CONTACT: Lisa Resnik
Chief Office of External Affairs
Kentucky Science Center
M: 502-889-5600
[email protected]
Boone County Library Welcomes SCIENCE IN PLAY 2GO
Free mobile exhibit designed for early-childhood learning
begins 3-month residency in Union, KY
PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT – Kentucky Science Center’s Science in Play 2Go (SIP2GO) opens December 9, 2017 at the Boone County Public Library, Scheben Branch, 8899 U.S. 42, Union, KY 41091. Members of the press are invited to attend the ribbon cutting and VIP reception on December 7 at 5:30 p.m. for brief remarks and the opportunity to photograph and record footage families playing in the exhibit. Please RSVP to [email protected].
SIP2GO empowers children and families to learn together by using fun, hands-on activities and encouraging the simple principle of “playing.”
SIP2GO will be open during library hours from December 9, 2017 – March 4, 2018. It is completely FREE to the community, including schools and community centers in and around the county. Field trips and group visits to Science in Play 2GO are encouraged – arrangements can be made by contacting the library.
SIP2GO is designed to serve as an ongoing resource to the community with “Do Science” at home activities for parents and caregivers and tools to help facilitate early-childhood learning for schools and libraries. By engaging with the Kentucky Department of Library and Archives and communities across the Commonwealth, SIP2GO seeks to impact school readiness rates statewide.
In its inaugural year, SIP2GO welcomed nearly 50,000 total visitors with residencies in four Kentucky counties (Woodford, Oldham, Logan, Laurel). Residencies are already scheduled for the next three years at libraries in Boyle, Marshall, Muhlenberg, McLean, Bath, Trimble, Johnson, Warren, Henry, Lincoln, and Floyd Counties.
SIP2GO is the mobile version of Kentucky Science Center’s early-childhood learning experience Science in Play that opened July 2015 at the Science Center’s flagship location in Louisville, KY. The fact that children are natural “scientists,” who learn as they explore the world around them, serves as the underlying philosophy for both versions of Science in Play.
The elements of the exhibit present in Boone County – including creating your own rollercoaster, experimenting in the Science Depot, or visiting the Shapes and Stuff Store – encourage open-ended thought, collaboration, and creativity; fundamental skills that best prepare children to face the challenges and seize the opportunities of the 21st century. The traveling exhibit is free to the participating library.
SIP2GO’s impact is clear. Surveys conducted in the first year confirmed an average 81% of parents and caregivers report “feeling more confident in my ability to nurture my child’s science learning”; 91% believe that SIP2GO helps them “think of new ways to encourage learning at home” and 90% report it helps them “extend learning by asking my child questions and encourage new skills.”
SIP2GO is made free to libraries and communities through the support of PNC and Genentech, and in partnership with the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA).
Fact Sheet:
WHAT: Opening Event for Science in Play2GO in Boone County
WHO: Families, Library Staff, Community Leaders Speakers include:
Joanna Haas, Kentucky Science Center CEO
Terry Manuel, State Librarian & Commissioner, Kentucky Department for Libraries & Archives
Carrie Herrmann, Library Director, Boone County Public Library
WHERE: Boone County Public Library, Scheben Branch, 8899 U.S. 42, Union, KY 41091
WHEN: December 7, 2017 at 5:30pm.
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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.