ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Museum colleagues:

    The Science Center of Connecticut has changed its name to The Children's
Museum.  We've done this for a variety of reasons.  The Science Center began
as a children's museum offering classes and displays in natural history and
natural science more than seventy years ago.  In subsequent years, we
deemphasized our collections of artifacts (mounted birds, minerals, eggs,
historical items) and increased our exhibits and classes in basic science.
We've changed our name twice before.  In our current iteration, we have a
planetarium, wildlife sanctuary with more than 100 small-medium animals,
permanent exhibit space, and a traveling exhibit gallery, as well as our own
preschool.

    We've outgrown our space.  Within the next five years, we are planning
to build a new facility with a focus on children under twelve.  Our themes
will still be science.  At the same time, our state government (we are a
private non-profit) is building its own high-tech science museum in the
capital city (<10 miles away).  It is meant to attract tourists as well as
school and family groups.  Right now, it is called the Connecticut Center
for Science and Exploration, but this might change as it's not built yet.
Our new name will better differentiate our project from theirs.  Also, their
focus will be on older students and science as it relates to business and
industry while ours will still be on basic concepts.  We are still ASTC
members as well as members of the Association of Children's Museums (ACM).

     If you have any questions, you can contact me off-list.  Right now,
both our old and new domain names will work, although there might be a brief
period when we have to work the bugs out of our new site:
www.TheChildrensMuseumCT.org <http://www.thechildrensmuseumct.org/> .
 

Kristie M. Mazzoni

Assistant Planetarium Director

Gengras Planetarium

The Children's Museum 

(formerly The Science Center of Connecticut)

950 Trout Brook Drive

West Hartford CT 06119

 

(860) 231-2830 x24

 

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]