Liquor Authority, Bombers Burrito Bar, Caf� Nola, Clinton's Ditch, Marottas Bar-Risto, Total Events Management.

Watch for news about our next After Hours event on our Facebook and Twitter pages and e-blasts.

miSci Planetarium Manager Part of New Preschool Astronomy Project

miSci's Education and Planetarium Manager Megan Dominguez has been selected to participate in a new research project, investigating the most effective ways for preschoolers to learn

about astronomy.

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), in partnership with a team of early childhood researchers and museum educators, has been awarded a National Science Foundation grant, My Sky Tonight: Early Childhood Pathways to Astronomy, to study how 3-5 year old children best learn and explore astronomy, and to develop a set of engaging astronomy activities for this age group, to be used in programs at children's museums and science centers.