Presentation made to the members of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission regarding a proposed Children's Science Center.

1. Inspiring the Next
Generation of
Innovators
Presentation to the Northern Virginia
Regional Commission
December 8, 2016

2. Introducing the Children’s Science Center
2
MISSION: To instill a love of learning STEM in all children
by providing unique opportunities to
explore, create, and be inspired.
VISION: To create a world class children's science
museum.
IMPACT: Now serving 70,000 visitors annually at
museum site and via off-site community programs.
NEED: Expand impact to 500,000 children in our region.
The Children’s Science Center is a 501c3 non-profit organization.

3. Motivated by the lack of a children’s museum or science center to
serve the half million children in Northern Virginia, a group of
community leaders founded the Children’s Science Center.
History
2008 – Became Children’s Science Center, based on community feedback and future workforce needs
2010 – Museum Without Walls serves 3,500 visitors; Founders Society established
2006 – Partnership with the Junior League of Northern Virginia for 2,500 volunteer hours and $250,000 in seed funding
2005 – Fully established Board of Directors; first open space community meeting to plan museum

4.  Until opening in 2015, Northern Virginia was the largest metro area in the U.S. and
Virginia without a children’s museum or science center.
 Northern Virginia remains the largest metro area without a right-sized science center.
Name Location Metro Population
Boston Children’s Museum and
Museum of Science
Boston, MA 4,522,858
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and
Carnegie Science Museum
Pittsburgh, PA 2,431,087
Children’s Science Center (Northern Virginia) Dulles, VA 2,432,823
Museum of Life and Science and two other
Children’s Museums
Raleigh/Durham, NC 2,037,430
Adventure Science Center Nashville, TN 1,311,789
Port Discovery Children’s Museum and
Maryland Science Center
Baltimore, MD 1,212,977
Children’s Museum of Richmond and
Science Museum of Virginia
Richmond, VA 1,154,317
This is a critical element of education infrastructure.
Filling a Major Gap in Our Region

5. The Case for Children’s Museums
Today, children and families face many pressures and
challenges that children’s museums address:
THE CHALLENGE THE RESPONSE
• The Compression of Childhood
• Scarce Family Time
• Lost Sense of Community
• Diminishing Community
Resources
• A Celebration of Childhood
• Quality Family Experiences
• Establishing Common Ground
• Building a Creative Community
Source: Association of Children’s Museums
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Over 300 children’s museums serve
65 million visitors annually
Over 300 children’s museums serve
65 million visitors annually

6. The Case for a Children’s Science Museum
Will our children be ready to meet STEM challenges?
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 Young children are natural scientists, yet majority
lose interest in STEM subjects by 8th
grade
 Earlier and more significant loss for girls and minorities
 Percentage of college degrees in STEM
– China 47%
– Germany 28%
– United States 13%
 STEM is critical for this region’s workforce: Over
50% of new jobs in the next decade require STEM
- Only 15% of Virginia Students earn STEM degrees
STEM skills are
essential to solving
challenges in
energy,
healthcare,
environment, and
national security.
STEM skills are
essential to solving
challenges in
energy,
healthcare,
environment, and
national security.
We Must Find New Ways To
Engage Our Children in STEM!
We Must Find New Ways To
Engage Our Children in STEM!

7.  Early learning
… increases the probability of positive outcomes
 Informal learning
… increases STEM interest and understanding
 Hands-on learning
… is experiential, play based and ideal for children’s learning
 Family learning
… improves interest, attitude and confidence in learning
How To Best Engage Children In STEM?
Research points to experiences that children’s science
museums are uniquely positioned to provide.
Many scientists cite their early experiences science
museums as their inspiration.
Many scientists cite their early experiences science
museums as their inspiration.
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8. Children’s Museum & Science Center Learning
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Different from Traditional Collections-Based Museums
Our mission is focused on children and inspiring
them in the ways they learn best.
Our mission is focused on children and inspiring
them in the ways they learn best.

