MYSCI HELPS MASTERCARD ENTERTAIN YOUTHS DURING ‘TAKE YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER TO WORK DAY’
ST. LOUIS (June 19, 2008) – Thanks to MySci, youths had a chance to participate in interactive science activities during “Take Your Son or Daughter to Work Day” at MasterCard Worldwide in O’Fallon, Mo.
A MySci Investigation Station was at the MasterCard campus on June 13. The Investigation Station is a traveling interactive science experience created with kindergarten though second-grade students in mind. The 37-foot custom-built trailer features a Missouri woodlands area, a specimen room and a replica of a Missouri limestone cave.
“Nearly 300 people stopped by the Investigation Station, where they explored animal, plant and earth sciences,” said Skyler Harmann, program specialist at MySci. “Though we typically visit schools, it’s exciting to share our work and foster interest in science with new audiences.”
The 2007-08 school year was the first in which MySci has operated the full term with two Investigation Stations. For the school year, the program reached more than 375 teachers and 9,400 students. Investigation Station visits are also scheduled for some special events throughout the year, such as the event at MasterCard and the upcoming Fair Saint Louis.
All schools in the St. Louis area are eligible for the MySci program. One of MySci’s goals is to improve achievement levels for all students. Therefore, two-thirds of MySci’s visits are made to schools with under-achieving student populations. Visit http://www.mysci.info for more information.
About MySci
MySci, funded by Monsanto, is a collaborative effort among the following institutions: Washington University in St. Louis, the Saint Louis Science Center, the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Saint Louis Zoo. MySci’s mission is to enhance a sense of wonder and interest in science for children and their teachers. The MySci program gives early elementary students all over St. Louis the chance to study science through inquiry. It provides curriculum books and classroom kits in the topics of plants, animals and the earth. It also includes a visit from an Investigation Station, a roving vehicle of innovative exhibits and specimens that make learning through climbing, crawling, seeing, hearing and smelling more exciting than ever. MySci is getting an early start on recruiting the next generation of scientists.
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