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Greetings Science Factory Supporters!
Spring is here, and the Science Factory is absolutely buzzing with activity. February and March were our busiest months ever! We just finished designing a bounty of summer camps, and camp descriptions and registration forms are now available. Our remodeled classroom, the Exploration Station, is nearly ready, and we’ll be celebrating its reopening on April 26—please join us for a real party! There’s a new planetarium show called Different Light that will open your eyes to new ways of seeing our universe. There’s a Tot Discovery Day involving trees on the 6th, and a Busy Brains on No School Days event on April 13 that will provide lots of good fun. Come and see what’s new at the Science Factory!

QUICK VIEW CALENDAR OF EVENTS

APRIL EVENTS

• Fri 6  –  TOT DISCOVERY DAY: TREES, a casual drop in program for hands-on learning for ages 5 and under, 10am-noon, $10 for parent/child, $2 each additional child, free for members.
• Sat 7 –NEW PLANETARIUM SHOW OPENS: “DIFFERENT LIGHT,” admission $4.
• Wed 11 – MAGIC SCHOOL BUS (SERIES 4): COLOR, second of four-part series, fun and leaning for grades K-2, 2:30-4:30pm, $12 members/$15 non-members per class or $40 members/$50 non-members per series.
• Fri 13 –BUSY BRAINS NO SCHOOL DAY – YES/YEA: RAIN AND WEATHER, a fun-packed daylong camp full of games, stories, inventions, and art led by Oregon scientists and artists, for grades one through five, bring a lunch and outdoor clothing, 8:30am-4pm, $30 members/$35 non-members.
• Wed 18 – MAGIC SCHOOL BUS (SERIES 4):STARS, third of four-part series, fun and leaning for grades K-2, 2:30-4:30pm, $12 members/$15 non-members per class or $40 members/$50 non-members per series. 
• Wed 25 – MAGIC SCHOOL BUS (SERIES 4): EARTHQUAKES, fourth of four-part series, fun and leaning for grades K-2, 2:30-4:30pm, $12 members/$15 non-members per class or $40 members/$50 non-members per series.
• Th 26 – EXPLORATION STATION LAUNCH PARTY.  Party, 4 – 6 PM.  FREE.
• Sun 29 – EUGENE MARATHON, HALF MARATHON, 5K AND KIDS’ RUN, The Science Factory is a beneficiary for the 5K and Kids’ Run, so sign up for the race and support this inaugural event and The Science Factory.

IN THE MUSEUM

Exhibit Hall:

Bone Up on Bones continues through May 6 – Did you know that you have over 206 bones in your body? Visit our current exhibit, Bone Up on Bones, to find out what they do, why they’re important, and how to keep them healthy and strong.

Planetarium:

Saturdays and Sundays, 1 pm – Up in the Sky (continuing)

Saturdays and Sundays, 2 pm - Different Light.  New show!  This new planetarium program starts April 7 and will explore the cosmos through the eyes of the new generation of telescopes. These telescopes reveal what is invisible to our eyes by allowing us to see our universe in x-rays, ultraviolet light, infrared, radio and even gamma rays. It’s a strange cosmos out there! Our placid-appearing Sun becomes a seething, turbulent mass of eruptions and explosions when viewed in x-rays or ultraviolet. Even such a familiar constellation as Orion the Hunter becomes a blaze of hot gas and star-forming regions when seen in infrared. Here’s your chance to see the universe in a different light!

THE NEWS SCOOP

SUMMER CAMP SCHEDULE NOW AVAILABLE!
There will be plenty of excitement around the Science Factory this summer with our sizzling summer camp science adventures! These camps run from July 2-August 31 and are for kids from age 3 to grade 8.

New this year are camps for kids age 3-5, after care programs that go from 4:00-5:30, and many individual camps. Our summer camps are designed for maximum fun and for lessons that will provide practical information and excite kids about science.

