Chabot Space & Science Center Receives $1.8 Million Grant from The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

OAKLAND, Calif., June 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation of Palo Alto has awarded Chabot Space & Science Center a $1.8 million grant to support enhancements to the Center's Bill Nye's Climate Lab exhibition and website. The Lab enables kids ages 8-14 to learn basic principles of climate science and engage in behaviors that address climate change.

Bill Nye's Climate Lab offers an optimistic, solutions-oriented, highly interactive educational experience focusing on climate science. Featuring Emmy-award winning science educator Bill Nye, visitors join an urgent mission to thwart climate change by discovering exciting new clean energy opportunities while gathering "solutions" on their Climate Scout ID badges. The exhibition is one of the most popular in the Center's history; the accompanying website, BillsClimateLab.org, continues the experience at home or in the classroom with online information and activities.

Enhancements to the Bill Nye's Climate Lab exhibition will focus on linking users' experiences at the science center with virtual learning and real-world experiences. Chabot will monitor the facility's real-time energy use alongside interactive exhibits about building efficiency introducing a network to Bay Area middle schools to monitor energy usage and initiate school-based energy conservation competitions. Additional expansion includes developing new Climate Lab games into online and mobile media, to schools and communities, showcasing achievements, first-person comments and pledges, and stories of actions taken outside of Chabot.

For the full press release, click here.

Chabot Space & Science Center, a Smithsonian affiliate, and Bay Area Certified Green Business, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit interactive science center whose mission is to inspire and educate students of all ages about Planet Earth and the Universe. Founded in 1883, the Center is located at 10000 Skyline Blvd. just off Highway 13 in the Oakland hills. For more information, visit www.chabotspace.org.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, established in 2000, seeks to advance environmental conservation and scientific research around the world and improve the quality of life in the San Francisco Bay Area. The San Francisco Bay Area Science Learning area of focus supports science-rich educational institutions such as science museums to enhance science education and learning by students (especially children) and the public to increase science literacy. For more information, visit www.moore.org.

SOURCE Chabot Space & Science Center