Our Exhibit Loaning Center

Satellite Discovery is the exhibit loaning center of the Uxbridge Public Schools. The structure was designed by high school industrial technology (I.T.) teacher David Lane with student assistance. Under Dave's supervision, parents, teachers, and students constructed the building in the spring of 1995. During the winter of 1996, I.T. teacher Joe McCourt repaired, upgraded, and built a rack for two solar hot air panels to heat the building. Joe and his father had designed these panels a few years back, and students constructed them. Students began insulating the building. They also designed and constructed storage racks for concept boards - student built exhibits. This rack will house an inventoried stock of concept boards to be rotated in classrooms throughout the system. In the spring of 1996, I.T. teacher Chip Rocha brought his construction class over to Blanchard to complete the insulation, install the solar panels, mount a weather station and a windmill. They designed a system to house a large rear view projection screen for outdoor group presentations.

In tbe fall of 1997 we started loaning student made exhibits (concept boards) to members of our system planning team which will include about a dozen teachers representing all four schools. We then installed receiving boards in additional classrooms and the following year doubled the number of participating classrooms. The third year we expanded the pilot team.

In January of 1999 we opened the E&D Youth Center Museum on the second floor of the Uxbridge Youth Center. This Museum serves as a professional development center for teachers, a field trip destination for four schools, and an interactive hands-on museum for the community.

Satellite Discovery and the Youth Center Museum will be student run exhibit loaning centers with a faculty project supervisor. This will include both paid jobs and community service learning opportunities. We will construct an amphitheatre for group seating. Our first slide show is an interpretive historical presentation of the Blackstone River provided by the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission.

The Discovery Museums