Here’s a small taste of what is being offered for summer 2007:

--for kids who are itching to increase their computer know-how, we have camps such as Computer Kids, Computer Fun and Games, Digital Photography and Graphics, and Advanced  Digital Art and Photography

--for children who want to play with—and learn more about—water, there’s Splishin’ ‘n’ Splashin’, Oceans of Fun, Splash!, and Water Wonders

--for kids who want to build stuff, we offer Bridges and Buildings, Castles and Catapults, Boats and Floats, and Up, Up, and Away (where campers will get to make their own gliders, airplanes and parachutes)

--plus a whole array of science adventures such as Dragon Tales, Kitchen Chemistry, Adventures in Babysitting, Jolts and Volts, Dino-Mites, and many more!

For more information, see the fun-filled schedule of summer camps that is now available. Printed newsletters with the camp schedule have been mailed, or check out the schedule to be posted this week on our website at www.sciencefactory.org.
 

Help Launch Exploration Station
Open House Party Set for April 26!
Exploration Station, our new hands-on classroom, is set to launch. So please come and celebrate this newest addition to the Science Factory on Thursday, April 26 from 4:00-6:00 pm. We’re inviting the entire community to help us celebrate this wonderful new asset to the museum.

Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy will join partnering sponsors, community leaders, Science Factory members and plenty of kids to cut the ribbon on the room. We’ll be provided with ongoing entertainment by Tonn Nua, a youth band playing traditional Celtic music. Ongoing planetarium shows, hands-on activities and light refreshments will cap the event.

We are thrilled to thank our wonderful partnering sponsors, SELCO Community Credit Union and the Ann and Bill Swindells Charitable Trust, for providing us with initial funds to make this capital improvement to the museum. 

We are also extremely grateful to the following donors for their generous contributions:

Jerry ’s Home Improvement, Bi-Mart, Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation, Chuck Bailey AIA, Kurt Albrecht AIA, Symantec, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, McKenzie Commercial Contractors, Twin Rivers Plumbing, Gale Roberts Construction, Rubenstein’s Contract Carpet, Country Coach, Gibson Steel Fabricating, OnPoint Community Credit Union, the Singer Foundation, Oldfield’s Electronics & Appliances, Alice Parman, Dynea USA, Kenneth Singer, MD, Triton Electric, ATEZ, Inc., LibertyBank, Boles Concrete Construction, Dari-Mart, Lithia Chrysler Dodge of Eugene, Sanipac, Oregon Community Credit Union, Forrest Paint, William Balsom, MD, Advance Cabinet Designs, K Ridley Technology, Pacific Source, Monaco Coach Corp., Autohaus, Eugene Active 20-30 Club, Bryan Matthews Painting, Emerald Empire Kiwanis Club, Yujin Trollhouse, FedEx/Kinko’s, John Simoni, Central Print, Forefront Designs, Pacific Continental Bank, The Top Shop, Norwest Safety, Saul Wold, Consolidated Electrical Distributors, West Coast Bank, TTC Communications, the Benny Bartel Co., and Bell Hardware.

NEW ATTENDANCE RECORD SET
In February, we set a new attendance record of 2,739 visitors, which is the most to ever come through our doors in a single month. We were thrilled. In March, even more people came through our doors! We had a total of 3,026. We’re excited about this growth trend and working hard to see that it continues.

IT’S TOT DAY AT THE SCIENCE FACTORY ON april 6
Tots can learn about trees at the Science Factory on Friday, April 6 from 10 am to noon at a special drop-in event entitled Tot Discovery Day: Trees. Children will investigate trees by sorting pine cones, use observation tools on leaves and pine needles, and dress up a tree for spring. Admission is $10 for a child and parent, $2 for each additional child, and free for members.
 

GET PREHISTORIC AT BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSELLERS ON APRIL 11
Children can dig for fossils, make a dinosaur, and there will be story time with a dinosaur book at this free event from 6:30-7:30 pm. Barnes and Noble invited the Science Factory to this event, they are a contributing sponsor for the museum, and we are partnering with Barnes and Noble in other ways including an upcoming Book Fair in May. For children interested in dinosaurs, this is a chance for some big fun while they learn about these giant creatures. Copies of our new summer camp schedule will also be available.
 

