Celebrating 7 Years of STEM Fun! 🎂

June 2022

Celebrating 7 Years of STEM!

It feels like just yesterday when we welcomed our first bus full of students from Dogwood Elementary and the first families into the Children’s Science Center Lab in June of 2015.

Our team has grown and evolved with both amazing humans and engaging animal ambassadors. We’ve welcomed inspiring young professionals and watched them grow and move on to exciting collegiate and career opportunities. We're grateful for the growth of our members, supporters, and volunteers too. What started as an exciting interim place to showcase our mission in action, experiment and learn, and share our vision for the future full-scale science center… has become a beloved place for families, schools, and the community.

Over the years we've learned to manage crowds and waitlists, as well as survived closing the physical doors to the Lab for 15 months during a pandemic. Our talented staff, dedicated volunteers, and generous supporters stayed with us through the tough times, and we reopened last June even stronger. Today, as we celebrate seven years of inspiring a love of STEM learning at the Lab, we eagerly look forward to the future home of the Northern Virginia Science Center.

Come join the birthday celebration detailed below, and check out the exciting plans for the future at novasci.org

Sincerely,

Nene Spivy

Executive Director

It's Our Birthday 🎂

STEM-tastic Seven!

Visit the Lab on Saturday, June 18, for a special celebration of the Lab's STEM-tastic 7th birthday! We'll be celebrating with the debut of a new installment of the 3D Printer Experience sponsored by AWS InCommunities which will feature how companies use model shops and 3D printers to prototype design solutions for cutting-edge technology.

Birthday treats and party favors will be provided! RSVP today and celebrate with us!

Prepare for Juneteenth

Books to read with your child!

Looking for an excellent resource for you and your child to learn more about the Juneteenth holiday?

Check out this comprehensive guide created by the National Museum of African American History and Culture for an age-appropriate explanation of the history of slavery and why we celebrate Juneteenth on our website!

Summer Camp

Almost Sold Out!

Our summer week-long camps are designed for children in grades 1-5.

With five cool themes to choose from, including 3D printing, slimy science, and robotics, your child is sure to have a memorable week with us. The cost is $395 per week.

The Lab is closed to the public for all camp sessions, so campers will have the whole Lab to themselves.

We have a few slots still available!

Learn More

Become a Citizen Scientist This Summer!

Globe at Night

Turn your backyard into an observation center! Join the Globe at Night international campaign and learn the impact of light pollution. Measure the night sky brightness (from any location) and submit your observation to add to over 200,000 measurements from 18 countries! Visit globeatnight.org to explore 14 years of data on the interactive data map as well as learn how to record and submit your measurements.

Get started today!

Donor Spotlight

Alissa, Parent and Donor

“We are inspired to support STEM in our community because it is an amazing way for kids to learn and grow! Our family is a big believer in the beauty and wonder of science, art, and the like, as being essential components of life.” - Alissa, Parent and Donor

This past May, Alissa planned a visit to the Children’s Science Center Lab for a day of interactive STEM exploration and fun for her and her daughter. Alissa’s daughter has ADHD, and a day of hands-on activities was the perfect environment for her to have fun through STEM learning.

Alissa told us while at the Lab her daughter was able to “…get messy doing experiments at the Bar, play with huge blocks and tubes to make structures, play with light boards to learn about colors and light refraction, and view fun objects with magnifying glasses,” and how these activities were essential in her engagement and enjoyment.

We are so happy that Alissa and her daughter had such a fun experience while visiting the Lab, and are grateful for the donation they gave when purchasing their ticket. By making a donation along with their online registration, Alissa and her family are ensuring that the Science Center continues to deliver its non-profit mission and provide engaging STEM learning opportunities to thousands of children each year.

“I love that the Children's Science Lab encourages kids to really get into the learning experience through play … We will return soon and highly recommend this to everyone of all ages!” Thank you for being a champion for STEM, Alissa!

If you'd like to join Alissa in donating to support STEM learning and fun, visit the website and/or make a donation in the cart while purchasing tickets for your next visit!

Try It At Home!

DIY Bath Bombs

In this experiment, learn all about chemical reactions while taking a relaxing bath! Have you ever noticed how the bath bombs fizzle and bubble when they are added to water? Bath bombs come in all shapes, colors, and sizes, depending on their ingredients and molds and are great for learning about acid-base reactions.

Try it at home with just a few ingredients!

Try It At Home!

The Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates the Children's Science Center Lab at Fair Oaks Mall and STEM programs traveling to schools and other community venues across the region.

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