9. Audience and Education Objectives
 Children aged 2-12 and their families
 Youth leadership program for ages 10-18
 STEM content focus with arts integration
 Pre-K-12 formal education systems
 Showcase region’s STEM expertise
 Underserved and under-represented populations
 Children with special needs
 Environmentally conscious choices

10. Future Full-Scale
Science Center,
Dulles, VA
First Operating Site
Now Open
Current & Future Sites

11. Community
Programs
The Lab
Future
Science
Center
Areas of Focus
I II III

12. Traveling Exhibits & Activities
• Traveling to schools, libraries, other large venues
• 20,000 annual visitors across 5+ jurisdictions
• Family Science Nights at 50 schools (50% underserved)
• 100,000 served since 2010; lottery process for schools
Community
Programs
I

13. • New in June 2015; open daily at Fair Oaks Mall
• Dynamic exploration center (5,400 sq. ft.) with four
experience zones, exhibits, and multi-purpose/classroom
• General admissions, field trips, events, camps, & more
• 50,000 annual visitors including scholarship visitors
The Lab
II

14. Presented by
Dominion
Presented by
Micron
Presented by
Northwest Federal
Credit Union

15. • 30,000-70,000 sq. feet, phased build-out
• To be built on donated land in an Arts and Sciences
Cultural Center at Kincora’s mixed-use development
• 8 experience zones, 4 classrooms, 150 acres parkland
• Capacity: 300,000 visitors annually
Future Home at Kincora in Dulles, VA
Future Science
Center
III
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Future Address: Knowledge Drive
Kincora Architect Rendering of Cultural Center

16. Museum Conceptual Plan

17. Planning Phase Activities
I.Establish Public Private Partnerships
II.Develop Architectural Concept Design
III.Mobilize Capital Campaign
Future Science Center Phases of Work
* Further site and business plan details available upon request.

18. Community Benefits
• A community connector
• A regional STEM center
• An equalizer
Economic Benefits
• Showcases No Va as a major technology center
• Develops the future technology workforce
• Attracts visitors and ancillary spending to region
Regional Science Center Benefits Go Beyond Education
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19. Organizational Growth and Capacity
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 Governance & Advisory: Board of Directors,
Advisory Board, STEM Council
 36 full and part time employees, 22 FTE
 $ 1.2 M annual operating budget
 350+ active volunteers
 Fundraising capacity: $3.5M raised since 2011
for operations and Lab build out
 Use of industry experts in planning, exhibit
design, and fabrication
 Member of major industry associations and
three regional chambers

20. Join the Children’s Science Center Movement!
How can you help?

21. Thank You
Board of Directors
Amy Burke
Lee Ann Brownlee
Susan Carroll
Gary Crum
Jim Egenrieder
Melvin Greer
Susan Joyce
Sandy Jones
Tanya La Force
Jill Corso McNabb
Corbin Neiberline
Chris Powell
Brian Snodgrass
Adalene “Nene” Spivy
Angie Wong
Kavya Kopporapu*Youth Repr.
Management Team
Adalene “Nene” Spivy, Executive Director
Jenn Brunner, Development
Jamie Johnson, Accounting
Dave Lin, Mike Tillman, Lab Operations
Dorothy Ready, Marketing
Lori Ann Terjesen, Ph.D., Education
Advisory Board
Cindy Ambrose
Jim Cortina
Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D.
Bobbie Kilberg
Josh Konowe
Todd House
Paul Leslie
Peggy Musgrave
Patricia Nicoson
Larry O'Reilly
Delegate Ken Plum
Kevin Reynolds
Bud Rosenthal
Michael Shaklik
Linda Sullivan
Robin Thurman
The Children’s Science Center is a local 501c3 non-profit organization.
Children’s Science Center Lab Fair Oaks Mall
Office 3949 Pender Dr., Suite 120B, Fairfax, VA 22033
info@childsci.org
www.childsci.org
703-648-3130