Public Tours:
Public Tours Led by Minnesota State Parks staff
Use special viewing gallery (ADA)
Admission fee ($7/$5; -$2 combo with historic tour)
Late May through early September
Typical group is 20; total in 2002: ~4,000
Guides have no special science background; trained by scientists and given scripts
Includes 10 minute “Meet A Scientist”
Evaluation planned for 2003; informal comments ask for “more science”
Group Tours:
Group Tours Led by Minnesota State Parks staff or Soudan Lab staff
Visit MINOS and CDMS II
Mostly K-12 school groups; also college and other groups
Year-round
Some groups also visit nearby environmental center
Total number of visitors in 2002: ~1,500
Future plans include more curriculum support materials
Short Courses:
Short Courses Almost 200 unique learning opportunities without grades, exams or credit. Compleat Scholar is designed for adults, serious about the enjoyment of learning and the skills attained. To browse a listing of all current classes, select course listing. You can also browse current class descriptions by selecting the menu for subject categories. Typically 20-25 people for Friday evening through Sunday noon
Taught by scientists, along with bat biologists and historians
Students mostly have college degrees, often with some science background
Include visit to underground laboratory
Possible extension to week-long “elderhostel” format
Mass Media:
Mass Media Mass media efficiently reach large numbers of people and help build interest for tours and other programs
Television is most restrictive format—3 to 5 minute segments on local news and National Geographic Today
Print media enable more detailed message; widest distribution was AP wire story—850 words appeared on numerous websites
Minnesota Public Radio produced 2 hour live program plus website
Art:
Art About 28’ by 60’ on wall opposite visitor gallery
Provides an alternate modality for relating to science that is more effective for some people
Improves laboratory aesthetics, which is especially useful in a deep underground location
Minnesota has 1% public set-aside for capital projects
Realistic and Limited Goals:
Realistic and Limited Goals Communicate excitement of science to a broad range of people through a limited number but wide range of modalities: public tours, group tours, short courses, mass media and art
Cooperation with State Parks, University Relations, University Continuing Education and others is essential to success
Future plans: evaluation, refinement, more curriculum for group tours