Time Warner Cable awards $15,000 to the Museum for after-school STEM programming
For immediate release ‐ June 16, 2015
Contact: Emelia Cowans, 919.707.9837. Images available upon request
RALEIGH—The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences has been awarded a Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds grant for $15,000 that will help to enhance the Museum’s after-school programming. The grant is given to non-profit organizations that inspire and educate within the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as part of Time Warner Cable’s commitment to furthering STEM education in young people. With support from Time Warner Cable, the Museum will be able to expand and promote the Teen Café, Teen TV, and Girls/Boys in Science programming.
Studies have shown a noticeable decline in young people’s interest in STEM programming, which is the basis for innovation and problem solving in the United States. By challenging parents, mentors and non-profit organizations to share the STEM environment with children, the Connect a Million Minds initiative has already surpassed their goal, uniting 1,034,728 young people with kid-friendly science and math education opportunities.
The Museum’s promise of education, along with their collaboration with Connect a Million Minds, allows for fun additions to the already exciting and engaging after-school programming the Museum provides.
“We are always looking for new ways to engage our visitors in the wonders of science,” said Dr. Emlyn Koster, Director of the Museum. “Teen Cafés, Teen TV and Girls/Boys in Science programs provide opportunities for visitors who can’t always reach us during the workday and school day but possess a burning curiosity about science and its relevance to the opportunities and challenges facing our society and the environment – a curiosity we can help satisfy.” The Connect a Million Minds grant will fund staffing, materials, promotions and scholarships to the Teen Science Cafés and the Teen TV programs. These are opportunities to explore new ideas, innovations and theories within the science community that give teenagers guidance on how to share their new knowledge with peers. Scholarships fund high-need students applying to Girls in Science or Boys in Science after-school camps. These camps allow young people to connect with mentors to help broaden their scientific knowledge through nature and research.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (11 W. Jones St. and 121 W. Jones St.) in downtown Raleigh, is the state’s most visited cultural attraction. It is an active research institution that engages visitors of every age and stage of learning in the wonders of science and the natural world, drawing them into the intriguing fields of study that are critical to the future of North Carolina. Hours: Mon.- Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sun., noon-5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the Web at www.naturalsciences.org. Emlyn Koster, PhD, Director; Donald van der Vaart, Secretary, Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Pat McCrory, Governor.