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Seeing science in action is often the best way to inspire young people to pursue a career in science. Dr. Michael Brown, who won the Nobel Prize in 1985 in medicine, often tells audiences that his interest in science began as a small boy when he visited natural history museums. Today some of the most popular museums in the United States are devoted to science, nature and technology – such as the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Boston Science Museum, Chicago’s Field Museum of Science & Industry, COSI in Columbus, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the Pacific Science Center, The Tech Museum of Innovation, and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, among many others. New nature and science museums have been springing up in recent years around the country, including these popular museums:
The American Association of Museum’s 2006 Museum Financial Information survey found that the median annual attendance for different types of museums is as follows:
The Frequently Asked Questions on the AAM’s website http://www.aam-us.org/aboutmuseums/abc.cfm#directory includes links to lists of museums around the country. The newest example of the science museum boom is the Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, a historic facility expanding to keep up with rising demand. On May 30, 2008, museum officials announced that fundraising for a new building had topped the $100 million mark with a $50 million gift made by the Perot children in honor of their parents, Margot and H. Ross Perot. As a result, the new facility in Victory Park will be named the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. The video announcement can be downloaded at http://www.sendspace.com/file/55k3k0 The Dallas museum was founded in 1936 as part of the Texas Centennial and was one of the first natural history museums in the region. It is now included in the National Register of Historic Places and is the only public collections-based, research driven, Natural History Museum in the region. The museum formerly was known as the Dallas Museum of Natural History and the Science Place. Both institutions merged in 2006 to strengthen opportunities for learning about nature and science. The Museum has contributed to major discoveries including the validation of the Monte Verde findings and the excavation and transport of Sauropod dinosaur fossils from Big Bend. DMNH earned Smithsonian Institution Affiliate Museum status in 1999. It is the leading scientific institution in polar dinosaur research. A recent merger with the Science Place, which is home to Dallas’ only public planetarium, added a key education resource. The Science Place component hosts more than 150,000 students each year through school programs, teaches approximately 200 educators each year as a certified Texas Education Association Program Provider for teacher training, hosts more than 7,000 students in camp-ins and workshops annually, has a bilingual (Spanish/English) science school program to include Pre-K3 through 2nd grade, is the site for Head Start school, and offers camp-ins to groups including Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Camp-Fire children, and Dallas Boys and Girls Clubs. The TI Founders IMAX® Theatre was opened in 1996 with a 323 seat auditorium that provides an immersion educational experience with a 79-foot domed screen and 12,000 watts of surround and overhead sound. In 2007, the merged Museum of Science and Nature became the most visited museum in Dallas. As a result of the escalating demand for science programming, the new $150 million Perot Museum of Nature and Science is being constructed in the heart of downtown Dallas that is scheduled to be opened in 2013. Award-winning architect Thom Mayne was recently named to design the new facility, which will include new interactive learning technology as well as classrooms. www.natureandscience.org The learning experiences in museums – where young people can see towering dinosaur skeletons, tiny atomic particles and the fantastic world of flora and fauna – can be a gateway to careers in math and science. The influential publication Edweek recently focused on the the benefits of museum in the article "Lessons at the Museum" by Sean Cavanaugh, which can be found at: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/06/11/41museum.h27.html?tmp=566609474
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