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

hi Rachel,

Great idea for an alternate model.

You may want ot talk to the people at the Discovery Center near LA. They
have been a mostly all volunteer organization for their entire history. They
just installed their first traveling exhibit and are starting to take off.
Call 818-879-2021 for more info. They're located just north of LA in the
Westlake Village/ Thousand Oaks area.

Good luck and keep us posted on progress.

Ben Dickow

On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 6:24 PM, Rachel Garcia
<[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
> institutions.
>
> *****************************************************************************
>
> Hello Everyone,
> I am working to get a science center (or as I call it a science play-space)
> in Knox County, OH, a county with about 60,000 people, mainly rural, but
> with two colleges and a county seat of almost 20,000.  I've been thinking a
> lot about funding, and how to make it work in a place where a lot of people
> have low incomes.  I believe we can get some local funding for
> infrastructure and "stuff", but salaries and ongoing costs will be very
> difficult.  I was wondering if anyone has tried or knows anything about
> using cooperative models for running such a place.
>
> For example, I was thinking about people gaining membership, and
> "ownership" by putting in a certain number of hours or money that would
> allow them unlimited use of the space for a certain time period.  I've seen
> this model used at food coops- time worked gives discounts, but I've never
> heard of it for a science center.
>
> Also I was wondering has any science center ever had a science toy library
> or toy exchange?  If you have thought of it, or have done it, do you have
> any thoughts to share?
>
> Thank you for sharing all the great stuff on this list serve!
>
> Rachel Garcia
> ([log in to unmask])
> ***********************************************************************
> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the
> Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
>
> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at
> www.exhibitfiles.org.
>
> The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To
> learn more, visit
> http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.
>
> 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]
>

***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.

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]