News

Area Children Invited to Free Learning Program at Austin College

BJ Kirkpatrick Austin College, News
Roo Bound at Austin College

Area children are invited to participate in Austin College’s ’Roo Bound program Saturday, September 16, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This free Saturday morning program is an opportunity for children in kindergarten through 5th grade to spend fun, learning time with members of the Austin College community. This month’s program is titled, “Making a Racquet” and will be led by Austin College’s tennis team and Coach Ryan Dodd. Team members will offer a variety of activities to teach the children through games and mini-lessons. Students will have lunch in the Austin College dining hall in Wright Campus Center, courtesy of the Service Station and Aramark Food Service.

Roo Bound at Austin College

The day of the program, students should arrive between 10:45 and 11 a.m. at the Wright Campus Center entrance off Brockett Street.

Advance registration is requested so that sufficient volunteers and materials will be available and only 50 slots are available. To register or for more information, contact the Austin College Service Station at 903.813.2333 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.weekdays or email servicestation@austincollege.edu. To register by email, include the child’s name and grade level, along with the parents’ phone number.

In addition to the special learning opportunity for children, ’Roo Bound, coordinated by the Austin College Service Station but involving many students across campus, is designed to expose children to the idea of college in a safe, fun environment. The organizers hope that the program makes college attendance seem accessible to children, particularly those who might be the first in their families to consider college. The next events are scheduled for October 21 and November 11.

The Austin College Service Station is a student-run organization that connects Austin College students available for service with local agencies and groups needing volunteers. Many students do individual service projects in the community; campus organizations often do group projects; others take part in projects such as ’Roo Bound or the College’s annual Great Day of Service, when several hundred students volunteer at more than 40 agencies in the north Texas region.

Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.

Urban Dialog: Science After Dark Discusses Fracking

BJ Kirkpatrick News

Sherman Texas | September 3, 2017

“Urban Dialog: Science After Dark”, returns on September 4, from 7pm to 8pm, and will feature a discussion of “Fracking”. The event will be held at Grayson Hall, 115 S. Travis Street, in downtown Sherman’s Kelly Square. The event encourages attendees to discuss their opinions with each other and with subject matter experts in a friendly, social environment. Admission to the event is free with complimentary snacks and beverages provided courtesy of the Sherman Rotary Club. “Urban Dialog: Science After Dark” is a joint production of The Sherman Museum, Austin College, and the Sherman Rotary Club. Shawn Kirby of the HeraldDemocrat
will moderate the event.

Fracking

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a technique designed to recover gas and oil from shale rock. Fracking involves drilling down into the earth and injecting water, sand and chemicals into the rock at high pressure, which in turn allows the gas to flow to the well. The process is controversial as environmentalists have questioned the safety of the process and communities have associated increased geological activities like earthquakes with the process. “This topic is in the news and generates a fair amount of controversy,” stated Dan Steelman, Executive Director of The Sherman Museum. “Please join us for a friendly chat about an important subject.”

Subject experts for the event will be Richard Lynn, Professor of Geology, at Grayson College and Todd C. Dutton, President of Longfellow Energy. “Urban Dialog: Science After Dark” is scheduled for the first Tuesday of every month. Discussions are held in Grayson Hall and cover a variety of timely topics from the fields of science and history.

About The Sherman Museum
The Sherman Museum is a non-profit 501(c) (3) educational organization devoted to collecting, preserving and interpreting objects of historical significance for visitors and residents of Grayson County and the Greater North Texas Region. The museum was previously known as The Red River Historical Museum prior to a name change in March 2011.

For more information about The Sherman Museum contact us at
www.theshermanmuseum.org.

University Partnership with Children’s Museum Moves Forward

BJ Kirkpatrick News

Commerce Texas | August 27, 2017

The Board of Directors of the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum recently voted to move ahead on a unique partnership proposal offered by Texas A&M University-Commerce President Ray Keck. The vision Keck shared with the board members was for a new facility south of campus and on the grounds of the former university president’s home. This new complex would boast both a $30-$40 million agricultural exposition center and an adjoining new Northeast Texas Children’s Museum. The concept of a joint facility is one Dr. Randy Harp, the director of the university’s School of Agriculture, began formulating as a candidate for his current position. According to Dr. Harp, “This university’s farm and laboratory complex is a valuable asset in East Texas. I recognized immediately the tremendous opportunities we might have for sharing our research, technology, best practices and hands-on learning approach to sustainable agriculture with students and educators of all ages.”

According to Dr. Keck, “We are extremely grateful to the Board of the Children’s Museum for agreeing to partner with the University. We together dream of a new museum which will incorporate all the activities of our School of Agriculture, soon to be “College of Agriculture.” I am confident we can achieve the goal of locating the museum in the new agricultural exposition center complex. Children will experience a full introduction to life with animals, on a farm or ranch, and to how we imagine sustainable food production. We are living in a moment when visions and actions, pursued wisely, can transform our environment.”

Since the Museum’s current lease agreement with the University will expire sometime in September 2018, a desire to find a solution to keep this valued resource in Commerce, Texas became a priority. This need in conjunction with the University’s long term plan to replace the current agricultural facility provided a mutually beneficial solution. According to Sharline Freeman, the director of the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum, “The Children’s Museum is very excited about being located adjacent to the School of Agriculture. Not only will the Children’s Museum continue delivering hands-on imaginative play, but we will soon be able to offer an enriched curriculum that includes animals and agriculture. This new Northeast Texas Children’s Museum will be a one-of-a-kind resource in northeast Texas, attracting visitors to a new facility, the university, and the City of Commerce.”

Read more: http://sites.tamuc.edu/news/university-partnership-with-childrens-museum-moves-forward/#ixzz4qnosIrcP

University Partnership with Children’s Museum
Left to right Dr. Randy Harp, Director of TAMUC School of Agriculture; Donna Tavener, President of Board of Directors for the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum; Sharline Freeman, Executive Director of the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum; and Dr. Ray Keck, President of Texas A&M University – Commerce.