ST. LOUIS (Sept. 19, 2006) – Building on its success last school year, MySci will continue its unique partnership with Monsanto, Washington University in St. Louis, the St. Louis Science Center, Missouri Botanical Garden and the Saint Louis Zoo to bring area schools a comprehensive hands-on science program complete with a roving Investigation Station.

 

The Investigation Station, a traveling interactive science experience created with the kindergarten though second grade student in mind, consists of a Missouri woodlands area, a specimen room and a replica of a Missouri limestone cave. The vehicle, a 37-foot custom-built trailer, will visit Ladue Schools’ Spoede Elementary School from Sept. 25 -28. 

 

“We’re excited to be the first school this year to benefit from the MySci program,” said Spoede’s Principal Connie Brawley. “Last year the Investigation Station visited another elementary school in our district, and the kids loved that they could learn about Missouri nature and science in a way that was interactive and fun. We’re thrilled to be able to offer the opportunity to the students at Spoede.”

“The MySci curriculum is designed to supplement – not supplant – a district’s existing science curriculum,” said Ann McMahon, program director of MySci. “Three topics of study have been identified: plants, animals and the earth, and the curriculum is aligned with the Missouri Grade Level Expectations for children in kindergarten through second grade. Each unit consists of pre-visit activities, activities conducted on the Investigation Station and post-visit activities. By the time the Investigation Station comes to the school, students will be ready to do an extension of the activities they did in class.”

 

In its inaugural year, the MySci program touched nearly 8,000 people including more than 3,000 students in 166 classrooms. In response to the high-demand of the program in its second year, MySci is excited to launch a second Investigation Station in January 2007.

 

The MySci program is provided free of charge to all schools and all schools in the St. Louis area are eligible for the MySci program. One of MySci’s goals is 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 Investigation Station will travel to a different school in the St. Louis Metropolitan nearly every week of the school year. Upcoming schools scheduled include Barbara C. Jordan Elementary School in University City, Jefferson Elementary School in the Normandy School District and Ritenour’s Kratz Elementary School. 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 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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