STEM THE MCM PROGRAMS COMMUNITY PL AYBOOK PARTNERSHIPS SPRING 2017 • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 1 BY THE NUMBERS encourage Mississippi children to develop stronger science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills. One of the most important roles that the museum can play as we delve into our mission is to foster CELEBRATE EVERY DAY! children’s natural curiosity--encouraging them to seek out those seemingly, never-ending questions. In the pages of this issue of the PlayBook, you will Each day at the Mississippi Children’s Museum (MCM) during 2017, we will see how we are fulfilling this purpose to develop more focus and access to be celebrating national days of recognition…. Do you know when the National experiences that encourage important 21st century skills. Day of Robotics is, or how about Apple Day? Do you know there is a National Day of Chess? We will learn new things, explore new concepts, Please join us at the museum to build, count, create, and make discoveries and celebrate the joys of everyday life both large and small. every day for both our youngest visitors and for the adults who love them. Speaking of questions, how do you think innovation and technology will Susan Garrard, Mississippi Children’s Museum President/CEO change our world in 2017? That is something we, at MCM, keep asking ourselves. As we try to anticipate the myriad of ways the world is changing, we have planned new programs and activities which will promote and CITY, STATE ZIP CODE ZIP STATE CITY, ADDRESS LINE 2 LINE ADDRESS ADDRESS LINE 1 LINE ADDRESS FIRST NAME LAST NAME LAST NAME FIRST JACKSON, MS 39296 MS JACKSON, Permit No. 219 No. Permit PO BOX 55409 55409 BOX PO Jackson, MS 39201 MS Jackson, PAID U.S. Postage U.S. Nonprofit Organization Nonprofit CONTENTS STEM COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS 3-5 STEM FACES OF MCM 6-7 COMMUNITY EVENT CALENDAR 8-9 PARTNERSHIPS ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT & DEDICATION 10 MCM-MERIDIAN REPORT 11 The future of Mississippi depends on its ability to boost ANNUAL & QUARTERLY DONORS 12-14 student performance in STEM subjects. A recent study from the Alliance for Science and Technology Research FUTURE LOOK in America predicts an 8% increase in STEM-related 14 jobs in Mississippi between 2016 and 2025. Educational initiatives centering on STEM are vital to sustain this BY THE NUMBERS 15 economic growth, to keep Mississippi competitive in a global economy, and to create strong communities with MCM-TO-GO 16 diverse, accessible jobs. ,s Because of this, MCM sees a need to provide today students with a much earlier and stronger foundation in math and science than they receive in school alone. MCM is committed to giving children access to quality STEM-based experiences through innovative exhibits, engaging programs, and interactive special events. MCM seeks to foster early interest in STEM subjects while also helping children develop critical thinking and communication skills, creativity, and real-world problem solving. In addition, MCM has worked to develop strong community partnerships with industry leaders throughout Mississippi to be able to connect children in tangible ways not just to the kinds of learning that they will need to be explore the successful in school, but also to help them multitude of STEM-related career possibilities that exist. This is important if we truly want children to be able to discover and achieve their potential and become the f lexible thinkers, adventurous explorers, and innovative doers we need in our 21st century world. PUBLISHED BY 2016-17 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Olivia Host Mississippi Children’s Museum Hon. James E. Graves, Jr., Chairman Martin Jue Margaret Cupples Ashley Meena Design Director Kellye McMillan Donna Bruce Melanie Morgan Karen Bush Heidi Noel Editor & Writer Meemie Jackson Dr. Frederick Barr Sunny Sethi Photographer & Writer Lindsay McMurtray Bill Cooke Janet Spain Writer Chellese Hall Oleta Garrett Fitzgerald Design Assistant Marion Steckler John Fletcher EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Beth Hansen Susan Garrard, President/CEO Read more about these experiences on the next page! 2 | MISSISSIPPI CHILDREN’S MUSEUM | SPRING 2017 • PLAYBOOK 3 | MISSISSIPPI CHILDREN’S MUSEUM | SPRING 2017 • PLAYBOOK STEM COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS UNEXPECTED METHODS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH “We don’t let them near the kitchen at all,” Joe Bynum jokingly tells “Scientific research often seems like a mystery to kids,” says Dr. Michael MCM staff. Bynum is a member of the museum who was formerly Ryan, Professor of Physiology and Biophysics and Associate Dean convinced that his sons were too rambunctious to combine food and in the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Mississippi fun, but after Tinker with Tuesday at MCM, he’s been forced to Medical Center (UMMC). “They learn prescribed lessons in school, reconsider. but don’t often get to connect with real discovery.” Bynum’s two sons, Josef and