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MPA 2007 March Dean’s Article for Newsletter
As always, I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts with the MPA membership.
As I recently reported, the Skaggs Building Addition is moving along well and we have scheduled the dedication ceremony for 1:30 PM on Wednesday, May 9. This ceremony should last around one hour and then there will be tours of the addition as well as the building project completed in 2000.
In this newsletter I will share information with members on one aspect of the Skaggs Building Addition project, the Science Learning Center. The building project will provide the space to serve this endeavor which will offer hands-on science programming to youth and life-long learner groups in math and technology. Additionally, interactive exhibits will be available which will explore science, health, and the world. To offer even more opportunity to Center users, arrangements will be made for it to become part of a statewide exhibit sharing network comprised of other Montana informal learning centers.
College staff have also established working relationships with national science centers such as the San Francisco Exploratorium and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History that are based on exhibit and resource sharing. Other such relationships include the Montana State University Burns Technology Center, Bozeman Children’s Museum, Missoula Children’s Museum, and the Exploration Works of Helena.
Why do we believe that science learning is important? We believe that we all have a responsibility to find methods to attract more of our best and brightest young men and women to consider a career in the sciences. Otherwise, if the present trend keeps marching on, our society will not have anywhere near the number of research and education scientists we need to move our country forward. Frankly, today we are losing the battle, but through effective use of the Science Learning Center there will be hope for the future.
Please stop by the College to visit with us and take a look at some of our activities, especially our Skaggs Building addition project.
Dave Forbes