After decades of operation, the Science Learning Center closed following the retirement of its longtime booster Jim McKibben last September. But this month it will reopen — in a limited manner — thanks to the help of James Kisiel, professor of science education. Whether or not the SLC stays open depends on one thing: money.
The current plan of action is to open the space up for six graduate students of science education in a limited pilot program meant to demonstrate the viability of a refocused SLC to Cal State Long Beach administrators. The aim is to convince them that the SLC will be worth funding on a more permanent basis.
Kisiel heads the task force formed to figure out how to keep the SLC operating after it was temporarily shut down after McKibben’s departure. McKibben had been the primary faculty member at CSULB keeping the SLC running over the years, and there were questions among the student body if it would be shut down.
“When I heard that Jim McKibben was retiring, I went to the dean [Laura Kingsford] and said that we wanted to keep this thing going, and that science education would be a good place for that to be,” Kisiel said. “One of our options in our masters in Science Ed is specifically geared for people who work in museums and aquariums and that kind of stuff. How do we help people learn science?”
Since September, the task force has been responsible for reorganizing the SLC, which is located in Room 110 in the Hall of Science.
“A point of contention became that we would be getting rid of the lab animals,” Kisiel said. “And I understand. For a lot of students that were doing that, that opportunity to learn how to take care of them is really important.”
The broader scope of the center, ethical considerations, as well as concerns over high maintenance costs also factored into the decision to remove the animals.
“I know that was disheartening to a group of students,” Kisiel said. “One of the ways I wanted to think about that issue was to think just a little bit bigger. To make it more sustainable. Not so heavily reliant on many volunteers or lots of funding. If we can make [the SLC] more sustainable and still keep the same sort of mission, then we’re going to have an easier time the next time there’s a transition in the future.”
New homes were found for the animals, which included live iguanas and fish, at other educational facilities. The goal is to eventually bring back some animals to the SLC, but ideally species that are lower maintenance, Kisiel said.
This frees up the SLC space to become a more interactive location at CSULB, which will make it a better place to teach graduate students how to teach children. Kisiel currently plans to install collapsible tables to allow for hands-on group activities, and more interactive exhibits.
“There’s a lot we can play with,” Kisiel said. “We want to move away from ‘hey here’s this cool thing’ to ‘take a look, what do you think is happening?’”
Kisiel plans on making the space a center of learning for both adults and children. One idea he explained, would be to invite children from local schools and Boys & Girls Clubs to the SLC. Not only would visiting children be able to learn, but CSULB students of science education could observe these groups to find out how to better design exhibits and activities for kids.
“Whether this is able to continue will depend on funding,” Kisiel said. “That ultimately is what the dean is looking over.”
Part of the issue is figuring out costs and a budget to make that happen. Kisiel said that he projects a minimum cost equal to the salary of a part-time CSULB employee, as manpower is what’s most needed. Kisiel and the SLC task force have already applied to the university and alumni association for grants, but hopes to see more direct funding from administration to ensure long-term viability for the center.
“Being closed for a semester or two . . . I look at that as a good opportunity to revamp, revise, continue the work,” Kisiel said. “I wish I could say I knew exactly where it was going to end up, but that’s part of the ride.”