GLITTERARY WORD FESTIVAL AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY
On April 28, the Science Factory will have an activity table at the library in downtown Eugene from 1:30-3 pm for the Glitterary Word Festival. This event is hosted by the Young Writers Association. At our activity table, there will be lessons about the water cycle—and some very cool dry ice!
 

Eugene Marathon Coming Up Fast
There’s still time to sign up for the Eugene Marathon on April 29. In addition to the full-length marathon, there’s also a half marathon, a 5 kilometer run, and a kids’ run, so whatever your age or running ability, there’s a race for you! And proceeds from the 5K and kids’ run will benefit the Science Factory. Run to the finish line, increase our bottom line, and have a great time doing it at the inaugural running of the Eugene Marathon. For information and registration forms, visit http://www.eugenemarathon.com.
 

WE LIKE Bike Day!
The Science Factory and the City of Eugene are hosting their 3rd Annual Bike Day event on Saturday, June 2 from 12 noon-4 pm. Outside the museum, there will be bike safety demonstrations, bike races, live music from a marimba band, free Ben and Jerry's ice cream, a bike ride and parade through Alton Baker Park, free bike tune-ups, bike decorating, unicyclists and other fun activities related to human-powered transportation. 

Inside the museum, there will be speakers who will discuss issues related to sustainability and alternative transportation. Many of the day's participants will be recognized by Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and be eligible for raffle prizes. For more information, go to www.sciencefactory.org.
 

Wish List of Equipment and Supplies
There are some common and not so common items that we could put to good use to improve our activities and facility. Here are some of them:

--adjustable office chairs

--conference table and chairs

--commercial garbage can for outdoor use

--pavilion tent

--locking walk-in storage unit

--anti-virus computer software 

If you have any of these items and would like to donate them to the museum (where you can visit them when you choose), please contact Joyce Berman at 682-7886.
 

OUR GRATITUDE FOR GRANTS
The Science Factory extends a pat on the back and a very warm “thank you” to the organizations that are providing grants so that we can provide more activities for more kids. Among the latest gifts that we have received are grants from the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation, the Chambers Family Foundation, the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation, the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB), and the Ann and Bill Swindells Charitable Trust.
 

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS AND DONORS
The following businesses and organizations have contributed to our success in 2007, and we thank them for their valuable support for our programs.  These donors are in addition to the donors who have contributed to our Exploration Station remodel campaign.  Please consider donating today to continue supporting Science Factory’s extensive activities and programs.  We receive no governmental assistance in providing our services. 

Partnering Sponsor ($10,000+)
Slocum Center for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine 

Engage Level Sponsors  ($500-$999)
The Register-Guard
Carter and Carter Financial 

Donors (up to $499)
Eugene Firefighters Association
Synthes ( USA ),
The Clorox Company 

Individual Donors
Kenneth and Alice Gay Check
Patrick Logan
B. Kevin and Ann Burgess
Donald W. and Dolly W. Woolley
John Simoni
Jack O’Donnell
Sasha Chernoff
Vicky Hanson
Dean Boyd & Susan Wickizer
Ginnie Lo and Paul Nicholson
Susan Norris, Ph.D.
Deb and Ron Stock
Dale Tronrud
Dale Kramer
John Bredesen
 

