Discovery Center
IMAGINE Quarterly Newsletter
Spring 2014 • Volume 15 • Issue 1
Experience a summer filled with science adventures!
Our highly qualified education staff work hard to develop summer workshops that are not only fun, but packed with learning opportunities galore!
We strive to make sure that your investment in your child’s enrichment experience is the very best!
We have programs for ages 4 through high school!
Check out the workshops list online. Register early—class sizes are limited!
REGISTER ONLINE
Quick & Easy! DISCOVERYCENTER.ORG or download & mail
NEWS & SUPPORT
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Meet Discovery Center’s new leader
Meleah Spencer has accepted the position of Executive Director for Discovery Center. Spencer replaces Emily Fox, who resigned November 24, 2013. Spencer has served as Director of Development and Alumni Relations of Drury University for seven years. Prior to that, she specialized in business development for Hallmark Greeting Cards and credit unions in Las Vegas, Nv. and southern California. Spencer is a native of Brighton, MO and a graduate of Drury University
“I am delighted to be part of an organization that provides hands-on, life-long learning in our community. “
“All of us involved in the search process are excited to have Meleah as our new Executive
Director,” said Jeff Eiserman, DCS Board President. “Her experience and leadership will build on the impact the Discovery Center has on children & families in the region.” “I am thrilled and humbled to begin my service as Executive Director of the Discovery Center,” said Spencer. “I am delighted to be part of an organization that provides hands-on, life-long learning in our community. I look forward to its growing success.” Spencer will begin serving in her new role on Monday, March 24, 2014.
NAP Tax Credits! Discovery Center is honored to have Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) tax credits available for donors. This tax credit supports Science Works on the Road Outreach programs to schools throughout SW Missouri. NAP benefits you the donor by helping impact the lives of children in our community forever. A 50% state tax credit in addition to a federal charitable tax deduction is also a benefit. Discovery Center has impacted over 15,000 3rd & 5th grade students participating in the Science Works on the Road program since it began in 2002.
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This year over 2000 more students will receive this program with your help. CALL NOW! 417-862-9910 x700.
PARENT/CHILD WORKSHOPS
Dissection • Maker
EXPLORE TOGETHER!
APRIL
26 MAY
10
EVENTS & GIFTS
Saturday, April 26 Dissection
• Fetal Pig • Ages 10+ • Member $45 • Non Member $50*
Saturday, May 10 Maker
• Soldering • Ages 8+ • Member $50 • Non Member $55* *Price includes cost of materials
10am-12pm or 1-3pm
Now register online at
Non-members can Stay & Play –only $7 per person extra
Pre-register & prepayment required
DiscoveryCenter.org
For More Information Call Guest Services 862.9910 x706
“55.3% of parents expect their children to be at the top of the class academically— —85.9 % of children want to spend more time with their parents ” -gbtimes. Tim Frederick
NEED SOMETHING UNIQUE?
Find unexpected gifts for those who already have everything. Give a Gift Membership! Share Your Love of Science!
Show your love with a Discovery Center Membership. A DCS membership includes twelve months of free museum admission, plus so much more. It’s a great gift for any occasion: birthdays, graduations, teacher gifts, or any time you want to send someone a special treat.
Give the gift of learning
Stop by our newly stocked gift shop for your specialty needs. We are excited to have GSC International, Inc. as a proud sponsor of Discovery Center’s gift shop, “Gizmos, Gadgets and More”. GSC is a trusted choice for hands on science teaching aids, educational equipment and lab supplies. For more information & Gift Shop hours contact
Guest Services 862-9910 x706 or info@discoverycenter.org 3
Come Join US! National Volunteer Week April 6–12, 2014 Discovery Center would not be the great place it is without the hours our excellent volunteers put in. If you are interested in volunteering contact the Discovery Center at 862-9910 x709. You can be part of sharing science in Springfield! In April we will honor our volunteers during National Volunteer Week.
Earth Day Saturday, April 12 9am–6pm Discovery Center 44th Annual Earth Day celebration Sponsored by City of Springfield Environmental Services. • Activity stations available 9am–4pm • Reduced admission only $7 per person. Big Day For Downtown Check out this website for direct access route to Discovery Center in the morning. www.colormerad.com/race/springfield-mo
Science Café
Thursday, April 17 6-8pm Mille’s Cafe (313 S. Jefferson Ave • Springfield, MO) • FREE Biomimicry-Mimicking Nature’s Most Astounding Inventions!—Biomimicry is a relatively new field of science “that studies nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems” (Biomimicry Institute 3.8). Join us for a peek into this topic. Chandi Campbell will share some of the technologies that are being developed utilizing this concept. From agriculture, healthcare and renewable energy sources, to amazing advances in architecture and engineering, we’ll explore how a sustainable future might be built with Biomimicry that grows out of the collaboration between science, nature and design.
