Kentucky Science Center has received a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The grant, totaling $200,000 was awarded as part of the American Rescue Plan to organizations working in the humanities that have been adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Kentucky Science Center was one of 292 organizations chosen out of 937 eligible applications.
Kentucky Science Center will use the funds to support the development of our new permanent 3rd floor health and humanity experience, entitled Uniquely Human. Encompassing three separate themes – “Thinking”, “Feeling” and “Identity” – Uniquely Human will provide a keen focus on the connection between body and mind and the ways experience and attitudes influence behaviors, while encouraging the development of a broader and more inclusive view of humanity. Currently, guests can interact with a prototype version of the exhibition during their visit. The final version of Uniquely Human is scheduled to open to the public in late 2022.
“The Kentucky Science Center is such an outstanding part of our community, and this award is a welcomed recognition of the vital role they play in educating individuals of all ages of the magic and wonder of science, and its importance in nearly every aspect of our lives,” says Congressman John Yarmuth, the lead sponsor of the American Rescue Plan. “These grants were designed to help our cultural and educational institutions weather the economic fallout from the pandemic, ensuring that we do not lose the places that make our city and nation so rich with opportunities to learn. I’m thrilled to help announce this award, and to know that it will be used for such an important experiential exhibit that is sure to bring in scores of new visitors makes it even more rewarding. I can’t wait to see all that Uniquely Human has to offer.”
To assist with the design process for the next phase of Uniquely Human, Kentucky Science Center has hired The Roto Group, an Ohio-based firm specializing in experience design and planning for museums and attractions. Kentucky Science Center had previously partnered with The Roto Group for the development of their One World by Air Cargo exhibition.
“We are so honored to have been chosen by the National Endowment for the Humanities for this grant and are excited by the opportunity to move this crucial project forward,” says Kentucky Science Center Chief Executive Officer Mike Norman. “Humanity is what connects us all, and Uniquely Human challenges and encourages deeper levels of self-awareness, perspective, and empathy. It offers an invitation that we all need in this moment – to live our healthiest lives by seeing ourselves and one another in a new light.”
Kentucky Science Center is open to the public seven days a week from 9:30AM to 5:00PM, and our 50,000 square feet of space allows families plenty of opportunity to explore and Do Science safely. To protect our youngest guests, many of whom are not yet eligible for the vaccine, Kentucky Science Center requires masking for everyone ages 2 and over.
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About Kentucky Science Center (kysciencecenter.org)
Kentucky Science Center is a nonprofit educational institution that encourages people of all ages to Do Science in engaging, educational, and entertaining ways to inspire a lifetime of learning. Designated the State Science Center of Kentucky by the 2002 Kentucky General Assembly, Kentucky Science Center features interactive exhibits and engaging programs for children, families, and adults. Kentucky Science Center is committed to growing a scientifically literate community that investigates, questions, and challenges.
About The Roto Group
Roto is an interdisciplinary creative design agency offering planning, experience design, immersive media, interactive engineering, and custom fabrication for museums, brands, attractions, and architectural placemaking. For more information visit www.roto.com.