Welcome to New Members
A multitude of folks signed up as members in March to receive benefits that include discounts on all summer camps and other classes and special programs, unlimited free admission to the Exhibit Hall and to all regularly scheduled Planetarium shows, and free admission or discounts to more than 270 other museums across the country. Here are our newest members: Rina and Matt Favreault, Elizabeth and Tom Hults, Dawaila and Paul McIntire, Andrea Allen Sis and Joseph Sis, Julie and Doug Lawnicki, Vicki Falsgraf, Brinda Narayan-Wold and Eric Wold, Cendy and Eron Andersen, Myung Soon Kim and Cho Hyun Suk, April and Chaum Spehar, Jennifer Pew and David Sears, Debra Creviston and Ann Hubbard, Jennifer and Jason Evans, Brenda and Jack Holthaus, Patricia and Joe Munu, Debra and Rodger Knebel, Mark and Sherri Detweiler, Nancy and Mark Radich, Jen and Jason Tavakolian, David and Debbie Kindt, Tabatha and Blake Andrews, Becky Kaiser and Bridget Jones, Nicole Davis, Andrea Griffits and Paul Carlson, Terry and Nanette Kise, Seungwan Choi and Eunkyung Baeg, Jordan Michels and Susi Sessions, Jason Thompson, Tammie and Stacy Bolesworth, Dennis Barr and Sikandra Norton, Jolynn Fabiano and Willis Alison, Daniel and Vicki Hood, Andrea and Jason Alpizar, Kalie and John Coggins, Megan and Rob Boyer, Shannon and Tim Cooper, Gustavo Gutierrez and Susana Rodriguez, Alan and Gail Thayer, Sarah Puar and Kevin Kimple, Angela Tiehan and Wanita Morris, Julie and Mark Seghetti, Claire and James Potter, Tim and Holly Leonard, Denee and Joe Lazzaretto, Andrea and Patrick Kerr, Don Harkins and Annette Weller, Sarah Marvin and Peter Walker, Sheri Awbry and Andy Stubbs, Jennifer and Brad Davis, Cindy and Paul Gossard, Anthony and Nicki Taylor, Ray and Heather Hull, Karen Tunnell and Judith McDaniel, Dev Sinha and Sujata Sanghvi, A. Pierce and H. Fisher, Jong Chun Youn and Choi-Jae Yeon,  Gary Ulmer and Katya Zachai, Sean Hayes and Amalia Gladhart, Lara and Andy Fernandez, Angi and Carl Young, Shannon Anderson and Roy Miller, James McClenaghan and Julie Bergheer, Nancy and John Melendez, Barbara and Douglas Mozan.
 

New Staff at the SCIENCE FACTORY
Many of you have already met Martin Drobac or Courtney Anglin. They are our new Visitor Services Assistants, and they work at the front desk and assist visitors to the Exhibit Hall and Planetarium, in addition to other duties. They are both incredible. Martin has a master of fine arts degree from the University of California at Irvine and a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University . He brings a wealth of experience as an Account Executive including managing marketing campaigns for Broadway shows in New York and assisting non-profit arts organizations in Los Angeles with their marketing and fundraising. Courtney is working on a degree in Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University of Oregon after transferring from Lane Community College . She is a savvy and energetic political activist who is certified as both an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and a wilderness firefighter, and she likes to play kickball.
 

volunteer of the month
Our hero for this month is Kristin Anderson. As our Volunteer Coordinator, Kristin recruits and provides training to the other volunteers, and she leads the docent program and gets new docent guides oriented to the museum. She serves on the Education Committee and is helping with an EWEB grant for activities related to energy. In addition, Kristin, who has a background in biology and a focus in marine biology, has worked as a summer camp teacher and has been called “a natural educator.” Thank you, Kristin, for all you do for the Science Factory.
 

EATING PIZZA AND RAISING DOUGH
Our pizza fundraiser on March 20 was a lively and tasty event that brought out many current museum supporters and allowed us to meet some new ones. We definitely raised some dough while eating a lot of pizza. We want to thank Roaring Rapids Pizza for participating, as well as all of our many supporters who turned out for this event. We were so fortunate to have Doodles the Clown at the fundraiser. She is a face-painting, balloon-bending virtuoso! Thanks, Doodles, and we hope to see you again soon. In addition to everything else, Jen Shelton from the Science Factory offered kitchen chemistry demonstrations, made pizza dough for kids to take home, and set off a geyser with Pepsi and Mentos (this was performed outdoors, of course). We’d love to do an event like this again, so please contact us if you have an interest in going to other restaurants for similar events combining food and fundraising.
 

KEEPING THE GREEN LOOKING SUPREME
We are delighted to welcome Thompson Landscape Company as our sponsor for all landscaping services to the grounds surrounding the Science Factory.  This extensive commitment to keeping our vast grounds looking their best is so very appreciated.  Welcome Thompson Landscape Company! 

