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Connecticut Science Center outlines ongoing partnerships, invites district to expand hands‑on STEM programming
Summary
The Science Center described current work with East Hartford schools serving thousands of students per year, professional development for teachers, outreach and plans to support an elementary science lab initiative.
Patty Faulds, vice president of programs and visitor experience at the Connecticut Science Center, told the board the center runs both on‑site field trips and classroom outreach and works to align activities with district curriculum standards.
"We have a commitment to lifelong learning with an investment in science," Faulds said, adding the center serves tens of thousands of schoolchildren statewide and already delivers programs to East Hartford students. She said the center has delivered 24 classroom programs for the district this school year and served about 1,600 students through those programs.
Faulds described teacher professional development, family weekend invitations for East Hartford families and an annual middle‑school field trip the center provides. She also highlighted an initiative called "This Is What a Scientist Looks Like," intended to broaden students' sense of who can work in STEM fields.
Superintendent Anderson and board members discussed a plan to create a science lab experience that would allow elementary students to cycle through hands‑on stations, potentially using space behind the high school. Anderson said the district hopes to have that initiative kicked off by October and that the Science Center has been an "instrumental" partner in planning.
Faulds left informational materials and contact cards with the board and invited members to visit the Science Center.
