The Ontario Science Centre to collaborate with Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem

Canadian leader in interactive science learning cooperates with Israeli counterpart to
develop new approaches to science and innovation education

TORONTO, May 20, 2016 /CNW/ - The Ontario Science Centre today signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem with the goal of fostering innovation in science education. The MoU outlines key areas of collaboration in the fields of science, technology, innovation and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) education, and was signed during the Government of Ontario's trade mission to Israel and the West Bank from May 15 - 20, 2016.

The two cultural institutions focus on providing interactive and immersive experiences to increase interest in science and technology among students and the general public. They will collaborate on exhibit development and fabrication; travelling exhibition tour rentals and management; public and curriculum-based programming; program evaluation; and exhibits and programs that focus on women and girls in science and engineering.

Quick Facts

Ontario Science Centre

• The first, largest and most visited science centre in Canada, has welcomed over 50 million visitors since opening in 1969.
• The Ontario Science Centre is an agency of the Government of Ontario, funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
• By providing access to science-learning to people of all ages, the Ontario Science Centre aims to inspire a lifelong journey of curiosity, discovery and action to create a better future.
• The Ontario Science Centre has nearly 50 years of experience creating some of the most memorable, engaging and visually appealing exhibits available in the world today, renting and selling its exhibitions and providing consulting services to science centres across the globe.

Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem

• Since opening in 1992, Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem has welcomed more than -5 million visitors.
• Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem is an independent, non-profit institute that operates under the joint auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Foundation.
• The Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem aims to increase interest among the general public in science and technology in the world, promote excellence in sciences among youth and present science and technology as an integral part of human culture through interactive exhibitions and programs.
• The Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem provides unique learning environments, supports the education system in Israel and helps develop 21^st-century skills among young people from all communities of Israel. 

Quotes

Kathleen Wynne
Premier of Ontario
"This agreement will build on Ontario's and Israel's strong ties in innovation and education, and help to inspire people of all ages to learn more about the latest breakthroughs in the fields of science, technology, engineering art and math. I am especially pleased that this partnership has a special focus on empowering women and girls to pursue studies in science and technology."

Dr. Maurice Bitran
CEO and Chief Science Officer, Ontario Science Centre
"We are delighted to be joining forces with the Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem in the exploration of new opportunities in interactive science and innovation education. Ontario and Israel rely on the knowledge and creativity of their workforces to develop a better future through innovation in science and technology. This collaboration between the Ontario Science Centre and the Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem will result in new and innovative ways to foster innovation and creativity in the younger generations."

Maya Halevy
Director, Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem
"We are glad to partner with the Ontario Science Centre as we both believe that our role today is  to create fruitful dialogue between creativity, innovation and technology. We both serve as a hub that engages people with science and as a lab that develops new approaches to informal science education and lifelong learning. We all know that in order to make a wide and deep impact we need to start it from an early age, and science centres and science museums are the best places to do so. We are sure that by co-creation of exhibitions and programs, by integrating science, technology, innovation, arts and craftsmanship, we can create new ways and tools to raise curiosity, to promote experimentation and to develop skills."

About the Ontario Science Centre
The Ontario Science Centre has welcomed more than 50 million visitors since it opened in 1969, implementing an interactive approach now adopted by science centres around the world. Today, the Science Centre is an international leader in free-choice science learning and a key contributor to Ontario's education and innovation ecosystems, offering lifelong learning through hands-on, engaging experiences. The Ontario Science Centre is an agency of the Government of Ontario funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. As a publicly assisted organization, the Science Centre relies on generous individuals, corporations and foundations who share a commitment to science and education for additional operating support. For more information about the Ontario Science Centre, please visit www.OntarioScienceCentre.ca.

About Bloomfield Science Centre Jerusalem
The Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem is one of Israel's foremost institutions for informal science education and science communication providing life changing experiences and enables dialogue between various sectors of the community. It is a cultural anchor in the city of Jerusalem, stimulating creativity and innovation for the future of Israel.  It is an important part of the science education ecosystem, a vibrant hub that inspires young people, and especially girls to start and continue on the path to science based careers. 
The Bloomfield Science Museum is an accredited museum, non-profit institute, independent entity that operates under the auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Foundation. The museum activities are supported by governmental ministries, by the Jerusalem Municipality, and by private donors, companies and foundations from Israel and around the world.  For more information, please visit www.mada.org.il.

SOURCE Ontario Science Centre

Media contacts: Anna Relyea, Director, Strategic Communications, 416-696-3273, c: 416-668-1967, [email protected]; Andrea Mus, Media Relations Officer, 416-696-3191, c: 416-895-5482, [email protected]