The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA

Web site: www.fi.edu
Press Contact: Kat Stein, kstein@fi.edu, 215-448-2375

Left to right: Mrs. Laura Bush, community member Albert J. Hicks, III, Director Dennis Wint, and IMLS Director Anne Radice. Click image for a larger version.

Founded in 1824 and dedicated to the same spirit of discovery and inquiry as its namesake, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute has a distinct reputation, both nationally and internationally, as a premier science center. Over the years, The Franklin Institute has evolved and flourished, while always remaining true to its mission of instilling in its visitors a passion for learning about science and technology through interactive exhibits, educational programs, and outreach.

The Franklin Institute is comprised of three centers, the first being the museum, which opened in 1934. As the institute’s flagship, the museum develops, maintains, and presents interactive and interesting exhibits and programs for visitors of all ages and backgrounds. Last year, the museum welcomed 1.75 million visitors, making it Pennsylvania’s most popular museum. With 1.3 million visitors, the museum’s Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs was the most visited special exhibition in the world in 2007.

Dedicated to community service, the Franklin’s museum admits 30,000 schoolchildren to the institute for free, with hundreds of thousands more admitted at substantially reduced costs. Another outreach initiative tailored to economically challenged families is the Community Nights program, which occurs one Wednesday night each month. People participating in the program are invited to stay in the museum after hours and are able to attend special activities and educational programs. Twenty thousand kids and families have attended the program since its inception in 2006, and partnerships with urban radio stations, community-based organizations, and church groups have helped to make Community Nights a great success.

The Franklin Center, the second of the three components of the institute, is the overseer of The Franklin Institute’s historical collections, the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial, The Journal of the Franklin Institute, and the internationally recognized Awards Program, which is one of the oldest and most prestigious comprehensive science and technology awards programs in the world. Pre-dating the Nobel Prize by more than half a century, the winners of the award are a veritable “Who’s Who” of notable scientists from the past two centuries, and include Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, and Pierre and Marie Curie.

The third component is the Center for Innovation in Science Learning (CISL). CISL is a nationally renowned science learning research and program development center that touches the lives of thousands of visitors with its programs each year. Two of CISL’s major community commitments are its Science Leadership Academy, an innovative magnet high school created in partnership with the City of Philadelphia; and the Partnerships for Achieving Careers in Technology and Science (PACTS) program.

PACTS is a signature initiative geared to young people and created to inspire more students to pursue education and careers in science and technology. Every year, PACTS enrolls 100 underserved grade-school students from the Philadelphia area in afterschool and summer-based science education programming, and serves 1,500 more students through outreach projects and weekend workshops. Upon the completion of a recent formal evaluation of the initiative, previous PACTS participants revealed that their involvement in the program inspired them to go to college and helped them choose a career path.

With a museum, a learning center, and a world-renowned award to its name, The Franklin Institute is well equipped to educate and inspire future generations of scientists, as it has been doing for nearly two centuries.

“The Franklin Institute remains one of Philadelphia’s most-beloved cultural treasures and a paramount educational resource to the area and the country,” said U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA). “As Pennsylvania’s most visited museum, a top-ten science center in the nation, and a national leader in community education, I congratulate the Franklin Institute on this momentous achievement.”

U.S. Representative Chaka Fattah (D-PA-02) said, “The Franklin Institute is the ‘Heart’ of Philadelphia’s amazing museum community. The Franklin has been the cherished destination and learning experience for every boy, girl and parent in our region, usually more than once. I warmly congratulate the Franklin Institute upon this prestigious, richly deserved award of the 2008 National Medal for Museum and Library Service – and I look forward to my family’s next visit.”

Community Member Dr. Albert Hicks III
Science Summer Camp Sparks a Passion for Medicine and Teaching
Dr. Albert Hicks III’s passion for science was ignited at age 13 when his uncle encouraged him to join The Franklin Institute’s Partnerships for Careers in Technology and Science (PACTS) program, which was designed to expose urban Philadelphia middle and high school students to a multitude of scientific fields. Hicks participated in science workshops, on topics such as thermodynamics, architectural engineering, radon detection, biological science, ecosystems, chemical engineering, and aerodynamics. He continued to participate in the Franklin’s PACTS program through high school as a PACTS Explainer. In college, he was in charge of the Franklin’s Explainers and summer programs, creating daily agendas and supervising biological research on a local lake in Fairmount Park. Hicks is now in residency at Drexel’s College of Medicine, but he still finds time to serve as a panelist in the Careers in Science Program at the Franklin and to sit on the newly created PACTS Alumni Board. “The PACTS program has given me the skills necessary for success as a physician,” Hicks says. “The program developed my confidence in public speaking, improved my interpersonal skills, and enriched my love of science. PACTS has given me the opportunity to give back through volunteerism, mentorship, and education.”