Arkansas’s Governor Beebe Focuses On STEM Education
Governor Beebe speaks on Science, Technology, Engineering , and Math (STEM) education and the Museum of Discovery Science Center.
“This past week, I was on site as the Museum of Discovery began construction on its new Science Center. The museum, located in downtown Little Rock, has long provided a stimulating learning environment for Arkansas students and their families. Its interactive, hands-on exhibits and engaging events allow students to explore science, math, engineering, and technology in interesting and exciting ways.
The renovation is made possible, in large part, by a $9.2 million grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, and will increase the museum’s total size to 50,000 square feet. Once construction is completed in January of 2012, the new Science Center will feature exhibits and activities dedicated to math, geography, physical sciences, life sciences, the human body, and global earth processes. This will enrich and supplement the STEM curriculum that Arkansas schools currently provide to our young people. Our 21st-century economy requires our students to have a strong background in STEM curriculum: science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The fascinating atmosphere at the Museum of Discovery will provide more opportunities for students to examine these subjects outside the traditional classroom environment.
Arkansas’s focus on STEM subjects extends from early childhood education through high school and beyond, and our commitment to its promise was recently recognized on the national level. In October, the College Board reported that Arkansas students ranked number one in the United States for increased qualifying scores in math, science, and English on Advanced Placement tests. The Science Center of the Museum of Discovery will provide additional learning to cultivate interest in young children, teenagers, and even adults, keeping these subjects thriving in all of our lives.
Along with being an educational resource for our State, the Museum of Discovery is also an important contributor to Arkansas’s economy. The museum has an annual economic impact of $2.5 million in Little Rock, and more than $13 million statewide through the Arkansas Discovery Network. As we continue to recruit new technology-based, high-paying jobs to Arkansas, existing science and technology centers reinforce our investment in STEM education and to developing and providing a well-prepared workforce.
In 2010, the Museum has already served more than 500,000 people, bringing visitors from across the country, as well as from communities around Arkansas. Once the new Donald W. Reynolds Science Center opens, it is expected to attract a 25-percent surge in visitors to the facility.
Throughout the State, innovative and creative projects embody our commitment to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In Pope County, for instance, students are now exposed to entertaining science- and-math-based programming during their bus rides to and from school. In Mountain Home, Arkansas students are competing in a robotics competition that challenges students to use engineering concepts in solving common problems. In Little Rock, the Museum of Discovery will soon become Arkansas’s premiere Science Center, continuing a valuable service for us all as we move forward in an increasingly science- and technology-based world.”
Topics: 2010, Arkansas, Arkansas Discovery Network, Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, education, engineering, Governance, government, Governor Mike Beebe, Little Rock, math, moniter, monitor, Museum of Discovery, news, schools, science, STEM, technology, U.S., United States
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