Support Science and Culture in These Dark Times

I did not get laid off today. I am extremely lucky. I'm in the "Why me? Why not me? What's going on? What are we going to do?" phase of dealing with the fact I lost 20 co-workers today. Several, at least a 3rd, of whom I have, or had, direct working relationships with. People who I saw every day for the last 5 years. People who I mentored, who mentored me, who are role models to me, who have taught me, who have influenced my life and direction. Today they are part of the jobless rate.
20 people is a lot when your workforce is 200 or so in the off season. (Seasonal summer hires bump it up a lot.)
20 people is a lot as you have watched open positions go unhired and people have moved on to 'pursue other avenues of interest" over the last year.


I am in education. I am not in a corporation. I am not in retail. I am not in electronics. I am not in the car industry, in real estate or in banking.

I work for a non profit private school. Otherwise known as the local science museum.

I teach people.
Kids. Grownups. Everyone.

I am not a school teacher. I do what is called informal education.

People like me work in science museums, art museums, history museums, natural history museums, zoos, children's museums, aviation museums ( do you see a trend here?).

I work in a cultural center. And we are being affected by the economic crisis too.
We are a luxury. We are a 'local attraction".

We get you excited about the sciences, the arts and history. The past, present and future. We inspire young minds to explore, learn, seek, grow...

So when you are out there, deciding what to do for the day with you limited entertainment dollars, please consider supporting the arts and sciences in your local community. Go visit a museum. Forget the 2 1/2 hour movie, or the amusement park, or the mall. Forget the new video game or the fancy meal.
Get thee some learnin'!
Goodness knows our country needs it!