Jonas, stand behind the counter of the Ryan seeks to demystify the process of scientific discovery through HEALTH & WELL BEING Red Rocket Café with a group of children being instructed by Chef CAREER EXPOSURE two events that bring the faculty and students from the UMMC Tom Ramsey, an award winning, Jackson-based culinary artist. For School of Graduate Studies to MCM to engage children in hands-on, On October 1, 2016, MCM held the inaugural Mississippi Science What encourages questions, engages the scientific method, promotes the entire month of October, Ramsey took participants of Tinker with research-based, scientific learning:PhUn Day in the fall and Discovery Festival (MSF), an event created to showcase STEM subjects and positive changes for better health, incorporates STEM, involves 22 Tuesday, MCM’s weekly STEM-based program, on an exploration U Day in the spring. their roles in Mississippi through fun, hands-on activities for children medical specialties, and creates a strong partnership between two of the “science of food.” institutions dedicated to improving the lives and well-being of and families. Because many elementary-aged children may not “PhUn stands for Physiology Understanding. It is a science outreach participate in science and technology activities at home or in school, Mississippi’s children? It’s Question It? Discover It! (QI?DI!), of course! Designed to be hands-on, Ramsey’s approach led little chef-scientists program that was started by the American Physiological Society in MSF is an exciting way for MCM to encourage STEM education in in experimental taste testing, temperature tactics, pickling with pH 2005 as a way to engage the lay public in biomedical sciences,” says Mississippi. Since 2012, MCM and Children’s of Mississippi, a part of the University levels, and making delicious snacks from unexpected ingredients. Ryan. PhUn Day typically focuses on exploring the body systems—the of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), have been partnering for heart, lungs, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. Jana Perry, MCM Director of Education and Programs says that the this once-a-month, Saturday program as a way to bring these concepts “There’s a lot of science behind food,” says Ramsey who coordinated festival allowed the museum to provide families with an up-close look together by encouraging children to ask questions and have fun the activities and planned the program curriculum. “The first thing “Discovery U Day is similar in format but rather than exclusively at the wide variety of careers in STEM. “We wanted to strengthen discovering the answers. Topics range from dentistry, the brain, bones, we learned was how to make pasta. I showed them how protein and focusing on different organ systems, we have activities that relate to our STEM offerings in the museum and get together with businesses heart health, and allergies. carbohydrates combine to make something that’s really loose, like all areas of biomedical research including anatomy, microbiology, and educational organizations across the state to help students be flour, into something that sticks together like noodles.” biochemistry, pharmacology, neuroscience, biomedical materials, “It’s all about health!” says Dr. Frederick “Rick” Barr, Senior Associate exposed to STEM concepts and ideas so they would look at careers and physiology,” he says. Making DNA from strawberries, building in those professions a little bit more closely and at younger ages than Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Suzan B. Thames Endowed In another session, Ramsey taught about types of heat: radiant, a model of a molecule, and learning about lung volume are just three they have been in schools,” Perry explains. Professor, and Chairman of Pediatrics, Children’s of Mississippi, conductive, and convective. Understanding heat types and how to of the activities that have been offered. UMMC. measure them is a skill that is just as useful for aerospace technicians, Visitors enjoyed talking to these experts about their careers and many engineers, and chemists in a lab as a chef in the kitchen. Using the One of the rewards of participating in this outreach is getting to see children discovered the surprising science behind things they already “The ultimate goal for Children’s of Mississippi and UMMC is to universal language of food as a foundation for STEM-based teaching when those “teachable moments” happen. “It is always satisfying love. MCM Assistant Director of Programs Patti Reiss says activities improve the health of Mississippi’s citizens. QI?DI! allows us to focus makes these complex concepts more relatable and undeniably when kids can answer a question about science, and to see the look at MSF connected things like robots, beekeeping, and balloons to on health literacy, which means we are helping children understand delicious. of excitement on their faces when they learn or experience something the way their bodies work,” Barr says. “One Saturday a month, our scientific concepts. “Ultimately, it gave children the opportunity to new,” Ryan says.