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Summer Hours
June –August
Come play where it’s cool on those hot summer days. Exercise your brain and learn something new! Summer Hours: • Monday-Thursday: 9am-5pm • Friday-Saturday: 9am-6pm • Sunday: 1pm-5pm Photo by Missouri Division Of Tourism
FUTURE EVENTS Blooms from DCS roof top garden.
SPRING EVENTS EXPLORATORY LAB: Go With the Phloem–Plant Science Summer of Science Workshops! Now Register Online! Register early! Limited Space
EXPLORATORY LAB: How Small is Small? Nano Science
APRIL
12
Earth Day 9am-6pm Special Activities 9am–4pm Reduced admission $7 per person Sponsored by City of Springfield Environmental Services
17
Science Café 6-8pm Biomimicry Sponsored by Jordan Valley Innovation Center/MSU
20
CLOSED Easter
26
10
MAY
11
EXPLORATORY LAB: Going Buggy
Dissection Workshop 10am-12pm or 1-3pm Fetal Pig • Ages 10+ • Pre-registration & pre-payment required. (page 3)
26
Maker Workshop 10am-12pm or 1-3pm Soldering • Ages 8+ Pre-registration & pre-payment required. (page 3) CLOSED Memorial Day
EXPLORATORY LAB: Home Sweet Home
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JUNE
MARCH
Spring forward–with special science events!
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Summer of Science Workshops BEGIN! — Now Register Online! Register early! Limited Space! Fire Works at the Field 3pm
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SUPPORT
GIFTS DONORS SPONSORS
December 9, 2013–March 7, 2014
Capital: Sustain our Science Brooke & Tim O’Reilly Mary Kay & Kenny Ross Grants Grainger-New Exhibit coming Lezah Stenger gave in honor of her following friends for the holiday Mr. & Mrs. Jay Burchfield Mr. & Mrs. Steve Hood Mr. & Mrs. Ken Keltner Mr. & Mrs. Bill Meek Noma & Kerry Montgomery Mr. & Mrs. Bill Powell Rosalie Wooten Annie Walther Gayle & Hugh Welch gave in honor of Cindy & Brad Wyrsch NAP Tax Credit Donation Dr. & Mrs. Douglas Duncan Dana & Scott Gold Brooke & John Griesemer Jane & Rick McElvaine Julie & Bill Miller Mr. & Mrs. James Montgomery Jeremy & Nichole Moore Mr. & Mrs. Bradley Mounts Cathy & Ron Neville Austin O’Reilly Drs. Kim & Tom Prater Mr. David Simpson, Custom Realty Development, LLC Mr. David Simpson, SRM LLC Holloway America Brent Singleton Heim, Young & Associates Ms. Katy Tynes
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In-kind Gifts Executive Director Search Committee Jim Anderson Jeff Eiserman Kathy Greene Ellen Hammock Bonnie Keller Ron Neville Tom Prater Paul Satterwhite Kelley Still Mark Wood Jim & Myrna Eckhoff Springfield Engineering Company Kid’s Directory DeWitt Associates, Inc Gregg Larsen Landscaping, Inc. Josh Mitchell Photography David O’Reilly Donation to Museum Cathy & Ron Neville Novus International, Inc Raymond & Rebecca Crespo for new LED lights for Center
Emily Blaugrund Fox Educational Fund Made possible by friends of Discovery Center, staff, and community support, this fund has been established as a legacy to Emily’s passion for seeking to provide all children with access to DCS’s wealth of interactive learning experiences. Emily’s belief that education is a powerful factor in breaking the cycle of poverty is the foundation that DCS will continue to build upon in the years to come! Thank you to the following that donated to this fund for endowment with $48,000. Morrow Real Estate LLC Medical Consulting Group, LLC Linda Ramey-Greiwe Ollis Family Foundation Fund Brad & Jill - Reynolds Family Fund Todd & Betty, Squires Parnell Family fund Junior League of Springfield Jim & Janet Anderson
Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Jerald Andrews Scott Atkinson & Dorothy Dring Sally Baird Mr. & Mrs. Warren Baker Rita Baron, Baron Design & Associates, LLC Jan & Gary Baumgartner Denise Bredfeldt Jason & Julie Brown Paul & Diane Buatte Bucky & Rochelle Buckner Tom Carlson Mark & Ann Carter Michael & Shirley Collison Regina Cooper Karen & Rick Cowan Sharon Faulkner Jim & Anna Ferguson Tom Finnie Brian & Renee Fogle Community Foundation of the Ozarks Jack & Mary Sue Fox John Gentry, Positronic Industries Larry & Rita Gurian Sally Hargis, Ozarks Coca Cola /Dr. Pepper Bottling Jerry & Jean Harmison Debbie & Bill Hart David & Tammy Jahnke Robert & Frannie Johnson Tracy Kimberlin Bill & Susan Kirkman David & Sara Krutsinger Jordan Valley Innovation Center /MSU Keith & Randy LaFerriere Bruce & Julie Leeth Mr. & Mrs. Keran Lemons Barbara Lucks James & Sally Hargis Dan & Barbie Lyons Scott & Brigitte Marrs Jim Mattax Chuck McCann, Springfield Blue Print Scott & Charlotte McCoy Doug & Susan McNeal Dee & Fred Mertz John & Susan Mihalevich Stephanie Montgomery
