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The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis will launch a unique International Space Station-themed exhibit thanks to a $675,000 award from NASA's CP4SMP Grant Program.
The award will pave the way for family learning surrounding NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) research. Former astronaut, and the museum’s Extraordinary Scientist-in-Residence, David Wolf will lend his expertise in developing immersive educational programs and on-line interactives to promote interest, engagement, and awareness of NASA’s achievements in space exploration and how these benefit life on Earth.
“By bringing the Space experience to The Children’s Museum, we will inspire young people with an array of possibilities just as relevant on Earth,” said David Wolf, former astronaut. “I love to see visitors eyes light up when I tell them that much of what I needed to become an astronaut, I learned at their age. Space is an exciting adventure; but, I want them to also understand knowledge, skills, and teamwork are required to succeed in whatever endeavor they choose. We look forward to making Space Science and technology accessible in a way that ignites the passion of our communities next generation of innovators.”
The program will be called Curious Scientific Investigator (CSI): Beyond Spaceship Earth and will connect students, educators, and families with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines through the achievements of NASA. As the lead institution, the museum will partner with NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), Purdue University, and SpaceX to implement the project in Indianapolis.
The experience will take visitors on a journey through history and space. Families will explore a recreated immersive International Space Station environment to learn what it’s really like to live on board. Displays of equipment and technology stored in “the hatch” that astronauts use to prepare for a spacewalk will give children and families a sense of the unique high-tech environment on board the International Space Station. Visitors will discover answers to questions such as, “What do astronauts do all day?” and, “How do they prepare for a spacewalk?” and, “Why is space important to our lives on Earth?”
The Children’s Museum is very excited to help answer these kinds of questions as it continues its valued partnership with NASA. “Few things inspire learning as much as talking to and working alongside a pioneer in his/her field such as our Extraordinary Scientists-in-Residence, Dr. David Wolf. We are pleased to provide these kinds of experiences for children and families visiting The Children’s Museum ,” said Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen, president and CEO, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. “Topics such as engineering and math can be daunting to both children and adults. We believe the experience of learning from an astronaut and seeing examples of how those subjects are applied to space research in this new exhibit will show them the adventurous, practical and inspirational aspects of these subjects.”
"Informal education providers play a key role in NASA Education's effort to make interactive STEM experiences available to students and the general public," said Leland Melvin, NASA's associate administrator for education in Washington. "Using compelling NASA content, they create fun, hands-on learning activities that help us stimulate greater interest in STEM. Increasing STEM literacy in students today is crucial to having the talent NASA will require for future missions of science and discovery."
Sixty-seven proposals from institutions in 31 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, underwent a merit-based peer review process.The Children’s Museum is uniquely qualified to create this new experience because of its success in implementing a previous NASA grant and its expertise in creating scientific experiences, programs, exhibits. The museum was one of 10 selected out of 67 applicants.
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary learning experiences across the arts, sciences, and humanities that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. For more information about The Children's Museum, visit www.childrensmuseum.org, follow us on Twitter @TCMIndy, Facebook.com/childrensmuseum and YouTube.
