Purpose
Our mission is to enhance the Knox County community by bringing people of all ages together to explore science, technology, and human interaction through play.
Our goals:
a. To develop natural curiosity in children and inspire adults.
b. To help develop the economic and intellectual potential of our community.
c. To foster community and intergenerational interaction.
d. To create opportunities to playfully explore science and technology.
e. To develop confidence in problem-solving ability and application through play.
f. To enable visitors to experience and appreciate science through body, mind, and environment.
g. To acquaint visitors with the tools and methods of science.
h. To increase awareness of local engagement in science and technology.
SPI is a member of the Association of Science - Technology Centers (ASTC) (www.astc.org), "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." As a member of ASTC, SPI has agreed to adhere to certain requirements, among which is a commitment to ASTC's 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.
Our mission is to enhance the Knox County community by bringing people of all ages together to explore science, technology, and human interaction through play.
Our goals:
a. To develop natural curiosity in children and inspire adults.
b. To help develop the economic and intellectual potential of our community.
c. To foster community and intergenerational interaction.
d. To create opportunities to playfully explore science and technology.
e. To develop confidence in problem-solving ability and application through play.
f. To enable visitors to experience and appreciate science through body, mind, and environment.
g. To acquaint visitors with the tools and methods of science.
h. To increase awareness of local engagement in science and technology.
SPI is a member of the Association of Science - Technology Centers (ASTC) (www.astc.org), "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." As a member of ASTC, SPI has agreed to adhere to certain requirements, among which is a commitment to ASTC's 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.