The UCAR Public Visitor Program - at the intersection where science, schools, society, and informal learning meet

NCAR has existed since 1959 with the Mesa Lab opening its doors upon the building's completion in early 1966. Since that time, NCAR's commitment to public and school programs has grown steadily from its infancy. How has the climate changed within society, the scientific community, and at NCAR over the past 40 years to foster an atmosphere that values and understands the importance and possibilities within education and outreach? How have NCAR's onsite public programs, exhibits, interpretive tours, fieldtrips, and collaborations with scientists and outside organizations grown as a result? What leaps and bounds has UCAR's Public Visitor Program taken to improve its programming? How are its offerings different or similar to traditional museum or science center programs, and are these differences and similarities limiting at all? Join the coordinator of UCAR's Public Visitor Program for a short history of onsite public and school programs at NCAR, and a discussion about the endless possibilities at the intersection where state-of-the-art science, schools, and informal learning meet.