August 16, 2024

For Immediate Release – August 16, 2024

Media Contact:
Simone Guthrie, VP of Marketing and Communications
(561) 574-1224
simone.guthrie@lifeandscience.org

DURHAM, NC — The Museum of Life and Science has received a $244,000 grant from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation that will be used to create, implement and support biotechnology lab programming in their new lab space over the next 3 years. These funds will allow the Museum to have a dedicated Lab Coordinator, provide stipends to bring in guest scientists, and purchase materials and supplies to support hands-on lab activities.

The Museum is committed to providing hands-on STEM learning experiences for all ages. In line with this commitment, the Museum will be opening a new Biotechnology exhibit in 2026 that will highlight how biotechnology impacts and can help improve our everyday lives. As a supplement to the exhibit, the new inquiry-based lab programming will allow children and their caregivers to discover the mysteries of medicines, explore innovations in food, and imagine the future of environmental sustainability, among many other topics.

“We congratulate the Museum for their vision to bring this multifaceted STEM educational program to life. Focusing on the value of biotechnology is a win-win in the STEM educational arena for our state” stated Marilyn Foote-Hudson, Executive Director of the NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation.

“We are so thankful to the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation for their support,” says Steve Scholle, Director of STEM Engagement and Outcomes at the Museum of Life and Science. “Biotechnology has a huge impact on all our lives and will likely play an even larger role in the lives of our children. Providing learners with a space to explore these topics outside of the classroom, in a fun and engaging lab setting, will hopefully spark a love for STEM in our children, while nurturing curiosity and critical thinking in learners of all ages, and inspire them to pursue interests and careers in the field.”

The lab will open to the public in Summer 2025 and is estimated to engage 20,000 visitors a year.

About the Museum of Life and Science
Located less than five miles from downtown Durham, the Museum of Life and Science is one of North Carolina’s top family destinations. Our 84-acre campus includes a two-story science center, one of the largest butterfly conservatories on the East Coast, and beautifully landscaped outdoor exhibits. Our interactive experiences include Dinosaur Trail, Ellerbe Creek Railway, Hideaway Woods, Into the Mist, Earth Moves, and Aerospace, which features one of the largest collections of Apollo-era NASA artifacts in the state. The Museum is also an AZA-accredited zoo, home to rescued black bears, lemurs, endangered red wolves, and more than 60 species of live animals. For more than 75 years, the Museum has upheld its ongoing commitment to the communities of Durham, the Triangle, and North Carolina through programming, engagement, and research. To learn more, visit lifeandscience.org.

About the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation
The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation is an independent self-funding 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supporting activities that help meet the educational and health needs of today’s society and future generations. Since its creation in 1986, the foundation has granted over $91 million to support North Carolina projects and programs that emphasize the understanding and application of science, health and education at all academic and professional levels. Visit us at NCGSKFoundation.org.

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