Pacific Science Center (PSC) proposes Out of the Lab and Into the Spotlight (OLIS) a five-year project to bring current and fascinating information about health science research to Pacific Northwest audiences. Through a series of showcases that change content every six months the Research Focus Gallery will highlight cutting-edge local research. The Gallery a combined exhibit and program space will feature multimedia displays research artifacts hands-on exhibits and a presentation area where local researchers will communicate their work to visitors. An annual three-day research festival and monthly Science Cafes in three locations will complement the programs presented in the Gallery and will provide multiple venues for a variety of audiences to meet face-to-face with local researchers and learn about health science and related careers. Out of the Lab and Into the Spotlight will further the goals of the Science Education Partnership Award by 1) connecting the community to NIH-funded research and 2) increasing the awareness of young people in the Puget Sound region about careers in scientific research. An in-depth evaluation conducted by the external evaluator Center for Research Evaluation and Assessment will measure the effectiveness of the project in reaching the following outcomes: * The extent to which the program informs PSC visitors about the wide variety of NIH-funded research being performed in the region; specifically whether PSC visitors have an increased understanding of the various research areas presented. * The impact of the program on over 100 scientist participants; specifically scientists’ ability to communicate research ideas to the public and their interest in future participation. * The ability of PSC program developers to develop a future-ready space; specifically if the developed showcases and templates are adaptable to future content areas. The proposed project will draw upon our established relationships with local research organizations that together receive close to one billion dollars annually from NIH. The project leverages and deepens relationships that already exist between each of these institutions and PSC to enhance science learning in our community in novel ways. The primary audience for OLIS will be families and school groups ages eight and older drawn from over 800000 annual visitors. As a standalone element within the new Wellness exhibit due to open in 2011 we anticipate the Gallery will reach three to four million visitors during the grant period and up to five million additional visitors in the subsequent five years. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE (provided by applicant): Individuals need to obtain process and understand basic health information to make appropriate health decisions (Healthy People 2010). The proposed project Out of the Lab and Into the Spotlight will provide opportunities for the general public to increase their understanding of current health information and increase their awareness of cutting-edge research taking place in their own backyard. By engaging with research scientists in several venues the public will be exposed to NIH funded research and health science careers.
Health care in the United States is expensive and complex, and there are many competing interests that make it an increasing necessity for health care consumers to take an active role to better advocate for themselves and those who are impacted by the decisions that are made. Making effective health care choices requires both science literacy and critical thinking skills to understand and evaluate options. The Weighing the Evidence (tentative title) project team will work with medical experts, researchers, health and medicine journalists, and community partners to improve visitors’ critical analysis skills and ability to review evidence so that they can make informed health care decisions. To meet this goal a traveling exhibition will be developed utilizing a unique collection of historical and contemporary quack medical devices donated to the Science Museum of Minnesota when the Museum of Questionable Medical Devises closed in 2002. While the collection is rich in fun and entertainment, it also offers a multitude of opportunities to reflect on science, society and ethics, skepticism, and objectivity. This collection, along with interactive experiences, theater programs, outreach programming and a companion web site will provide visitors with the tools needed to become more knowledgeable health care consumers.
The New York Hall of Science (NYHOS), in partnership with the University of Michigan (UM), the Miami Museum of Science (MMOS), the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent), and a broad group of Science and Museum Advisors, requests $1,349,349 over five years for a combined Phase I and Phase II NIH SEPA grant to develop, test and travel a new hands-on science exhibition on the subjects of natural selection and human health. With the working title "Evolution and Health," the 1000-square-foot interactive traveling exhibition will engage middle and high-school students, educators and the general public in inquiry-based learning on the role of evolution and natural selection in explanations of health, illness, prevention, and treatment. In addition, teacher development programs and online activities focusing on health issues seen from an evolutionary perspective will be developed by the NYHOS Education staff and disseminated along with the exhibition on its national tour. The project will address the relationship between health and natural selection; while there are many museum exhibitions on health, this will be only one of two to take an evolutionary perspective, and the only one to explore the relationship between health and natural selection. Ultimately, "Evolution and Health" will become a national model for conveying an evolutionary understanding of health, which will be increasingly central to research and public understanding in the coming years. "Evolution and Health" will increase visitors' comprehension of their own health issues by fostering a better understanding of evolution and natural selection. The project will seek to determine whether employing the perspective of natural selection can lead to a deeper understanding of human health.