Discovery Center Outreach:

The Discovery Center of Idaho offers outreach programs to schools and community groups throughout the state. These fun and exciting activities bring the museum to you. For reservations, contact Tori Powers at (208)287-4235.

Outreach Programs:

Shows/Assemblies

Everyone loves a science show! During our 1-hour presentation, we'll cover topics like forces, extreme temperatures, buoyancy or impacts, and we'll need lots of audience participation.  Number of participants is only limited by the size of your presentation space.  We can perform the same show in successive presentations at a reduced rate.  Shows appropriate for all ages.  For show details, scroll down.

Available: Tuesday-Friday 10 am - 8 pm, Weekends 10 am- 8 pm
First Show is $300
Add a show for $250

*Get 3 friends/colleagues to book a show, and yours is free!
 

Hands-On Activities

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.  Add another activity to run simultaneously, or extend the fun for an extra hour at a reduced rate.  No limit on the number of participants, activities available for varying ages.  For a list of activities, scroll down.

Available: Tuesday-Friday 10 am - 8 pm, Weekends 10 am - 8 pm
First Activity is $150
Add an hour (or activity) for $125

*Get 3 friends/colleagues to book an activity, and yours is free!
 

2-Hour Science Festival

Our Science Festivals provide the entire museum experience, without the museum. The 2-hour event consists of one show and one hands-on activity.  Extend the fun for an extra hour at a reduced rate.  No limit on number of participants.  Appropriate for all ages.

Available: Tuesday-Friday 10 am - 8 pm, Weekends 10 am - 8 pm 
2 Hour Festival is $350
Add an hour (or activity) for $125

*Get 3 friends/colleagues to book a science festival, and yours is free!
 

Full-Day Science Festival

For the Full-Day Festival choose from:
a) one show repeated throughout the day OR
b) two hands-on activities available all day OR
c) a show to kick off the event followed by an activity for the rest of the day 
No limit on number of participants.  Appropriate for all ages.  Additional shows or activities are extra.

Available: Tuesday-Friday 10 am - 8 pm, Weekends 10 am - 8 pm
All Day Festival (up to 6 hrs) is $650

*Get 3 friends/colleagues to book a science festival, and yours is free!
 

Starlab

Our portable planetarium can be brought to you for star talks and constellation viewing throughout the year. No more need to worry about cloud cover or dark skies. Each 30-minute presentation can accommodate 1 classroom at a time.  Requires a 30 ft by 30 ft room with at least a 12 ft ceiling. 

Or explore the Starlab at your leisure by renting our kit for the day or for the week.  Rentals are available for trained/certified instructors only; free training available by appointment.  Kit includes a teacher's guide for exploring the projections with your class and certification is good for three years. 
Topics include the Northern star field, constellation stick figures, myths from various cultures, Earth science topics and more!  Appropriate for all ages. 

To request a Starlab rental click here.

Available: Shows Tuesday-Friday 10 am - 4 pm only,  Rentals anytime
                Half Day Show is $180                             Daily Rental is $40
                Full Day Show is $300                             Weekly Rental is $100

Engineering Challenges

Teams are given materials to complete several design problems, but how they use the materials is up to them.  We then test each design and declare a winner.  Accommodates 20-100 people (prior coordination required for groups over 100 people).  Recommended for 7th grade or higher.

Available: Anytime 
Half Day is $500
Full Day is $850
 

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 cash prizes, free field trips, day passes and more.  To recieve the information packet next autumn, sign up for our teacher e-news (at the bottom of this page) and we'll automatically send you everything you'll need to know.  And check our this year's winners on our Facebook and Twitter.  Click here for more information. 

Available: Autumn to Spring
District Registration $50 (up to 45 projects from at least 3 schools)
School Registration $20 (up to 15 projects from the same school)
Individual Registration $10 per project
 

Teacher's Training Lab

Students enjoy a science show presented by our Outreach Staff while teachers participate in a workshop on how to present fun and engaging science activities. Immediately following is a facilitated learning session where teachers implement the new methods and activities. 
Suitable for school-wide participation. 

Available: During school hours
Half Day Lab is $1,000
 

Corporate Team-Building Workshop

Members of your business use experiential learning methods to solve science, technology, engineering and math challenges while improving team work and creative problem solving.  Explore group dynamics and discover your staff's hidden skills while they compete against each other in three distinct and fun challenges.  Accommodates 10-50 business professionals. 

Available: Anytime
Half Day Workshop is $2,500

 

Interested in a free outreach event?  Here's how:

1) Get 3 other schools or organizations to book an event of equal value and yours is free!  (All events must be booked as a group.) 

2) "Free Regional Outreach Tour" every autumn.  Watch for information in your inbox or on our website at the beginning of the school year.  Be the first in your region to book with us and your event is free!  Not on our email list?  You can sign up at the bottom of this page. 

Shows:

NEW SHOW!  CRAZY CRITTERS

Why are polar bears white?  How can chameleons change their color?  Which animals can walk on water?  If you've ever asked yourself questions like these (or thought you knew the answers), then this is the show for you!  We explore the unique traits of some popular animals from around the world and then try to emulate them through science. 

Airplane to the Moon

Why is it so hard to get to the Moon?  In our most popular show we explore forces and how planes fly.  Then we look at 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 (-196 C).

H-2-Oh! Water Show

Water is one of the most versatile substances on the planet, yet it never it gets the recognition it deserves.  Learn about the properties of water; why some things sink while others float, why oil and water don't mix and launch a water bottle rocket several stories into the air!

Hands-On Activities:

We provide activities covering a wide range of topics.  Choose from: stomp rockets, straw structures, gumdrop domes, downhill racers or boats. 

New this year!  We also offer: animal adaptations, boomerangs or keva planks.

Also check out our activity guides below and try these out on your own!