Majority of Visitors Do Not Feel Museum Staff Care

A recent study published by Museum Audience Insight looks at why almost 90% of visitors feel that staff does not really care about visitors.  One visitor went as far to comment:

“I would get rid of the majority of the staff and replace them with energetic, well-informed individuals with an open creative mind and the ability to focus on the needs of the customer (the general public) and its changing face.” In other words, this visitor’s main museum fantasy is a caring staff.

McCain VP Pick Palin, Supporter of Creationism

According to an article in Politico today, Sarah Palin, the surprise Vice Presidential pick of Senator John McCain is a supporter of creationism and has argued it should be taught along side evolution in schools.

Palin’s conservative credentials certainly aren’t in question. Among other things, she has backed the teaching of “intelligent design” as an alternative to evolution. “I am a proponent of teaching both [evolution and intelligent design],” Palin said in a debate during her run for the governor’s office. “And, you know, I say this, too, as the daughter of a science teacher. Growing up with being so privileged and blessed to be given a lot of information on, on both sides of the subject — creationism and evolution.”

SAINT LOUIS SCIENCE CENTER WINS NATIONAL COMPETITION FOR GROUNDBREAKING SCIENCE EVENT

ST. LOUIS – St. Louis and its award-winning Saint Louis Science Center have won a national competition to host SciFest 08: International Science Festival/St. Louis. Festival organizers selected St. Louis from a list of cities that included New York City, Boston and San Francisco. Local experts predict the festival will bring an estimated 90,000 visitors to the city and $4.7 million in tourism revenue in its first three years.

ECHO Lake and Science Center Recieves $1m Gift

URLINGTON, Vt.—Philanthropist Lois McClure, who joined her late husband in donating $2.5 million to found the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center on the city’s Lake Champlain waterfront, is donating another $1 million as an endowment.

New Science Center planned for Arkansas

According to an articlein the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, plans for a new science center for Northwest Arkansas are moving forward as the Northwest Arkansas Museum Foundation begins the process of site selection for the new 130,000 square-foot facility.

Ontario Science Centre exceeds sponsorship target for Fifth Science Centre World Congress. International conference to explore the role of Science Centres as Agents of Change.

The Ontario Science Centre is pleased to announce that it has surpassed its fundraising goal of $250,000 to support the 5th Science Centre World Congress (5SCWC). The Government of Ontario is the lead sponsor of the event, taking place June 15 to 19, 2008 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

SPEED Exhibit Opens at Pacific Science Center May 31-Sept. 1

SEATTLE — In a society often obsessed with moving at an ever faster pace, the exhibit SPEED chronicles this cultural and technological fascination with a 6,000 square-foot experience that transports guests into the world of high performance, barrier smashing motion.  SPEED, a national traveling exhibit, opens at Pacific Science Center May 31, 2008 and continues through Sept. 1, 2008.

Museum Issues Call to Baseball Fans Across The Country: Be A Part of New Exhibit

BOSTON — Beginning May 1, the Museum of Science, Boston, one of the world’s largest science centers and New England’s most-attended cultural institution will offer baseball fans from around the country the opportunity to be featured during the Boston run of the traveling exhibition Baseball As America.

SAINT LOUIS SCIENCE CENTER’S DR. CHRISTINE ROMAN RECEIVES UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ALUMNI AWARD

College of Liberal Arts Names Science Center Director Alumnus of Notable Achievement

 

ST. LOUIS— The University of Minnesota announced Dr. Christine Roman, PhD has been named a 2008 “Alumnus of Notable Achievement” for its College of Liberal Arts (CLA). Roman is a 1975 graduate of the University, and currently is the Associate Director of Emerging Technologies for the Saint Louis Science Center.

Experts see impact of museums in science education efforts

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — Three or four times a day, a banana shows up at the Liberty Science Center and complains about a pain in its side. And that means it’s time for some visiting kids to dress up like surgeons and scrub nurses, take a scalpel and go to work.

That’s the cover story, anyway.

What’s really happening is that kids are learning about science and enjoying it.