An opportunity for children to experience tactile learning comes with the re-opening of the Highway City Community Center which will host of the Community Science Workshop.
On Wednesday, June 24th, the City of Fresno Parks, Afterschool, Recreation, and Community Services Department celebrated the facility serving the surrounding local neighborhoods, students and school districts by Shaw & Highway 99.
The Community Science Workshop Network, a 501c3 non-profit organization, is partnering with the City of Fresno to support its award winning program, which will offer year-round science programs, summer and winter science camps, field trips, after-school programs, and river camps serving the Fresno region.
“Environmental education and science are the hallmark of our new Highway City Community Science Center. I am very pleased to have played a small role in helping to expand this nationally acclaimed program to more of Fresno’s children.” Manuel Mollinedo, PARCS Director.
The building has tools, gadgets, musical instruments, and a host of other items to explore including a full size whale skeleton inside donated by Dan Sudran with the MIssion Science Center in San Francisco.
Sudran started the first Science Workshop and drove in for the ceremony, along with other partners who will be watching the success of the program as a model.
Bart Evans from the Community Science Workshop Network who works out of Santa Cruz, came in to represent the organization and says this program has been working for 20 years and has taught hundreds of thousands of kids in the Fresno area, since 1995, when it was at Dickey’s Park and Granny’s Park but those programs are no longer in existence and Highway City will be the new science center location..
“This (science) program is an amazing example of a successful partnership” – Bart Evans, Community Science Workshop Network.
The Community Science Workshop, PG&E, and California Tinkering After School Network (CTAN) helped make this program possible for the City of Fresno.
“Yes, we’re a parks department – but this is the strongest educational component that we have, and it’s unique not only in the San Joaquin Valley, I want to say it’s unique throughout the state – there aren’t that many parks departments that have a full blown science program like we do, I mean the City of Fresno should be so proud of this. – Manuel Mollinedo, PARCS Director.
PG&E made a $20,000 at the ceremony, and that money combined with $20,000 from National Parks Recreation Society, and $25,000 from other sponsors will help fund scholarships for children to attend the summer camp and do summer programing on the San Joaquin River.
The first camp starts on Monday, June 29th, and camps will run through the first week of August.
Children ages 7-18 years old can participate.
To register: call Manuel Hernandez, Science Director & Community Coordinator for the City of Fresno Parks Department: 559-240-3048
Highway City Community Science Center
5140 N. State Avenue
Fresno, CA 93722
(Shaw & Highway 99)
