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At Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and
Institute of Popular Science [1939-1991] in the 1980s
and early 1990s, one of our regular volunteers always
would complain that a lot of students, particularly
during school group visits, utilized the institution
as an "amusement park for the index finger." That is,
many children would push a button on one exhibit, see
something happen, but before really understanding what
happened would then run-off to the next exhibit and
push their button, and the process would continue
repeating itself.

> those reasons.  How about a price break for schools
> that come at 
> off-peak times?

One year, we did try this at the original Buhl
Planetarium, with very disappointing results. As our
40,000 square-foot building was jammed during the
Spring school trip months, resulting in a much lower
quality "product" for the young visitors, we offered a
discount for school groups which visited in September
and October [September was the "deadest" month of the
year for us].

Very few school groups took advantage of the offer.
Looking back on it, I think I understand why. The
offer was made to the teachers, who do not have to
worry about the school district budget. Teachers
prefer Spring field trips, as the better Spring
weather and the coming end of the school year makes
keeping the students' attention in class much more
difficult.

Now, had the discount offer been communicated to the
school principals or school district superintendents,
who DO have to worry about school budgets, the result
may have been much different!

gaw

--- Jane Snell Copes <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2006 14:24:34 -0500 
From: "Jane Snell Copes" <[log in to unmask]> 
Subject: Re: school groups (and chaperones) behaving
badly 
To: [log in to unmask]

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of
> Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums
> and related institutions.
>
*****************************************************************************
> 
> End-of-the-school-year are often the most difficult
> for our museum. 
> Kids are tired of each other.  The weather is
> finally better (in the 
> frozen north).  Many districts don't want to risk
> trips in snowy-ice 
> weather.  School is almost out!  It's way more
> crowded because many 
> schools don't have money raised for field trips
> until mid-year or 
> later.  Some schools treat field trips as rewards
> for good classroom 
> behavior.  Some of our out-state schools combine a
> museum trip with 
> the zoo and State Capitol and stay over night.  We
> happen to have a 
> very popular touring exhibit (Body Worlds) that
> opened in May, adding 
> to the crowds.
> 
> It's much more mellow in October and November for
> the converse of all 
> those reasons.  How about a price break for schools
> that come at 
> off-peak times?
> 
> Best of rhubarb season, Jane

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh
Electronic Mail - < [log in to unmask] >
NEWS - Astronomy, Space, Science:
< http://buhlplanetarium.tripod.com/#news >
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: 
  < http://www.planetarium.cc > 
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: 
  < http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer & Optician John A. Brashear: 
  < http://johnbrashear.tripod.com > 
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: 
  < http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc > 
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh: 
  < http://www.incline.cc >

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