Wednesday, September 30, 2009

The Word is Out about McWane Science Center, Part I

By Dana Crisson, Educator

Good news: the McWane Science Center continues to pop up in internet articles and blogs written by visitors as close to home as Southside and as far away as London, England.
Gocitykids.parentsconnect.com, Nickelodeon’s city guide for parents, gave McWane Science Center their highest rating of five out of five stars. Their comments included: "Itty Bitty Mini Golf, in the mini-sized Magic City, helps children learn their ABCs and 123s while practicing the science of their swing. And birthday parties are a hassle-free experience – the museum staff handles all the details."

A writer from hiddenvacations.com posted: "McWane Science Center is Alabama’s premier science center, aquarium and IMAX Dome Theater. It features four floors of exciting interactive science exhibits and displays: visitors can make their own animated movie, build a roller coaster or ride a bicycle along a wire 30 feet above the ground. One of the Center’s main attractions is World of Water exhibit, where visitors can make waves on an eroding shoreline, investigate salt marsh creatures, and explore the awesome story of water and its importance to life on our planet. In addition to permanent exhibits, McWane Science Center constantly features traveling exhibits from other famous museums around the world."

Three satisfied travelers recently wrote the following posts on the travel site tripadvisor.com. First, a Washington D.C. traveler wrote: "McWane is really a fun place! It has a wide range of things to do. Very interactive. Designed for a range of ages: lots for toddlers, lots that appeal to the kindergarten set and quite a bit for older kids as well as adults. Our daughter (4-1/2) had a terrific time and was talking about it the rest of the day. I wasn't sure she'd be entertained long before getting there, but she could have spent an entire day there (we might not have been able to keep up that long though). We'll definitely be back. I'm surprised (and disappointed) we don't have something like this in DC."

According to a visitor from Toronto, ON: "This place is absolutely awesome! We had the best time here. There was a lady on the staff named Betty who was the sweetest lady and made a big fuss over us after she found out we had come to see McWane all the way from Toronto, ON, Canada. The exhibits were amazing, and the new shark and manta/sting ray tank was something else!! My 10 year old had a blast at this place and so did we!!! And for the price, you can't go wrong!"

Then, a visitor from London, England wrote: “We brought our 4 year old & 6 year old daughters here. They had a fantastic time. There were so many fun things for them to see and do that we were not able to get to all of them. Our girls were fascinated by the many interactive exhibits that the museum had to offer. If we lived nearby, we would join the McWane Science Center so we could visit often. Our visit was one of the highlights of our trip to Alabama. We'd highly recommend it!!”

A writer named Krista Tannahill wrote the following on helium.com, a website billed as a knowledge co-operative: “With over fifteen interactive scientific exhibits and an IMAX Dome Theater, the McWane Science Center children are encouraged to become engaged in various thought provoking and imaginative scientific activities and experiments. The center has four featured floors each with a variety of unique and interesting scientific exhibits. From an impressive and in-depth dinosaur collection to various detailed environmental showcases, the science center provides numerous daily activities, demonstrations and learning opportunities throughout the day."

Tannahill takes special note of the Alabama Dinosaurs Exhibit and the Shark & Ray Touch Tank. "Alabama Dinosaurs Exhibit is an in-depth visual and tactile exhibit showcasing various dinosaurs species found in and around the state of Alabama. The newest exhibition at the McWane Science Center, the Touch Tank, allows visitors to view and touch a variety of species of sharks and rays. Visitors are educated and guided by trained staff who will teach you about various underwater creatures and their unique habitats."

The secret is out: Come to the McWane Science Center for undisputed hands-on fun and learning. But then, you knew it all along!

Next week in Part II—Mommy blogs spread the news about the McWane Science Center

Contributor Profile:
Dana Crisson is a Recruitment Specialist in the Education Department at McWane. She brought her two daughters to visit the science center regularly, and although her oldest child is in college and the youngest is preparing to go away to college next fall, they continue to visit as often as possible.

Friday, September 4, 2009

McWane brings science to Children's Hospital!

By Kathy Fournier, Director of Science Education

Outreach is a very important part of the Education Department here at McWane. With our Outreach program, we take our science programming on the road, visiting schools, churches and other facilities throughout the area. One of the regularly scheduled stops for our Outreach program is Children’s Hospital.

In the fall of 2007, our Vice President of Education, Jan Mattingly talked with staff at Children’s Hospital and developed a structure for a partnership between our two organizations. Since then we have been going to Children’s Hospital each month. This opportunity has been amazing. First, we visit the Dialysis Clinic. These children are there at least 3 times a week for 4 hours to receive their treatment, so we come in and provide some fun and educational distractions for them during their treatment. I certainly feel that the kids enjoy our visits, but what I did not expect was how it would affect me, other educators and docents who assist with these outreaches. In the Dialysis Clinic we often see the same children month after month, and as the months go by, we have been able to form relationships with these kids. I look forward to seeing them at each visit to see how they are doing.

At one of our monthly visits one of the regular patients was not there; it turned out he had received his kidney transplant and no longer needed dialysis treatment. What bittersweet news! Obviously I was thrilled that he was now healthy and no longer needed these long and uncomfortable treatments, but sad that I would no longer be able to talk with him at each visit. This particular young man had also come to McWane Science Center on a field trip from the hospital recently and was thrilled to have the opportunity to see our exhibits and educational programs. As I was as leaving Children’s Hospital that morning, I happened to see him in the lobby of the hospital--he was there for a check-up after his transplant and was happy that he had gotten a great report. I got to meet his mother, and as we talked about our visits, she told me that he now wanted to have his birthday at McWane. She said, “He can’t stop talking about McWane Science Center, about how much fun he had on his field trip there and how much he enjoyed doing the activities you brought with you when you came to visit him in the hospital.” We gave each other big hugs, and I told him to be sure to find me when he came for his birthday.

The second part of our outreach at Children’s Hospital is to provide the same programming in a room where patients and their parents can come and have a break from the hospital routine and have some educational fun. Here we do not often see the same patients each visit, but we know that the kids enjoy having an entertaining and educational activity to break up their day. Go Green, Weather Watchers and Sticky Icky Science are just a few of the programs we have been able to present to these children. I think the parents enjoy it as much as the kids! I know from experience that the days spent in the hospital with a sick child can be long, tedious and stressful. I am honored to be able to provide an opportunity for these families to give them some relief from their situation and that is both enjoyable and educational.

Children’s Hospital does a great job offering a variety of opportunities for their patients. I appreciate the fact that they value an educational experience in addition to the movie nights and the other fun activities on their schedule. This hospital outreach has been such a rewarding experience that I plan on participating in as many as possible. I value the relationships that we are building with these families, and I look forward to seeing them here at McWane Science Center when they are able to come and visit us.