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The Montshire Museum of Science is an interactive science center in Norwich, Vermont, with more than 150 hands-on exhibits relating to the natural and physical sciences, ecology, and technology. Outdoors, visitors can explore nature trails and exhibits on wind, water, and sound in David Goudy Science Park. Visiting exhibitions, educational programs, and special events are offered throughout the year.
NORWICH, VT, June 18, 2024 – The Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich Vermont has received a $40,000 grant from NASA to engage middle school students in cutting-edge climate science.
The Montshire was one of only 13 selected from a highly competitive field of institutions nationwide submitting proposals to NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement. The Museum is also the only institution in northern New England to be awarded funding through this current grant program.
This grant support provides funding for a new program at the Montshire entitled “Empowerment Through Climate Action” in which middle school-aged youth (grades 5-8) will use the Montshire’s 110-acre campus as a living laboratory to evaluate the carbon sequestration potential of various meadow and forest habitats. Data collected “on the ground” by students will then be compared to NASA satellite data that uses advanced technology to measure and calculate carbon sequestration from space. A key deliverable of the project will be the development and evaluation of a new climate science curriculum for both homeschool students and visiting public school classes.
“Middle school-aged students who have grown up with the Montshire’s exhibits and educational programs are looking for authentic new ways to engage in science,” says Lara Litchfield-Kimber, MMS’s Executive Director. “This program is designed to get kids into the field and doing real science by collecting, evaluating and comparing data. In doing so, they will be doing two important things: 1) contributing, in real time, to the greater global collective of active climate science, and 2) providing data that the Montshire can use to actively manage our forest to maximize carbon sequestration.”
This fall, middle schoolers will gather data that helps to inventory and measure the trees and plants that grow throughout the Montshire’s Norwich, Vermont campus. Students will then compare their data with NASA-generated LIDAR and LANDSAT satellite data. From this “ground truthing” participants will then be able to estimate and predict how the Montshire’s carbon sequestration capacity can change over the next 50-100 years under various forest management practices.
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About The Montshire Museum of Science
Recently named “Best Museum” in the 2023 Valley News Reader’s Choice Awards, the Montshire Museum of Science’s mission is to forge and empower a community of lifelong learners through engagement with science.
Located in beautiful Norwich, VT, the Montshire Museum of Science is open seven days a week from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Daily admission is $20 for adults and $17 for children ages 2-17. The Museum is free for members and children under the age of two. Memberships are available. Visit montshire.org or call 802-649-2200 for more information.
The Montshire Museum of Science is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is supported by admission, membership, grants, and charitable contributions.
Media Contact:
Honor Hingston-Cox
Public and Media Relations Manager
Phone: 802 649 2200 x256
Email address: honor.hingston-cox@montshire.org