EXPLOROLOGY!   MUSEUM RECEIVES $950,000 GIFT TO START NEW EDUCATION PROGRAM

10-23-07

The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman has received a gift in the amount of $950,000 from the Whitten-Newman Foundation of Edmond. The gift will fund ExplorOlogy, a new education project designed to engage children and teachers in doing science by immersing them in the world of field exploration.

The gift was announced in a ceremony at the museum on Tuesday, Oct. 23, that was attended by more than 400 Oklahoma school children. The Whitten-Newman Foundation, established by Reggie Whitten, his wife Rachelle and her brother, Robert Newman, made the formal presentation to museum director Ellen Censky. National Geographic paleontologist Paul Sereno and SNOMNH curator of vertebrate paleontology Rich Cifelli, both world-renowned paleontologists, also attended the event, and gave a lively presentation to the assembled students about how scientists in the field dig up and identify the fossils of dinosaurs and other ancient animals.

ExplorOlogy will expand museum educational programs to include interactive scientific training and field experiences for Oklahoma youth ages 4 to 18, as well as professional development programs for teachers and outreach to their schools. The program includes several elements, including a week-long summer field experience at an Oklahoma field research site for middle-school-age youth where they will interact with scientists to engage in field exploration. The youth will be introduced to a variety of “ologies,” ranging from archaeology and paleontology to ornithology and herpetology. There also will be an intensive three-week program for 15- to 18-year-olds who will spend two weeks studying geology, zoology and paleontology with museum and University of Oklahoma scientists, followed by a week-long experience at a field site in the western United States.

“We hope this new program will inspire kids just like you to go on into science, or to at least understand what science is about,” said Ellen Censky, museum director, speaking to the school children at the event. “This program will engage kids just like you in doing science by immersing you in the world of field exploration. We’re going to take you out into the field both near and far so you can work alongside scientists.”

In addition to these field programs, ExplorOlogy also will include summer programs for elementary-age children at the museum; professional development workshops for teachers, outreach programs to Oklahoma schools and field trips for students to visit the museum. The program is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2008.

ExplorOlogy was modeled, in part, after Project Exploration, a program Sereno and his wife, Gabrielle Lyon, founded in Chicago. Project Exploration’s mission is to connect science with the public – especially minority youth and girls – through personalized experiences with science and scientists. Additional information about this program is available at www.projectexploration.org.

The Whitten-Newman Foundation is a non-profit LLC originally created by Reggie and Rachelle Whitten and Robert Newman with the goal of awarding an annual college scholarship in the memory of Reggie's son, Brandon Whitten, whose life was tragically cut short in 2002 as a result of a traffic accident. The purpose of the Whitten-Newman Foundation has since been expanded to include advancing the cause of and funding charitable educational, scientific and recreational opportunities for young people as well as enhancing the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions. By providing various educational and recreational experiences, the Foundation hopes to touch the lives of as many young people as possible. Additional information about the Whitten-Newman Foundation is available on their Website at www.whitten-newmanfoundation.org.

The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is located on the University of Oklahoma Norman campus. More than 20,000 school children visit the museum each year for class field trips and hands-on science programs. Additional information about the museum and its educational programming is available by calling (405) 325-4712, or online at www.snomnh.ou.edu.

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