ST. LOUIS (Jan. 17, 2007) – One and a half school years after its debut, the MySci™ program will expand its reach by launching a second Investigation Station in January 2007. The Investigation Station, a traveling interactive science experience created with the early elementary student in mind, consists of a Missouri woodlands area, a specimen room and a replica of a Missouri limestone cave. The new Investigation Station will make its first official visit to Clay Elementary in the St. Louis Public School District from Jan. 23-25.

 

“The second Investigation Station doubles our ability to reach students in the
St. Louis area, but our waiting list demonstrates additional need,” said Ann McMahon, program director of MySci. “We believe that it is important to interest children in science at a young age using a fun, interactive environment that gets them excited about learning. Our hope is that MySci will be a stepping stone in cultivating the next generation of scientists.”

 

In its inaugural school year, MySci reached nearly 8,000 people including more than 3,000 students in 166 classrooms of kindergarten through second graders. 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 will be made to schools with underserved and/or low achieving student populations. The MySci program, funded by Monsanto, is provided free of charge to schools.

 

“According to the National Science Teachers Association, standardized tests show science and mathematics are the biggest struggle areas for American children,” said McMahon. “St. Louis is fortunate to have a program like MySci to combat this problem in early elementary education. The program’s growth and success could not have been possible without funding from Monsanto and collaboration with Washington University in St. Louis, the Saint Louis Science Center, the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Saint Louis Zoo. It’s a great example of a business investing in its future workforce.”

 

Improvements to the second Investigation Station include a realistic fallen tree complete with hiding stuffed animals, an expanded limestone cave with special effect lighting and a sound system that allows students to not just see the sights, but hear the sounds of Missouri wildlife.

 

Other upcoming school visits for both Investigation Stations include Garfield Elementary and Pine Lawn Elementary in the Normandy School District, Nathaniel Hawthorne in the University City School District and Fairview Elementary in the Jennings School District. For scheduling, educators may contact Diane Pilla, program coordinator at (314) 289-1448 or dpilla@slsc.org.

 

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 the newly designed Investigation Station, a roving vehicle of innovative exhibits and specimens which makes 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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