Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin launches 'Year of Discovery'
Workers sand the hull of the replica schooner that is suspended in Discovery World's east building.
The new Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin on Milwaukee's lakefront doesn't officially open until September 9, but some exhibits opened in June providing a sneak peek inside the signature round and rectangular building that houses more than 120,000 square feet of educational interactive exhibits.
Adults and children can also take summer classes at the facility, such as Toy Factory for 8- to 10-year-olds; Astrobiology for 11- to 13-year-olds; Underwater Robotics for 14- to 16-year-olds; and Guerilla Gourmet or Extreme Cosmetics for adults. Families can register together for classes on how to build a family Web site, create a summer vacation podcast or grow lawn furniture.
Even without officially registering for courses, visitors can enjoy the public park-like grounds on Milwaukee's lakefront, eat at the City Caf? overlooking the water, and walk along or dock at the piers.
The Promenade inside the west, rectangular building, overlooking the island Veterans Park, is also open.
"All of the programs and facilities here synergistically focus on how technology, science and the marketplace interact with the world," said Kae DonLevy, Discovery World spokeswoman. "This is a place where you can personally see and experience how important these components are to sustaining high-quality life in the 21st century."
Educators can contact the Discovery World school liaison department for curriculum-related visiting opportunities. Staff will help educators plan the logistics of their visit and also provide possible lesson plans prior to the visit, as well as follow-up information to review what was learned onsite back in the classroom.
"Students are able to come to an amazing facility and do hands-on research and create," DonLevy said.
"They see and understand that they are able to affect their world. This is the kind of thing that sparks a lifelong interest in exploration and discovery, which our future depends upon."
Even school districts far from Milwaukee can benefit from Discovery World's state-of-the-art research and innovation technology through video conferencing or Traveling Wonder Labs, which brings staff and lab equipment to schools.
The new Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin has been under construction since 2004, after Discovery World merged with Pier Wisconsin, creating a nonprofit organization with a mission of connecting innovation, science and technology with exploration, environment and Great Lakes freshwater resources through interactive exhibits and experiential learning programs.
The new facility cost nearly $70 million, including exhibits.
Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin has the financial support of the Milwaukee business community through several corporate sponsors including Rockwell Automation, Briggs & Stratton Corp. and Badger Meter, Inc.
Each business sponsors an exhibit that relates to its industry such as Badger Meter's Liquid House in the City of Freshwater exhibit area of Discovery World's east building.
"The Liquid House will teach the value of water, helping visitors assess and predict the amount of water they use. With increased knowledge about how water is used, people will learn how to gauge the difference between what they use and what they actually need," said Richard A. Meeusen, president and CEO of Badger Meter, Inc.
Many exhibits enhance Department of Public Instruction standards in the areas of math, measurement, science and technology.
More summer attractions
Wisconsin's flagship, the schooner S/V Denis Sullivan, returns home to be anchored off the Pier Wisconsin breakwall on June 10 for a gala celebration.
The 137-foot floating classroom offers LakeWatch expeditions, in which students rotate through inquiry-based stations to learn about fish adaptation and water quality, and also collect, record and analyze data to learn about the interdependence of living and non-living components in the Great Lakes region.
The Pilot House, which has a 360-degree view, needs preview audiences to help test interactive exhibits, fresh-water and saltwater aquariums, learning labs, digital studios and high-definition theaters. Call 414-765-8623 to make reservations.
Posted June 2, 2006