New Year, New LabVenture!

Tidings | Apr 20, 2020

A graphic of the future LabVenture design which includes multiple interactive kiosks, a wall map of the Gulf of Maine. White outlines of students are spaced throughout the graphic to represent the real students that will experience this new LabVenture space soon.
One depiction of LabVenture's new design

Every new year brings change, but 2018 will be truly transformative for our cornerstone education program. Next fall, we will unveil a totally updated LabVenture! program, featuring new technology and a fully renovated space. 

The 10,000 Maine middle schoolers who visit our lab each year will use real-life NASA data to explore the influence of climate change on the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and its key species. They’ll investigate these scientific concepts using state-of-the-art interactive technologies, which the project team is currently prototyping. 

The project began in 2015, when we received a $6.5 million NASA grant — the largest in our organization’s history. We’re partnering with national experts in interactive design, curriculum development, and learning research. 

"It’s been so exciting to watch the plans for the whole experience emerge over the last year,” said Chief Education Officer Leigh Peake. “It’s been a true labor of love for everyone on the team.”

The current LabVenture! program will continue through the end of the 2017-2018 school year, and renovations to the Cohen Center for Interactive Learning will begin shortly thereafter. Once renovations are complete, the education team will pilot the new program in September and resume full activity in October.

Taking LabVenture outside the lab!

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