BALTIMORE (Aug. 29, 2024) - The Constellation Foundation has committed $850,000 to renew the Science Beyond the Classroom, Powered by Constellation free admission program through 2030, announced the Maryland Science Center.
Science Beyond the Classroom, Powered by Constellation enables every Maryland student and educator visiting the Maryland Science Center on a field trip to do so for free. Last year, 85,000 Maryland students took advantage of this initiative to explore the interactive exhibits, participate in classroom programs, and engage in hands-on experiences at the Inner Harbor museum.
Constellation, the nation’s largest producer of carbon-free energy, has been a steadfast supporter of the Maryland Science Center for decades. Through its Sacks for Science program, Constellation provides school groups with an expense-free field trip (including transportation) to the Science Center for each sack made by the Baltimore Ravens. To date, the program has sent more than 20,000 students from more than 200 local schools to the Science Center. The company sponsored the popular Power Up! exhibit, which offers an interactive look at the science of electricity. Additionally, Constellation executives have served on and chaired the Science Center board, and the Key Highway entrance to the building is named the Constellation Learning Entrance in honor of the company’s support.
Science Beyond the Classroom, Powered by Constellation is critical to ensuring that Maryland students can discover the wonders of science. Notes Melissa Frederick, a teacher at Kings Christian Academy in St. Mary’s County, "Bringing my second graders to the Maryland Science Center every year is a highlight for students and chaperones alike. The exhibits are a fantastic compliment to what my students are learning in the classroom, and they're having fun while discovering the process of scientific exploration. This field trip is made possible because of the Science Beyond the Classroom program. With the free admission, many children who would not have had this educational experience are gifted a chance to discover the wonders of science firsthand."
“We’ve pledged to support the work of the Science Center through the end of the decade because it shares our commitment to uplift and strengthen our communities through science education, including here in our headquarters’ state,” said Jim McHugh, Constellation’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, and Vice Chairman of the Maryland Science Center Board of Trustees. “By expanding access to the center’s hands-on educational tools and experiences, we’re inspiring the next generation of STEM and energy leaders while supporting a cornerstone institution in Maryland.”
“Providing free admission to Maryland students is central to our mission,” said Mark J. Potter, President and CEO of the Maryland Science Center. “Without the support of the Constellation Foundation, tens of thousands of children would miss the joy and education of a visit to our exhibits, theaters and classroom presentations. We are grateful for Constellation’s continuing commitment to our work - and to Maryland’s children.”
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About the Maryland Science Center
Named one of Parents Magazine's Top 10 Science Centers in America, the Maryland Science Center at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor makes science accessible, understandable and fun for more than 350,000 visitors a year and an additional 82,000 students and families through outreach programs throughout Maryland. The Maryland Science Center inspires, fascinates, motivates and engages children and adults with dozens of interactive exhibits, hands-on lab experiences, curriculum-based classroom programs, original presentations in the world-famous Davis Planetarium, larger-than-life movies in the five-story St. John Properties IMAX Theater, and hundreds of hands-on programs delivered throughout the state each year. For more information, visit www.marylandsciencecenter.org.