Outreach Partnerships
In our efforts to reach the widest audience possible, we have teamed up with several institutions.
4450 Park Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06604.
(203) 372-3521
The Discovery Museum is a not for profit science and technology museum with a strong focus on education. Each year, The Discovery Museum draws over 100,000 visitors and teaches almost 70,000 students of all ages on a variety of subjects, ranging from rocketry to submarine science. They have the only Challenger Learning Center in Connecticut, a program that takes students on a simulated space mission in honor of the planned educational mission of the final Challenger flight. By tapping into the programs and resources at The Discovery Museum, we will be able to reach a wide range of children at a variety of different grade and ability levels. Many of the programs at the museum are tailored for underprivileged students from inner city Bridgeport, the town next to Fairfield, and the surrounding areas, while other inter district programs bring urban and suburban students together under the common goal of learning science while breaking down socioeconomic barriers. In addition, the museumÕs membership and school base will allow us to easily distribute our outreach plans, and develop and present our programs to a varied and interested audience through a respected institution that is a staple of the community.
Bridgeport School District
45 Lyon Terrace, Bridgeport, CT 06604
(203) 576-7146
We have also teamed up with the Bridgeport School District. While initially, we were going to simply contact each school on a case by case basis, teaming with the district itself provides access to a far greater number of students, and an ability to highlight the areas where we will do the most good. The second largest district in Connecticut, it contains 30 elementary schools, three high schools, two alternative programs, and an interdistrict vocational aquaculture school; serving a total of 23,000 students. The vast majority of these students are members of minorities, and are underrepresented in the sciences. Obviously, we cannot hope to reach all of these students, but we hope to visit as many of the classes as possible; we estimate that number will be between 7 and 8 classes for multiple visits, and possibly a few multiclass assembly presentations and demonstrations. Science to many of these students is a foreign idea, something that they can never be a part of; the teachers do their best to educate their students, but have a difficult time inspiring interest when they are restricted to text books. By teaming up with the Bridgeport School District, we hope to not only supply new ways of teaching science, but gripping new learning experiences that will motivate the students and teachers alike.
