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We need your support to continue providing education and research opportunities that satisfy and engage curious minds of all ages.
2005 Friends of The Bakken The Bakken is a 501(c)3 public non-profit organization. Become a Friend, please contact us or print and fill out our Friends form. From our 2006 Annual Report: Themes like the Electric Heart help The Bakken achieve its ultimate mission of inspiring young people to pursue a life in science for the benefit of humanity. What better role models for this goal than our founder and board chair Earl Bakken, inventor of the first wearable pacemaker, and Wilson Greatbatch, inventor of the first fully- implantable pacemaker? (And what more appropriate major sponsors for the Electric Heart than the companies founded by these men–Medtronic and Greatbatch, Inc.?) These two great inventors came to The Bakken in August and spoke to a group of 30 children and parents about the fun and fulfillment they have experienced in applying electrical technology to the healing of sick hearts. And both men are still actively researching, inventing and patenting new ideas. Only at The Bakken can young people and their parents and teachers meet with such inspiring and ingenious humanitarians! As you will see from this report, 2006 was an electrifying year for The Bakken in many ways. In addition to constantly improving and expanding programs like our school field trips (which served 9,363 children) and our in-depth, mentoring-based invention programs (which have inspired students to pursue engineering degrees at Columbia, Stanford, and the University of Minnesota), we would like to call special attention to our school partnerships. With the help of major funding from the Bush Foundation, we provided 8,638 science experiences to students in seven Minneapolis schools and launched a monthly education program for their teachers as well. Programs in the schools and other offsite locations are becoming increasingly important, accounting for 29 percent of our numbers served. Altogether, both in the museum and beyond, we are proud to have delivered a total of 49,169 electrifying experiences to young and old alike during 2006, which included a 19 percent increase in onsite attendance over the previous year. We would like to offer our heart-felt thanks to all of the individuals and organizations listed in this report who have supported our educational mission through donations, grants, sponsorships, in-kind gifts, and volunteering their time and expertise. The need for inspiring more young people to pursue careers in the STEM area (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) has never been greater. The Bakken’s need for your support for this globally-significant task is urgent. Please join us in singing the praises of science and engineering to our young people. Our hearts–and our lives–may depend upon it. Brad Bakken, President, Board of Directors |
| The Bakken A Library and Museum of Electricity in Life 3537 Zenith Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55416-4623, USA Join our E-Mail List Contact Us Tele: 612-926-3878 Fax: 612-927-7265 |
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Museum Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday 10 to 5 |
The
Bakken will inspire youth to pursue a life in science for the benefit
of humanity.