OVERLAND PARK, Kan., June 8, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The newly opened Museum at Prairiefire has been selected by Black & Veatch's Building a World of Difference Foundation as its Global STEM Partner (science, technology, engineering and math). The Foundation has pledged $750,000 to the Museum in Overland Park in support of the Museum's STEM-related educational activities.
"The Building a World of Difference Foundation has been an important force for good in communities around the world and we are deeply honored to be its choice for this generous gift," said Uli Sailer Das, Executive Director of the Museum at Prairiefire. "The Foundation's commitment to be the Museum's Global STEM Partner is a game changing event that will allow us to broaden our efforts to engage visitors young and old with programs that celebrate natural history and science for years to come."
The Museum at Prairiefire was established in 2010 based on a pioneering content partnership with the American Museum of Natural History and opened to the public on May 12, 2014. The Museum is focused on enhancing public understanding of natural history and sciences and presents an ongoing flow of world-class traveling exhibitions organized by the American Museum of Natural History. The Museum includes a Discovery Room, which is an exciting gateway to science and natural history for children age 3 and older, as well as engaging permanent halls and experiences, education programs and science videos, among others.
"Our donation will support the Museum's efforts to encourage students to pursue STEM-based studies and to be aware of global career paths available in engineering and science," said Lori Kelleher, Chief Human Resources Officer of Black & Veatch and Executive Sponsor of the Foundation. "The Museum's interactive experiences, exhibitions and education programs build a bridge between the fundamental research of scientists and the applied work of engineers who can provide sustainable solutions in energy, water and telecommunications."
This gift by Black & Veatch's Building a World of Difference Foundation will support the Museum at Prairiefire in developing and distributing educational resources through museum site visits and online resources, an effort that could reach as many as 350,000 students and educators in the Kansas City area alone. The Museum will also create engineering-based educational inserts available onsite and online.
Standards-based educator guides for each American Museum of Natural History exhibition will be distributed to school groups for pre-trip class preparation and use during Museum visits. Bus transportation to the Museum at Prairiefire for children in urban schools in the Kansas City Metro is also being planned. In addition, the Museum will develop a STEM-inspired story book for young children in hard cover and eBook formats.
"Our professionals are very supportive of our investments in communities where we live and work. The Museum at Prairiefire provides a great place for our professionals to take their families and encourage conversations about what they do at Black & Veatch," Kelleher said.
- Please click here to download high-resolution photos of the Museum at Prairiefire: https://www.flickr.com/photos/black_veatch/sets/72157644497735837/
Editor's Notes:
- The Building a World of Difference Foundation is providing $750,000 to the Museum at Prairiefire and will be recognized as its Global STEM partner for 10 years.
- As Global STEM Partner, Black & Veatch will be recognized on the Museum at Prairiefire website and in print and social media.
- The Museum at Prairiefire's first exhibition organized by the American Museum of Natural History is "Water: H2O=Life", which is a thought-provoking, informative and entertaining exhibition for the whole family on one of the most important substances on Earth. The exhibition illuminates some of the many challenges related to humanity's sustainable management and use of the life-giving, but finite, resource. It also explores the many ways that water shapes life on Earth and makes our planet livable. In addition, it lists potential actions people can take to help preserve our planet's water. The exhibition is on display until July 13.
- The Museum is also currently displaying five extraordinary 85 million-year-old fossils collected in the early 20th Century from Cretaceous-age chalk deposits in west-central Kansas by renowned fossil hunter Charles H. Sternberg.
- The Museum is located at 5801 W. 135th Street and is the cultural anchor of a $430 million, 58-acre mixed use project that integrates residential, office, retail and entertainment.
About Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch is an employee-owned, global leader in building Critical Human Infrastructure™ in Energy, Water, Telecommunications and Government Services. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people in over 100 countries through consulting, engineering, construction, operations and program management. Our revenues in 2013 were US$3.6 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and in social media.
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About the Museum at Prairiefire
Through a unique collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, as well as with other cultural and educational institutions in the Kansas City area, the Museum at Prairiefire is a place to understand and celebrate natural history and culture in our region and around the world. The Museum engages visitors and area students with world-class exhibitions, important programming and significant educational opportunities. It is the nation's first permanent venue hosting continuous traveling American Museum of Natural History exhibitions.
5801 W. 135th Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66223 - Phone: (913) 333-3500 - museumatpf.org
Media Contact Information:
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