City Room™ - Arts / Culture - Museum Official to Testify about Science Education in D.C.

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Museum Official to Testify about Science Education in D.C.
Produced by Lynette Kalsnes on Thursday, February 26, 2009

Kids interact with an exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Photo by John J. Curtis.

A Chicago museum official will testify before a Congressional subcommittee today.

Andrea Ingram is a vice president with the Museum of Science and Industry. She'll testify this morning before the House Subcommittee on Research and Science Education. She says that by the eighth grade, American students fall behind the top 10 nations in science.

INGRAM: We have a lot of scientists that are on the verge of retirement. We haven't figured out how to be competitive in developing science and math. We have got to figure out a way to grow and diversify the pool of people engaged in science.

Ingram says museums need to design exhibits that are fun and interactive, that teachers can use as tools in the classroom. She says part of the solution is building close partnerships between museums, national labs and schools.

Ingram says the timing is critical, because with the weak economy, the U.S. needs to focus on innovation.