The California Cultural and Historical Endowment Museum Grant Program has awarded Powerhouse a $150,000 grant to support construction of exhibits in the new Powerhouse Science Center.

The grant was awarded through a state-wide competitive process from a pool of just $2,000,000,so we are very happy to have been awarded 7.5 percent of the total funds available.

The grant is designed specifically to support our nature discovery center—Nature Detectives.

Nature Detectives will give young naturalists a chance to sharpen their observation skills and notice the hidden world waiting to be discovered.

The exhibition will create immersive experiences designed to let children explore classification systems, uncover animal behavior, monitor changes, sample ecosystems, and record and communicate their nature discoveries.

Additionally, the exhibit will encourage exploration beyond the museum, highlighting opportunities for science discoveries in backyards and local parks. It will also encourage participation in citizen science programs.

Pretend-play features designed for preschool children will also be incorporated throughout the exhibit.

July/August 2016Volume 1, Issue 4

NEWS

Claim Your Spot for Summer Camp

Powerhouse Awarded a New Grant

Little ScientistsAges 5-6July 6-8, 9am-Noon$108 Members, $120 Non-members

Engineering AnticsAges 9-11July 11-15, 9am-4pm$270 Members, $300 Non-members

Cosmic ScienceAges 7-8July 18-22, 9am-4pm$270 Members, $300 Non-members

Investigate MarsAges 9-11July 25-29, 9am-4pm$270 Members, $300 Non-members

For camp descriptions, visit our website, PowerhouseSC.org.

To register your child for summer science camp, call 916.808.3942!

Members Only Preview PartyFriday, September 25:30pm to 8:30pm

Please join us for an exclusive look at our new exhibit, Science in Motion! Through hands-on interactions, visitors explore physical sciences from Newton’s Law of Motion to Nano Technology.

Enjoy fun activities and light refreshments. Be one of the first to experience this amazing exhibit before it opens on September 3!

Save the Date

2 July/August 2016

Challenger Center Community Missions

For ages 9 and older! Pre-registration required $18 members $20 non-members Mission DatesSeptember 16 (Mars)November 4 (Moon)

5:30pm - 8:30pm Call 916.808.3942 to register

For July and August we are investigating the fantastic power of vinegar.

Perform and document one of the following at-home vinegar experiments, and send us your documentation by the deadline. Keep your documentation brief, no more than 10 images, one paragraph explanation, and/or a 7-minute video please.

Vinegar & Baking Soda VolcanoUsing vinegar and baking soda, create a crazy chemical reaction.

Materials• Baking Soda • Vinegar• A container to hold materials • Paper towels or clean-up cloth

Instructions1. Place spoonful of baking soda into your container2. Pour in vinegar3. Add colored food dye (if available)4. Watch the reaction

What's happening?

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a base, vinegar (acetic acid) is an acid. Together they form unstable carbonic acid which breaks apart into water and carbon dioxide, creating a fizzing as it escapes the solution.

Science at Home Challenge

Eagle Scout Nickolas Abcarius and Troop 53 installed new railings along the sidewalk leading to the pond. The group removed the old posts and cement, dug new holes, placed all new poles, and attached new railings. The entire length was painted forest green. They did a beautiful job! The new railings look great and are safer than before. Thank you, Nick!

Thank You Troop 53

The Award – Scientist of the MonthIf chosen, your experiment will be shared on the homepage of our website and highlighted in the next newsletter. Additionally, you will receive three free museum passes.

Deadline for Submission – August 15 by 5pmWinner will be announced – September 15 at 10amPlease send documentation of your experiment and any questions to jsavage@powerhousesc.org.

Vinegar Acid TestVinegar can help you identify rock samples.

Materials • Vinegar• Bowl• Spoon• Samples of different stones

Instructions1. Pour small amount of vinegar into bowl2. Drop a few drops of vinegar on the rock samples. If gas bubbles form, the rock contains minerals called carbonates. Chalk, marble, and limestone make vinegar fizz. Like chalk and marble, limestone reacts because it is a type of calcium carbonate. Flint, granite, and sandstone are unaffected.3. Scratch two rocks together. Notice how harder rocks will leave marks on softer ones and not the reverse. This can help you identify your rock samples. 4. Arrange and label your rocks based on your findings.

July 9 & 10Learn how scientists use the Juno spacecraft to study Jupiter. Celebrate the end of Juno's five-year journey to Jupiter and the beginning of its orbital mapping mission. August 13 & 14The annual Perseid meteor shower peaks this month. We’ll show you why it happens at the same time each year and the best time to view these exciting "shooting stars."

Stellar SummerPlanetarium shows are at 1 & 3pm for ages 4 and older only.

July/August 2016 3

Nonprofits throughout the Sacramento region participated in a celebration of charitable giving on May 3 and 4.

