About SPI
Founding community members - among them educators and parents of young children - began the Science Play-Space Initiative (SPI) in 2011 to enable more opportunities for hands-on STEM learning. It was largely an outreach effort at first, for small groups of participants. In 2012, having gauged that there was significant community demand for more informal learning options, SPI established itself formally as a 501c3 non profit organization and began operations out of small storefront venues. Our first location at 14 S. Main Street was a great start, and in March 2013 we moved to 227/225 S. Main Street. As the organization began to attract more families with preschool age kids, SPI was encouraged to seek a more permanent and larger home that could accommodate more people, allow space for large motor play, and house more stations equipped with tools and technology to illustrate STEM concepts in compelling ways. Thanks to early partners - like Kenyon College, Ariel Foundation, the Knox County Foundation, and the United Way, SPI was invited to become part of a historic renovation of Mount Vernon's Buckeye Candy building. Individual donor families, smaller private foundations and area civic organizations contributed to the capital campaign that in March 2017 enabled SPI to build out and move to our permanent location at the Wright Center.
Our mission is to enhance the Knox County community by bringing people of all ages together to explore science and technology through play.
The building hosts SPI and the Kenyon Office of Community Engagement on the first floor and Kenyon's film department upstairs. SPI remains a separate, independent non-profit agency from Kenyon but is greatly enhanced by the College's ongoing support and its collaborations with faculty and students; SPI partners regularly with other community organizations and area business as well.
At SPI, there are age-appropriate areas of play that foster scientific ways of understanding the world and which invite and support kids' natural curiosity.
Our organization believes it is important to:
Our mission is to enhance the Knox County community by bringing people of all ages together to explore science and technology through play.
The building hosts SPI and the Kenyon Office of Community Engagement on the first floor and Kenyon's film department upstairs. SPI remains a separate, independent non-profit agency from Kenyon but is greatly enhanced by the College's ongoing support and its collaborations with faculty and students; SPI partners regularly with other community organizations and area business as well.
At SPI, there are age-appropriate areas of play that foster scientific ways of understanding the world and which invite and support kids' natural curiosity.
Our organization believes it is important to:
- Develop natural curiosity in children and inspire adults.
- Help develop the economic and intellectual potential of our community.
- Foster community and intergenerational interaction.
- Create opportunities to playfully explore science and technology.
- Develop confidence in problem-solving skills through play.
- Enable visitors to experience and appreciate science through body, mind, and environment.
- Acquaint visitors with the tools and methods of science.
- Increase awareness of local engagement in science and technology.
- Provide an enriching space for visitors to learn though playful activities.
- Take opportunities to explore science into venues beyond the space.
- Provide informal science education.
- Provide opportunities for volunteering.
- Provide opportunities for training future educators.
ASTC
SPI belongs to the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC). ASTC is a global organization providing collective voice, professional support, and programming opportunities for science centers, museums, and related institutions, whose innovative approaches to science learning inspire people of all ages about the wonders and meaning of science in their lives. Members of SPI enjoy reciprocal admission at ASTC facilities throughout the world.
ASTC Statement on Science: Science is a human endeavor that uses observations and experimentation to develop explanations of the natural world. Scientific theories are grounded in and compatible with evidence, internally consistent, and demonstrably effective in explaining a wide variety of phenomena. Science is based on hundreds of years of scientific observation and experimentation and many thousands of peer-reviewed publications.
SPI belongs to the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC). ASTC is a global organization providing collective voice, professional support, and programming opportunities for science centers, museums, and related institutions, whose innovative approaches to science learning inspire people of all ages about the wonders and meaning of science in their lives. Members of SPI enjoy reciprocal admission at ASTC facilities throughout the world.
ASTC Statement on Science: Science is a human endeavor that uses observations and experimentation to develop explanations of the natural world. Scientific theories are grounded in and compatible with evidence, internally consistent, and demonstrably effective in explaining a wide variety of phenomena. Science is based on hundreds of years of scientific observation and experimentation and many thousands of peer-reviewed publications.
Statement of Nondiscrimination
We will not discriminate against any person in the hiring of personnel, election of board members, provision of service to the public, the contracting for or purchasing of services or in any other way, on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, disabling condition, age or any other basis prohibited by law.
We will not discriminate against any person in the hiring of personnel, election of board members, provision of service to the public, the contracting for or purchasing of services or in any other way, on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, disabling condition, age or any other basis prohibited by law.