Computer conceptualization of the exhibition
BLACKSBURG, Va., March 13, 2007 – Virginia Tech is hosting a Design + Science + Technology Symposium to support development of a traveling exhibition for children called "Phoebe's Field"--an innovative and informal approach to understanding the force fields of physics.
"Phoebe's Field" is a book, an exhibition, and a collaborative, and is focused on attracting and involving children--and especially young girls--in the study of science. The symposium will be held in Hancock Hall on Monday, March 26, from 2-5 p.m., and on Tuesday, March 27, from 2-4 p.m. The symposium is free and open to the public.
A student and faculty design team (from seven different disciplines) at Virginia Tech will partner with the Science Museum of Virginia and other key collaborators, including Resolution: 4 Architecture (project architects); the Center for Children and Technology (project evaluators); Gyroscope, Inc.; the Exhibit Center at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo; the Media and Film program at The New School; the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC); and an international board of advisors, to design, construct, and travel the exhibition to diverse venues across the United States.
The Phoebe’s Field project, led by Mitzi Vernon, associate professor of industrial design in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, will enable children to identify, redefine, and make science part of their lives, ultimately facilitating a larger, more diverse scientific community. Research suggests that middle school children, especially girls, would invest in science if they could see through the science to its visibility and utility in their lives. The “Phoebe’s Field” exhibition uses fictional narratives and role playing strategies to achieve this connection. The project also includes a children’s book, for which Vernon is seeking a publisher.
The Design + Science + Technology symposium will feature three lectures by four experts in childhood education and exhibition.
The symposium includes a coffee-and-chocolates reception on Mon., March 26, at 3 p.m. and a concluding reception and exhibition on Tues., March 27, at 3 p.m. in Cowgill Hall lobby.
The Phoebe’s Field children’s book and traveling exhibition have both received initial funding from the National Science Foundation. The project has received two grants and is under consideration for a third for the exhibit's actual construction and travel.