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IBM Media Release - For Immediate Release
IBM Continues Initiatives Encouraging Kids to Embrace Science with TryScience Armonk, NY -- August 16, 2002 - With an estimated 25,000 in attendance, Arthur Ashe Kids' Day is always one of the most popular events held in conjunction with the US Open. IBM is taking the opportunity the day affords to educate kids in a fun and creative way about science and tennis. The event follows in a long line of educational programs IBM has developed to help raise the quality of teaching and learning in K-12 public schools. On August 24th, IBM will team up with TryScience.org to run on-court and online tennis 'experiments' at the National Tennis Center in Flushing to help engage and stimulate children on hand for the day about science. The TryScience.org Web site provides fun experiments that children can do online to increase their knowledge of science and how it fits into the world around them. IBM technology experts created the TryScience.org Web site in collaboration with the New York Hall of Science and the Association of Science-Technology Centers. Although he's best known as a US Davis Cup player and a rising star on the ATP Tour, James Blake will play the role of science teacher by taking part in the on-court experiment. Animated experiments on IBM computers set up by the court will reinforce the lessons. "Providing excellent resources to engage children, parents and teachers with science is an important priority to IBM," said Paula Baker, IBM's director for Corporate Community Relations. "Science is a universal language, and understanding science will make all the difference for future generations. TryScience.org is a unique Web site that provides an exciting forum for interaction and learning." The National Center for Education Statistics last year revealed that average scores in Earth Science, Physical Science and Life Science have remained unchanged and, in some cases, have gone down for school-aged children in the U.S. since 1996. "The key to turning
these statistics around is providing young people with interesting,
hands-on learning activities to reinforce learning that takes place
in schools," said Eric Marshall, project director of TryScience
at the New York Hall of Science. "We hope TryScience will be among
a whole range of tools that teachers and parents use to introduce and
inspire IBM's commitment to public
schools includes Reinventing Education (RE), the company's $70 million
grant program that is providing teachers with new resources in the classroom
designed specifically for standards-based lessons. Independent evaluators
say children in RE classrooms are scoring higher in core academic subjects.
Date: August 24th Time: 9am-11am (James Blake scheduled to appear from 10:30-11:00am) Place: Court 14 at the National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY Contact: Chris Griffin @ 404-395-8318
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