The National Science Center Fort Discovery opened in 1997 with a primary objective.
“Our goal was to excite young people attending the museum and make them see how science, technology, engineering and mathematical concepts are a part of everyday activities,” said Monty Osteen, current chairman of the National Science Center.

“It was for young people interested in science to improve competition in math and science and, hopefully, want to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering or math.”

A dozen years later, the center of 128,000 square feet is available. It will run until closing, said Rob Dennis, president and CEO of the National Center of Sciences.

It’s time to refocus on the mission – not change – and concentrate on programs and services that help the organization meet its objectives, Mr. Osteen said.

“The mission is to enhance competition in math and science among young people in the U.S. We have a national mission and the mission not being met adequately by sending a higher percentage of our resources to operate the museum science, Fort Discovery, “he said. “We were not moving the needle on the national level to the extent that we felt we needed to accomplish our mission.”

Fort Discovery can only pull so many people geographically, Mr. Dennis.

“Fort Discovery can not execute a national mission, because we have a brick and mortar facility here in Augusta, Georgia, and obviously not going to capture the students in Dallas, Texas or Portland, Oregon,” he said. “They will not come to Fort Discovery. Fort Discovery is effective at reaching students in the CSRA and, last year, 50 counties in Georgia. But that’s not a national mission.

Currently, students who visit Fort Discovery are mostly from the Augusta area and other parts of Georgia.
From July 2007 to June 2008, 106,620 students in Georgia participated in the programs of the National Science Center, which includes visits to Fort Discovery.

Until this academic year, Georgia students could visit the science center for free, Mr. Dennis.
“When our funding fell below half a million, it was not reasonable or fiscally responsible so that we can continue to operate that way. The cost is so minimal for students to attend, and I do not necessarily involving a charge .
General admission for school groups in Georgia is $ 4 per student.

During 2007 and 2008 fiscal years, the National Science Center received $ 1,416,750 in funding from the state of Georgia. The funds were reduced in fiscal 2009 to $ 750,000 this fiscal year 2010, funds dropped to $ 500,000, according to the planning of the Governor and the Budget Office.

The National Science Center also receives funding from other sources such as corporate sponsorship, activities, fundraising events and local and federal support.

One benefit of having a national mission is the ability to raise money nationally, “said Mr. Dennis. “But in doing so, it forces us as an organization and society to be effective in fulfilling the national mission, which is much larger than Fort Discovery, our local STEM (science, engineering, technology and mathematics) disclosure or dissemination statewide STEM, “he said. “It must be national in scope.”

State funding makes up about 20 percent of income from National Science Center, 20 percent come from developing and 20 percent comes from operations – mostly from Fort Discovery.

Forty percent comes through human capital in a payroll department of the army, he said.

Obtained operating revenues as admissions, memberships, restaurants and film exhibition in general, constitute a large percentage of revenues science centers, “said Sean Smith, director of government and public relations for the Association of Science-Technology Centers.

“It’s good to have that instead of public support and funding and the local, state and federal,” he said. “Having a good mix of public and private funds is what we hope to do in many cases.”

Ideally, science centers income “consists of: income, 45 percent private funding, 30 percent public funding, 20 percent, and other endowment funds, he said.

One obstacle is Fort Discovery Store today exposures relevant to students.

“If you have a statement of fax machines and you’re talking about image, not many children today are interested in fax machines,” he said. “Now if you talk Image on iPods or image scanners or satellite images or type things, that’s something that keeps a student, excited and amazed at what can happen with technology. ”

When the science center opened, the plan was changed out on a sample of four to six each year, Mr. Dennis.
“The general thinking in the field is that in an ideal world it would be fantastic to have a permanent exhibition that will be in place that people want to experience again and again and traveling exhibitions,” Smith said. “That mix is something that our members strive to have, but can be difficult.”

The problem is that their exposures are quite expensive, Mr. Osteen said.

“The rate of change of technology is such that it should be increased seven or eight million dollars every few years just to maintain current exhibitions,” he said. “The use of these resources could be much more effective by using technology to reach the classrooms through virtual means or through our existing aid programs.

The state put $ 10 million to manufacture parts, and the Army designed the exhibition. The state owns about 80 percent of exposures. The National Science Center had some made, and the Army also contributed some.

Nothing has been decided what will happen to the pieces once the science center is closed, Mr. Osteen said.
Despite the possible closure of Fort Discovery, is not the end all of the National Center of Sciences.

“We have a number of outreach programs to reach our target audience is the youth of the nation,” said Mr. Osteen. “We will not end those programs. Will continue with or without Fort Discovery. Fort Discovery is only one component of the National Science Center.”

Outreach programs of the organization include: Fast Track Science summer camps throughout the country focused on the science of race, distance learning programs, live video broadcasting on topics such as physical science, health , chemistry and mathematics and logic of learning a software program used for teaching pre-algebra and algebra I.
The discovery of two mobile centers are their most popular programs, Mr. Dennis. The 18-wheel trucks travel the country presenting programs through interactive demonstrations.

“I think that trucks are probably our greatest visibility,” he said. “We have more than 600 schools in hopes of finding the truck. If we make a new application to moving day, they could keep the trucks on the road easier for the next 21 / 2, maybe three years.”

That is the level of the National Science Center hopes to achieve with all their outreach programs, he said.
“We want all these programs running at full capacity or beyond,” he said. “If you ask me what is the challenge that I would like, I want the phone call here so often that we can not satisfy all calls. That is the problem that I have.”
The organization is working on an assessment through the Georgia Department of Education to determine what the needs of teachers and the students are from Georgia and how best to meet them, Mr. Dennis.

The National Science Center is also working on a study by Booz Allen Hamilton, a strategy and technology consulting firm, to ensure that programs are effective has he added.

Fort Discovery Once closed, the National Science Center will move its operations to the administrative building is on the 88-acre property it owns near Fort Gordon.

Meanwhile, Fort Discovery will continue to operate in a three-day program, he said.

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