Fall 2005 Newsletter

Engineered for Fun   ■   2005 Summer Preview Exhibit

The fun, educational challenges at Sci-Tech Discovery Center’s second preview exhibit inspired families and students to think like engineers!  They experienced lift and drag in the wind tunnel, designed boats and tested them for speed, and constructed buildings to withstand earthquakes.  It was another successful summer exhibit to raise awareness and support for a permanent Sci-Tech Discovery Center facility.  Fourteen thousand visitors of all ages experienced what it means to have mind-stretching fun®, enjoying and learning from the engineering-themed exhibit from the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry that Sci-Tech Discovery Center hosted as a “mini” version of what a future, permanent facility will be. 

Education Partners

Extending the learning and fun were additional activities provided by Sci-Tech’s education partners.  The demonstration stage, the math basketball court, and the laptop cafe΄ made the preview exhibit feel more like a “mini” science center.  Science teachers from Plano ISD, Frisco ISD, and Richardson ISD, as well as representatives from Alcatel, Emerson Process Management and The University of Texas at Dallas led interactive presentations on engineering-related topics.  Collin College’s Convergence Technology Center, with the support of the National Science Foundation, led laptop sessions demonstrating wireless network security and using the internet for voice communication (VOIP).  And KERA Public Radio & Television provided a fun math activities area featuring a full-sized basketball key as part of their Math Can Take You Places program.

Generous Sponsors and Volunteers

Making it all possible were many generous sponsors who contributed over $250,000 in support.  Many thanks to the companies, organizations and individuals who made the Sci-Tech experience possible for families and students in our area!   The Center would like to especially recognize sponsors at the “Innovator” level and above for their vision and support:

The Shops at Willow Bend

City of Plano

Junior League of Plano

Neiman Marcus

Texas Instruments

Raytheon

Skywire Software

TechCom Partners

Insight Research

Starbucks

CompUSA

A complete list of our sponsors can be found here.

The visitor experience was greatly enhanced by enthusiastic volunteers!  Over 300 of them generously gave of their time (3,000 hours!) and challenged visitors to think like engineers.  Special thanks to the following organizations for providing so many of the volunteers:  Junior League of Plano, National Charity League, Young Men’s Service League. 

Enthusiastic Response

The public wants more Sci-Tech!  Survey responses were extremely enthusiastic about this summer’s experience and a future permanent facility to serve our area.  Ninety-five percent of respondents rated the overall experience as “excellent” or “good”, and ninety-nine percent of said they would visit a permanent Sci-Tech Discovery Center at least once a year. 

The Sci-Tech Discovery Center organization continues to work toward the goal of a permanent facility for our area.  If you’d like to see some exciting science in your driveway in the mean time, click here for instructions on making the soda “fountain” that was seen at this summer’s preview exhibit.