The Discovery Center of Idaho offers outreach programs to organizations throughout the state.
These fun and exciting events bring the museum to you.
Each outreach program includes the following:
Adults receive information on continuing the fun at home.
Appropriate for all ages.
No materials fees or travel charges! All events are a flat rate at any location.
Shows can accommodate an unlimited number of guests; if you have seating for them, we've got a show for them!
Hands-on Activities can accommodate 100 participants per activity, per hour.
All events feature a professional science presenter who encourages creative problem-solving and critical thinking from the audience.
Get 3 friends/colleagues to book the same event and yours is free!
For reservations, contact Julia Grover at (208) 287-4235 or email j.grover@dcidaho.org.
Please have a primary and alternate date in mind when you call.
Science Show
Everyone loves a science show! During our 1-hour presentation we'll cover topics like Space Travel, Wildlife Biology and Physics. And we'll need lots of audience participation! Shows feature a professional science presenter and tips on how to try variations on experiments at home. Q&A session follows the show, time permitting. The number of participants is only limited by your presentation space. New shows available, so check back often! For show details, scroll down.
$350
Hands-on Activity
Building towers, bridges and rockets is a fun way for participants to explore their ingenuity and "learn with their hands". But these are only some of our exciting 1-hour activities available. When you're done, take your finished product home and experiment with modifications. Max 100 participants per activity, per hour. For a list of activities, scroll down.
$200
Half-Day Science Festival
This event combines the science show and hands-on activity for up to 3 hours of scientific fun! Choose from:
A) one science show followed by an activity for up to 2 hours OR
B) one science show presented each hour to a different audience OR
C) one hands-on activity available for up to 100 participants per hour.
$400
Full-Day Science Festival
Need an event that can accommodate your entire school or organization? Schedule a Full-Day Science Festival for 3.5 to 6 hours of science with plenty of opportunity for everyone to participate. Choose from:
A) a science show followed by 1- 2 activities for the rest of the day OR
B) one show repeated each hour throughout the day OR
C) two activities available all day.
$700
Half-Day Starlab Presentation
Our portable planetarium can be brought to you for presentations on a variety of topics throughout the year. No need to worry about cloud cover or dark skies anymore. We present a unique experience on topics such as Constellations, Myths from various cultures, Deep Space, Earth Science, Biology and more. Presented in 30-60 minute sessions, you get up to 3 hours of planetarium time. Add a celestial activity for no additional charge, time permitting.
$300
Full-Day Starlab Presentation
If half a day isn't enough, book your full-day starlab for 3.5 to 6 hours of celestial viewing. More starlab information:
A) Sessions last 30-60 minutes with an optional celestial activity, time permitting
B) Accommodates up to 35 people per session
C) Choose up the 2 topics to be presented
D) Requires a 30 ft by 30 ft room with at least a 12 ft ceiling. E) Presentations only available Tuesday- Friday 10 am - 5 pm
$450
Starlab Rentals
Explore the starlab at your leisure by renting our kit for the day or for the week. Rentals are available for certified guests only; free training availalbe by appointment. Kit includes a teacher's guide for exploring the projections with your class/ group and certification is good for three years. Kits available for pick-up at "hubs" located throughout the state, or have it shipped to your address (shipping fees apply). Choose 2 topics for daily rental or 6 topics for weekly rentals. Rentals available year-round, during business hours.
To request a Starlab Rental, click here.
$100 weekly
$40 daily
Other programs:
Tournament of Innovation
Every year the Discovery Center hosts a state-wide STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and Invention Competition. If you have a student who likes to invent, experiment, build or examine new and unique solutions to real-world problems, sign up for the competition! Hundreds of students from schools all across the state compete each spring for education funds, free field trips, day passes and more. School Districts can enter up to 45 projects gathered from at least 3 schools. Schools can register without a district and submit up to 15 projects from the same school/ club. Parents: if your school prefers not to participate, you can register your student as an individual. To receive the information packet next autumn, sign up for our Teachers' E-News (at the bottom of this page) and we'll automatically send you everything you'll need to know. And check this year's winners on our Facebook and Twitter.
Click here for more information.
Districts: $50
Schools: $20
Individuals:$10
Engineering Challenges
Teams are given materials to complete several design problems, but how they use those materials is up to them. We then test each design and declare a winner. Accommodates 20-100 people (prior coordination is required for groups over 100). Recommended for 7th grade and higher.
Half-Day $500
Full-Day $850
Teachers' Training Lab
This half-day event combines professional development for the teachers with hands-on learning for the kids! Students enjoy a science show presented by Discovery Center staff while teachers participate in a workshop on how to present fun and engaging science topics. Immediately following is a facilitated learning session where teachers implement the new methods as students participate in a hands-on activity. Suitable for school-wide participation. Available for all grade levels.
$1,000
Corporate Team-Building Workshop
Members of your business use experiential learning methods to solve science, technology, engineering and math challenges while improving teamwork and creative problem-solving. Explore group dynamics and discover your staff's hidden skills while they compete in three distinct and fun challenges in this 3-hour event.
Accommodates 10-50 business professionals.
$2,500
Shows:
Quest for the Ultimate Cell Phone NEW SHOW!
How high-tech is your phone? If you're like most people, you probably have the latest and greatest in cell phone technology. But what really makes all those fancy new gadgets work so well? Join us as we rebuild a relic of a phone and explore the science behind today's best cell phone features.
Airplane to the Moon FAN FAVORITE!
Why is it so hard to get to the Moon? In our most popular show we explore three main obstacles we have to overcome to successfully reach the Moon. We take a look at the forces that allow planes to fly, what it's like in space and find out how to travel there.
Frozen Worlds
What happens when things get cold... really cold? Find out about states of matter in this show that explores the topic using Liquid Nitrogen to cool various objects to -320 F.
Hands-On Activities:
We provide activities covering a wide range of topics. Choose from:
Stomp Rockets
Make a rocket and launch it by stomping on the "launch pad." Our most popular activity.
Gumdrop Domes
Build a dome out of gumdrops and toothpicks, then experiment to build it higher and stronger.
Straw Structures
Using only straws (and a small amount of tape) make a bridge, tower or cantilever.
Downhill Racers
Race your friends with your cars made from everyday objects and find out what makes the go faster.
Boats
Explore the effects of buoyancy as you build a boat from found objects.
Polystyrene Planes
Design and fly your own plane made from grocery store polystyrene tray.
Boomerangs
Find out what makes a boomerang come back to you time and again by making your very own and learning to fly it.
Keva Planks
Create structures ou of identical wooden planks without using any adhesive or method to hold the pieces together.
Uberstix
These interlocking pieces can be combined with found objects or other toys to explore concepts of engineering and physics.
Check out our activity guides below or home activities and try these out on your own!
Or visit our wiki-demo page to add your own experiments!
Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view PDF documents. If you do not have it, you
can download it here.
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