By Anna Grace

“Let’s try this one Dad,” I heard the girl say as she attached the tiny Christmas light to the battery.  Her face beamed as the light lit up.

“What do you think would happen if we added another one?” the father asked the girl.

“Hey, they both glow, but not as brightly,” the girl exclaimed after attaching the second light. “What do you think this aluminum foil is for?” she asked her dad.

“I’m not sure. Let’s find out,” he replied.

This is a scene I have witnessed over and over again in my 10-plus years of working at Explorit Science Center. Whether the materials involve circuits, spinning tops or a variety of rocks and minerals, the dialogue is always similar. As exhibit coordinator, I feel a great sense of satisfaction when I hear these exchanges between parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, classmates or even complete strangers.

A recent article in the magazine American Scientist (November-December 2010) challenges the notion that schools are the primary places where Americans learn science. The authors assert that “average Americans spend less than 5 percent of their life in classrooms, and an ever-growing body of evidence demonstrates that most science is learned outside of school.”

That’s where science centers like Explorit come in. Free-choice (also known as informal) science learning venues include not only science centers, but zoos, aquariums, national parks, digital resources such as the Internet, educational television and radio, and community activities such as Scouting and 4-H. The authors of the article argue that increased investment in such free-choice learning opportunities can significantly improve public understanding of science.

With issues such as global climate change and energy production thrust to the forefront of the evening news, it is increasingly important for Americans to understand basic science concepts. Approximately 28 percent of American adults are scientifically literate, an increase from around 10 percent in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This may be in part due to the increase in free-choice learning options over the past two decades.

However, according to researcher Dr. Jon D. Miller, “We should take no pride in a finding that 70 percent of Americans cannot read and understand the science section of the New York Times.”

Explorit’s mission is “to engage people in science experiences that touch all our lives.” Explorit’s exhibits and programs try to take informal education another step forward by using a teaching philosophy that emphasizes immersive learning experiences.

Explorit’s style strives to help people learn “how to discover” by emphasizing the “doing of science.” Beyond simply “hands-on,” it allows visitors to experience the process of science through manipulative exhibits. In other words, they are designed to allow the user control over the outcome without a predetermined result.

To help people think like scientists, Explorit attempts to engage them through questions rather than statements. In the words of Anne Hance, one of Explorit’s founders, “We do not often say, ‘Here is…’ or ‘The facts are…’ Instead, we tend to say, ‘What if…’ or ‘Have you wondered about…?’ or ‘Where, how many, which, how?’ ”

The aim is to enable participants to say not simply, “Now I know,” but rather “Now I know how to know.”

— Explorit Science Center’s 3141 Fifth St. site is the location for field trips, programs for groups, Astronomy Club meetings, and Summer Science Camp.  It is also the hub for Explorit’s traveling programs that reach an 18-county region. The site is open to the public for special events and to groups by reservation. For more information, call (530) 756-0191 or visit http://www.explorit.org.

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