Juliana & Tad Moseley Joyce & Wallace Munden Mark & Lori Nelson Tre Neu Cathy & Ron Neville Mr & Mrs. Charlie O’Reilly David O’Reilly Lisa Officer Lil Olive Judi & Mike Phillips Sue & Bob Duncan Angie Pivac O’Reilly Family Foundation Mark Powell Bill & Marie Prater Bronwyn Prater Tom & Kim Prater Jerry Quinn Norm & Nadine Ridder Tracy Roberts Cameron & Keenan Rose Mary Kay & Kenny Ross Jeff Schrag Chip & Silvia Sheppard David & Anne Smid Marcus & Mary Smith Larry & Donna Snyder Sylvia Soholt Brad & Julie Squires Lezah & Ron Stenger Scott & Margaret Swango Janet Swann Don Thomson Bill & Ann Turner John & Cindy Waites Bob & Jean Walden Terry & Jeannene Whaley Mike & Nancy White Brian Williams Springfield Neurological & Spine Institute Mike & Carol Williams Mark & Marie Wood Rosalie Wooten Lyn Young & Richard Thompson Event Scholarship Jordan Valley Innovation Center/MSU –Science Cafe
NEWS
NEW EXHIBITS
More new exhibits, & gallery improvements! NEW Bed of Nails, Natural Market , Magnetic Labyrinth, Updates for Flight & ChromoZone! BED OF NAILS sponsored by Hotel Motel Reallocation Project & Anonymous donor
MAGNETIC LABYRINTH sponsored by 3M
NATURAL MARKET sponsored by MAMA JEAN’S
Photos by Anna Neale Photography
Community support matters! New exhibits, updates to existing exhibits, renovations to various places and spaces—Discovery Center appreciates the various types of community support that help enhance the unique experiences offered throughout the center! 7
Discovery Center of Springfield is an interactive, hands-on museum committed to inspiring people of all ages with a life-long love of learning and an appreciation for the world and our place in it.
Great
Minds at
Play!
Non-profit Organization US POSTAGE PAID Springfield, MO Permit #801
Discovery Center of Springfield 438 East St. Louis, Street Springfield, MO 65806 Volume 15, Issue 1 Quarterly
Fall, Winter, & Spring Hours: Monday: Closed Tuesday-Thursday: 9am-5pm Friday-Saturday: 9am-6pm Sunday: 1pm-5pm Summer Hours: Monday-Thursday: 9am-5pm Friday-Saturday: 9am-6pm Sunday: 1pm-5pm
Staff
(417) 862-9910
Meleah Spencer, Executive Director Laurie Duncan, Education Director Christina Worth, Finance Director Sara Anderson, Distance Learning Educator Anna Neale, Guest Services Dan Bohannon, Museum Manager Brian D. Zweerink, Outreach Educator Charlotte McCoy, Marketing, Special Events Director Micah Even, Outreach Educator Robert Olson, Exhibits Technician Bridgett Wallace, Graphic Designer Ryan Hawkins, Outreach Educator Hayley Budd, Program Facilitator Sara Coffman, ChromoZone Lab Facilitator Peter Nielebock Amy Janzen Stacey Sees Daniel Fore Zach Clapper
Joshua Whalen Kaleb Brashears Lynni Payne Ann Wempe John Fitzgibbon
x700 x701 x702 x705 x706 x709 x710 x713 x718 x721 x723 x724 x726 x704 Valerie Reynolds, Kaliegh Trammell Sarah Hassan Hyelim Kim
Board of Directors Jeff Eiserman President Paul Satterwhite President Elect Toby Tomko Secretary Brent Singleton Treasurer
Allen Kunkel Past President Karen Brown Shirley Collison Trevor Croley Jeff Frye Rick German Justin Giles
Scott Gold Ben Hackenwerth Ellen Hammock Monte McNew Ron Neville Austin O’Reilly Gary Pendergrass Judi Phillips
Andy Ross Kristi Stringer Katy Tynes Dawn Wohlgemuth Mark Wood
National Volunteer Week April 6–12, 2014
VOLUNTEERS & NEW STAFF! Discovery Center welcomes Dan Bohannon, as the new Museum Manager. Dan has a background in sales and customer service and wants to make sure your experience at Discovery Center is excellent! Discovery Center is also excited to welcome many new volunteers and staff to the team. Be sure to meet them when you visit. Speaking of volunteers, the Discovery Center would not be the great place it is without the hours our excellent volunteers put in. If you are interested in volunteering contact the Discovery Center at 862-9910 x709. You can be part of sharing science in Springfield! In April we will honor our volunteers during National Volunteer Week. Come join us!
If interested in volunteering please contact museum manager 417-862-9910 x709 or dbohannon@discoverycenter.org