Museum of Science to Receive $20 Million to Inspire and Educate the Next Generation of Engineers.

BOSTON -- The Museum of Science, Boston announced today a $20 million gift from the Gordon Foundation, established by Sophia and Bernard M. Gordon. The gift endorses the Museum's vision to transform the teaching of engineering and technology in museums and K-12 schools across the United States. The largest single individual gift to date in the Museum's 175 years--the Gordon contribution will help educate young people to be the inventors of the future and inspire them to embrace the rigors and rewards of becoming engineering leaders. In response to the critical need for more trained engineers, the Museum, led by its president and director Ioannis (Yannis) Miaoulis, launched the National Center for Technological Literacy(R) (NCTL(R)) in 2004 to integrate engineering as a new discipline in schools nationwide and to inspire the next generation of engineers and innovators.

This gift, made possible by engineering visionary and inventor Bernard Gordon and his wife Sophia, will dramatically expand the impact of the Museum's engineering and technology education initiative with the creation of the Sophia & Bernard M. Gordon Wing, the national headquarters for the National Center for Technological Literacy. The Sophia & Bernard M. Gordon Endowed Fund will support development of interactive programs to inform and motivate future engineers, including the Gordon Innovative Engineers Exhibit spotlighting engineering leaders. In addition, the Museum will name its cutting-edge multimedia stage, featuring live presentations and displays that showcase and interpret breaking science and technology news for millions of visitors the Gordon Current Science & Technology Center.

"Our country's future depends heavily on its ability to motivate and educate 'real' engineers," says Analogic Corporation founder Gordon, 79. "These are people who can lead, think creatively, relate to society, break complex problems into manageable tasks, and take risks that may result in new products benefiting society. With this gift, my wife and I recognize the important work the Museum of Science is doing to integrate engineering as a new discipline of study in our nation's schools and to encourage talented young people to become engineers, thus helping preserve our country's edge in innovation." Gordon has invented breakthrough devices that have not only enhanced how people live and work but saved lives--from his earliest contributions to the world's first commercial computer to scanners at the core of modern medical imaging and counter-terrorism technology.

"Bernard Gordon epitomizes technological innovation and the importance of engineering," says Yannis Miaoulis. "For him, success is measured by how much good you do for society. Sophia and Bernard have given our city and region a tremendous gift. Their extraordinary act underscores the significance of the region and the Museum's mission as a resource in engineering and science education. The gift will greatly increase our effectiveness. We are thrilled and honored by the Gordons' faith in us."

The Gordon Foundation gift moves the Museum's planning for the NCTL forward significantly. Renovation and construction of the Sophia & Bernard M. Gordon Wing could begin early next year, transforming an underutilized 30,000 sq. ft. space within the Museum's Cambridge Wing into the NCTL's dynamic headquarters. There, the best ideas and projects related to engineering curriculum and exhibit design will be developed with leaders in the field, as educators and other visitors explore new technology programs.

The Sophia & Bernard M. Gordon Endowed Fund will sustain the Museum's ability to create exciting new interactive programs related to engineering education, both at the Museum and in classrooms nationwide, and to present successful existing programs affecting the long-term impact to inspire future engineering leaders. The Gordon Fund will enable the Museum to build on its tradition of excellence in creating engaging interactive educational experiences in science and technology to serve as a model for science centers in the 21st century.

New programming to inform and inspire future engineers will include: a new Gordon Innovative Engineers Exhibit to highlight innovations and career stories of engineering leaders in New England and across the country; new live presentations at the Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, featuring "real" engineers demonstrating their work to future generations of engineers; interactive engineering Design Challenges to engage young Museum visitors; and development of new K-12 engineering curricular materials and teacher training programs.

Additionally, the Gordon gift enables planning and exhibit designs for the Museum's new 10,000 sq. ft. Technology Gallery. The Museum's ingenious approach to lifelong learning about technology and engineering calls for creating a Technology Showcase of the latest research and technology, a Creativity Workshop for hands-on invention, and a Forum focusing on critical science and technology issues and decision-making.

The Museum is receiving larger gifts than ever before because of its new focus on technological literacy and the importance of its long-standing mission to stimulate interest in and further understanding of science and technology through engaging interactive exhibits and programs.

About the Museum of Science, Boston

One of the world's largest science centers, the Museum of Science takes a hands-on approach to science, engineering, and technology, attracting over 1.6 million visitors a year through its vibrant programs and 700 interactive exhibits. Founded in 1830, the Museum was first to embrace all the sciences under one roof. The Museum is ranked one of the top two science museums in the United States in the Zagat Survey's "U.S. Family Travel Guide." Highlights include the Thomson Theater of Electricity; Charles Hayden Planetarium; the 180-degree domed Mugar Omni Theater; 3-D Digital Cinema; and Butterfly Garden. In addition to being the headquarters for the Intel Computer Clubhouse(R) reaching 50,000 teens worldwide, the Museum is lead partner in a multi-museum, $20 million National Science Foundation-funded nanotechnology initiative. The Museum's "Science Is an Activity" exhibit plan has been awarded many NSF grants and influenced science centers worldwide. For more information, visit www.mos.org.