Science Website of the Month
http://www.krampf.com/experiments/Science_Experiment4.html

The experiment at this web address is a simple one, but it will amaze your friends. Use your powers of observation to tell the number of sections in an orange or grapefruit before you open it. When you finish the experiment, you can eat the delicious results. Scroll down on the web page to see the full text.

Electrical Energy Exhibit Coming in May
Kids can get energized about energy at our new exhibit called Electrical Energy: Transformation and Conservation. This show will look at energy using an array of informative and interactive displays. The exhibit even has one display that will make your hair stand on end: kids can see static electricity in action with our new Van de Graaf generator.

The central feature of the Electrical Energy exhibit is the EWEB energy conservation kiosk. The exhibit’s features emphasize the dual benefits of energy conservation to preserve limited natural resources and as a way to save money. This kiosk was created as part of a campaign to encourage energy conservation for the State of California and was generously purchased and presented to the Science Factory by the Eugene Water and Electric Board. One of the most important issues of the 21st century will be energy, and we can all play a powerful role in this issue by how we choose to use energy. 

In addition to bringing the energy kiosk to the Science Factory, EWEB provided an education grant to help develop hands-on activities and demonstration stations. We’ll have:

n      Activity stations that involve topics including electrical energy, solar and other alternative sources of energy, mechanical energy, magnetic energy, energy transformations, and energy conversions

n      Among the activities will be circuit-building, exploration in microcircuitry using the Science Factory’s new digital microscope, electromagnet construction and more. Sequential Biofuels is contributing both a display and an activity station

n      A model train display will offer its own lesson about energy—see announcement below for more info on this display

This electrifying new exhibit opens on May 11. Until then, there’s still time to visit the Bone Up on Bones exhibit that will be up through May 6.
 

Hop Aboard for the Large-Scale Train Exhibit
The Science Factory proudly presents a large-scale train exhibit that will feature two trains taking turns powering over a bridge and through a town. The two large-scale trains are roughly twice the size of the Lionel trains that many people have seen, and these large-scale trains are sometimes called garden trains. Most of the train cars on this display have been made by the Lehman Gross Bahn (large train) company, or LGB.

The train set-up will have operating semaphore signals, and the whole display can be powered by the energy generated by a stationary bike and rider. The display will evolve over time as scenic elements to the set-up are added by members of the Emerald Empire Garden Railway Society. If trains have a pull on you, then get your ticket to this display that opens in May!
 

CALENDAR FOR MAY 

- Fri 4 – TOT DISCOVERY DAY: BUBBLES, a casual drop-in program for hands-on learning fro ages 5 and under, 10 am-12 noon, $10 for parent/child, $2 for each additional child, free for members.

- Sun 6 – Last Day for BONE UP ON BONES displays in the Exhibit Hall, 12 noon-4 pm

- Wed 9 – Magic School Bus (Series 5): Honey bees, first of three-part series, fun and learning for grades K-2, 2:30-4:30 pm, $12 members/$15 non-members per class or $30 members/$40 non-members per series.

- Fri 11 – Flex Your Power Exhibit on Electrical Energy opens in the Exhibit Hall, 12 noon-4 pm

- Wed 16 - Magic School Bus (Series 5): CONSTRUCTION, second of three-part series, fun and learning for grades K-2, 2:30-4:30 pm, $12 members/$15 non-members per class or $30 members/$40 non-members per series.

- Sat 19 – KID’S CONSTRUCTION DAY, 12 noon-4 pm, in cooperation with local area professionals in construction and engineering, we’re presenting a fun-filled day of activities, contests and lots of construction. Our mission is to explore the applied science behind planning and constructing buildings and bridges. Activities are included with regular admission. 

- Wed 23 - Magic School Bus (Series 5): TEMPERATE RAINFORESTS, third of three-part series, fun and learning for grades K-2, 2:30-4:30 pm, $12 members/$15 non-members per class or $30 members/$40 non-members per series.