BALTIMORE – AUGUST 29, 2024 – The Constellation Foundation has donated $850,000 to renew the Science outside the classroom, supported by Constellation The Maryland Science Center announced it will have a free admission program through 2030.
Science outside the classroom, supported by Constellation allows any Maryland student and teacher visiting the Maryland Science Center on a field trip to do so for free. Last year, 85,000 Maryland students took advantage of this initiative to explore the interactive exhibits, participate in classroom programs, and gain hands-on experience at the Inner Harbor Museum.
Constellation, the nation’s largest producer of carbon-free energy, has been a loyal supporter of the Maryland Science Center for decades. Through its Bags for science Constellation offers school groups a free trip (including transportation) to the Science Center for every Baltimore Ravens sack. To date, the program has sent more than 20,000 students from more than 200 local schools to the Science Center. The company sponsored the popular Turn on! exhibit that offers an interactive look at the science of electricity. In addition, Constellation executives served on and chaired the Science Center’s board of directors. The entrance to the building on Key Highway is named Entrance to constellation learning in honor of the company’s support.
Science outside the classroom, supported by Constellation is critical to ensuring Maryland’s students can discover the wonders of science. Melissa Frederick, a teacher at Kings Christian Academy in St. Mary’s County, notes, “I take my second graders to the Maryland Science Center every year. The exhibits are a fantastic addition to what my students are learning in the classroom, and they have fun while discovering the process of scientific exploration. The field trip is only possible because Science outside the classroom, supported by Constellation program. Without the free admission, the children would not have this wonderful educational experience.”
“We have committed to supporting the Science Center’s work through the end of the decade because it shares our commitment to elevating and strengthening our communities through science education, including here in the state where we are headquartered,” said Jim McHugh, Constellation’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer and vice chair of the Maryland Science Center Board of Trustees. “By expanding access to the center’s hands-on educational tools and experiences, we are inspiring the next generation of STEM and energy leaders while supporting an important Maryland institution.”
“Providing free admission to Maryland students is a core part of our mission,” said Mark J. Potter, president and CEO of the Maryland Science Center. “Without the support of the Constellation Foundation, tens of thousands of children would miss out on the joy and learning of visiting our exhibits, theaters and educational demonstrations. We are grateful for Constellation’s continued commitment to our work – and to the children of Maryland.”
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About the Maryland Science Center
Named one of the top 10 science centers in America by Parents Magazine, the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor makes science accessible, understandable and fun for more than 350,000 visitors each year and an additional 82,000 students and families through outreach programs throughout Maryland. The Maryland Science Center inspires, fascinates, engages and captivates children and adults with dozens of interactive exhibits, hands-on laboratory experiences, curriculum-based classroom programs, original presentations in the world-famous Davis Planetarium, larger-than-life movies in the five-story St. John Properties IMAX theater and hundreds of hands-on programs held throughout the state each year. For more information, visit www.marylandsciencecenter.org.
