Funding will sponsor the Habitat Theater and Science on a Sphere® exhibit at the future museum, slated to have its groundbreaking later this year
[ARLINGTON, VA, March 11, 2024] -- The Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation is excited to welcome Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its newest Principal Partner of the Launch the Future campaign sponsoring the Habitat Theater and Science on a Sphere® exhibit. AWS is joining a broad public private collaboration to build a new world-class science center in Northern Virginia.
“We are profoundly grateful to everyone who has contributed to this transformational effort to create this educational resource for our community,” said Nene Spivy, executive director of the Foundation. “It is our collective responsibility to develop resources that fuel our future technology workforce. This extraordinary collaboration with AWS and the many other public and private partners to create the Northern Virginia Science Center will enable exponential growth in STEM resources for families and schools in our region.”
The Launch the Future Campaign supports the development of the Northern Virginia Science Center, poised to become an interactive science museum located in the Dulles Technology Corridor at the Kincora property. The new museum, which is slated to break ground later this year, will be a place for discovery, innovation and fun for curious minds of all ages. The Foundation is seeking additional support from private partners to help bring this vision to life.
To celebrate the addition of AWS as a Principal Partner and inspire additional giving, the Foundation and its supporters, corporate partners and community leaders gathered for a reception at Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington. The evening featured a sneak peek at the latest design of the museum, as well as inspiring stories and powerful testimonials highlighting the positive impact science centers have on students and communities.
“We are proud to host the region’s science center in Loudoun that will serve families, schools and communities across Northern Virginia, and visitors from all over the world,” said Chair Phyllis Randall, Loudoun County Board Supervisor who spoke at the event.
As Principal Partner, AWS through its community outreach program AWS InCommunities, contributed $500,000 to sponsor the Habitat Theater located in the Bolos-Powell Family Gallery in the future museum. The latest rendering of the Habitat Theater was unveiled at the reception and showcased the space, which will host environmental education programs using a suite of AV capabilities, including the Science on a Sphere® digital display. The display projects a myriad of data sets, such as animated images of atmospheric stormsand compelling animal biodiversity demonstrations.
“The Northern Virginia Science Center will be a place where visitors can cultivate a passion for science, technology, engineering and math,” said Shannon Kellogg, vice president of public policy for AWS. “At Amazon, we believe that it is spaces like this that can be launchpads of inspiration for the next generation of innovators and builders. We’re proud to support this bold initiative, which will be a world-class cultural resource for one of the regions we call home.”
This sponsorship represents an expansion of AWS’s ongoing support of the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation and their commitment to innovation and STEM education in Virginia. Since 2020, AWS InCommunities has collaborated with the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation to inspire a love of learning STEM through their support of programs such as: STEM Chicas, an elementary-aged STEM exploration and mentoring program for Latina girls; the Youth Development Initiative, an intern program for high school students underrepresented in STEM; 3D Printer Experiences, exhibits and programs that showcase inspiring applications of 3D-printing technology; and STEM SPARK, a collaboration with Prince William County Public Schools to deliver hands-on STEM exploration to 4th and 5th graders with limited STEM resources, which to date has impacted more than 3,000 students.
Pictured (L to R): Sarah Georgides, Head InCommunities, AWS; Shannon Kellogg, vice president of public policy, AWS; Nene Spivy, executive director, Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation; Chair Phyllis Randall, Loudoun County Board Supervisor; Sarasi Rout, Co-Chair Youth Advisory Board, Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation.
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