Bakken Museum Honored with Leading Edge Award From Association of Science-Technology Centers

The Bakken Museum was honored by the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) with the 2009 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Award for Visitor Experience for its Science Assets-based School Partnership program on October 31 in Fort Worth, Texas.  The ‘Edgie’ recognizes extraordinary accomplishments that not only enhance the performance of the institution, but also significantly advance the mission of science-technology centers and museums.

The Bakken’s Museum’s mission is to inspire a passion for science but many children don’t think science relates to them—particularly girls, students of color and students of poverty.  Because science and technology are rapidly changing the twenty-first century world in which today’s students live and work, The Bakken developed the groundbreaking Science Assets-based School Partnership program in collaboration with the Minneapolis Public Schools to change how students think about and approach science.

The program successfully builds upon children’s creativity to help them develop confidence, receive support and understand that science is a meaningful part of their daily life.  A team of Bakken educators visit the classroom, actively involving students in creative thinking and problem solving.  As part of the program, children are introduced to ‘People of Science’ who help bring science to life in the classroom—such as a food scientist from General Mills whose job includes tasting cookies and an engineer from Medtronic who uses Silly Putty to demonstrate his work with polymers.

The School Partnership program also includes a professional development component.  Participating teachers report increased confidence in teaching science.  Positive outcomes have led to expansion of the program which will serve 2,700 district fourth graders and their teachers through 2011.

“The Bakken is honored to receive this national recognition," said Kelly Finnerty, Deputy Director for Programs for The Bakken Museum.  "We are grateful to our educational partners at Minneapolis Public Schools and our community funders at the Bush Foundation, Medtronic and Boston Scientific for their support in building the Science Assets of every Minneapolis public school fourth grader."