The Computer History Museum (CHM) today announced initial construction of an innovative new learning center dedicated to inquiry-based educational programming. Designed as a multifunctional space, the center will host classes and workshops, live events, and formal presentations, and also serve as a research center focusing on the intersection of technology and learning.
The IDEO-designed Education Center will be unique in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area, as a place where Museum visitors can dive deeply into the history, technology, and impact of computing and where educators and education scholars can develop, test, and assess new ways of teaching about these ideas. The design reflects the needs of a diverse education community, including school students, educators, and families as well as business executives and entrepreneurs. The center is modular, adapting in physical format and curriculum to meet the needs of learners of all ages. Interactive elements are featured prominently throughout the center, offering further opportunities for discovery and learning.
“The Education Center is a core part of the Museum’s mission to enable all people to make personal connections with computer history and deepen their understanding of technology’s ongoing role in transforming our world,” said Lauren Silver, vice president of Education at CHM. “It will provide us with a dedicated space to continue growing and diversifying our audiences, including educators and people who are typically underrepresented in STEM education and tech professions.” Major funding has been provided by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, with generous gifts from Oracle, Susan Wojcicki and Dennis Troper, the Severns Family Foundation, and private donors.
The Education Center opens mid-2017. Follow our progress on @CHM.
The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, is a nonprofit organization with a four-decade history as the world’s leading institution exploring the history of computing and its ongoing impact on society. The Museum is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of computer history and is home to the largest international collection of computing artifacts in the world, encompassing computer hardware, software, documentation, ephemera, photographs, and moving images.
The Museum brings computer history to life through large-scale exhibits, an acclaimed speaker series, a dynamic website, docent-led tours, and an award-winning education program. The Museum’s signature exhibition is “Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing,” described by USA Today as “the Valley’s answer to the Smithsonian.” Other current exhibits include the “IBM 1401 Demo Lab,” “PDP-1 Demo Lab,” and “Where To? A History of Autonomous Vehicles.”
For more information and updates, call (650) 810-1059, visit www.computerhistory.org, check us out on Facebook, follow @computerhistory on Twitter, and read the Museum blog @chm.
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