Through the GiveLocalNow campaign, the community was encouraged to support their favorite non-profits by donating a minimum of $25 through the BigDayOfGiving.org.

This year, technical issues on the BigDayOfGiving.org website prompted officials to add an extra day and encourage additonal methods for donation. Website glitches however did not stop generous donors from giving a record $7.1 million in contributions to the 570 local participating non-profits, surpassing last year’s total of $5.6 million with 529 participating non-profits.

The Powerhouse Science Center is grateful for the generosity of our donors who helped us surpass our goal and raise $33,015 on the Big Day of Giving. YOUR contributions helped us purchase and develop a new physics and nano exhibit, Science in Motion, which will premiere this fall at the science center!

YOU are the inspiration behind our mission. Thank you!

Doris KellerAlison BuhlerLarry GilzeanAnne StainesKristen CastanosMichele WongJudith KjelstromAndrew KramerShahnaz Van DeventerKeith JohnsonJohn StaffordJohn ThroneCeleste ChinHarry LaswellJohn Griffing & Shelley MydansJenna SavageRaymond LoydJon SnyderLenee EllerRachel HazlewoodFrederick TeichertCarl HillendahlBinda MangatSusan DouglasRandy Beaton & Sid EnglandAnna FantasiaSusanne Garfield

Christine PiermanSharon AdlisRenner JohnstonLinda WoodingClaudia ChandlerKenneth Sisler IIIMelissa LamicaMarilyn BallasIan MontgomeryLynn MacIntoshNaomi GilbertErik SchorrKitty SorrellsJulian DavisAnne D DobrenickElizabeth KuKaren BensonMadalyn CraviottoBernadette MiskitValerie BrownKen Nahigian2 Anonymous

Large donations

Stephen DouglasAli YoussefiVenu Kondle

Thank you to the generous philanthropists who put us over the top with donations from their Sacramento Community Foundation Donor Advised Funds. Your commitment to the Powerhouse Science Center and the Sacramento region are truly appreciated!

Barry and Lynda Keller Community Fund

Ralph and Marla Anderson Family Fund– Kristen Thomas

RCA Community Fund– Larry Gilzean

The BIG Dogs!

Thank You BIG Day of Giving Donors

Donors

4 July/August 2016

Powerhouse Science CenterDiscovery Campus3615 Auburn BoulevardSacramento, CA 95821

Telephone916.808.3942

Fax916.808.3925

E-mailmembership@powerhousesc.org

Visit us today!PowerhouseSC.org Powerhouse Science Center is embarking on a bold vision to build a state-of-the-art

science center in downtown Sacramento. We will be renovating the historic PG&E building and will have five times more space for new and exciting hands-on STEM experiences. Stay tuned...

Visit our website PowerhouseSC.org to donate or contact the Director of Marketing and Development Shahnaz Van Deventer 916.717.1388.

JULY 2 & 3 — DINOS, DINOS EVERYWHERE!Velociraptor, Apatosaurus, T.rex, Triceratops—which is your favorite dinosaur? Explore our exhibit of rocks, fossils, and dinosaurs; then use our collection of dinosaur stamps to make a souvenir dino notebook.

JULY 4 — CLOSED FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY

JULY 9 & 10 — TYRANNOSAURUS REX, KING OF THE DINOSAURSLearn more about the King of Dinosaurs — T.rex! Explore fossils from prehistoric animals, study rocks, and volcanos! Kids 12 and younger can glue together a paper T.rex skeleton. Visitors 4 and older can view a special planetarium show* at 1 and 3pm. For even more fun, try on a T.rex costume and hash-tag your selfie #PowerOfTrex to enter a drawing for a family pass.*Learn how scientists use the Juno spacecraft to study Jupiter. Celebrate the end of Juno’s five-year

journey, and the beginning of its orbital mapping mission.

JULY 16 & 17 — BEACH FUN FOR EVERYONE!What IS sand? Learn about different types of sand and how it’s made. Explore samples of various stones, the raw materials for sand. Kids 12 and younger make a mini beach scene—complete with sea shells and a beach umbrella!

JULY 23 & 24 — MINERALS AND CRYSTALS AND GEMS! OH MY!Learn about gemstones and view our fabulous crystal display. Kids 12 and younger make a beautiful “gemstone” necklace with colorful plastic crystals and receive a free one-inch quartz crystal point!

JULY 30 & 31 — LIVING ON SHAKEY GROUNDSacramento has a HIGH earthquake risk with 17 earthquakes since 1931! In short family-oriented presentations at 12 and 2pm, licensed California

July ActivitiesProfessional Geologist with the California Geological Survey, Cindy Pridmore will provide insights into the Sacramento region’s risk and explain how earthquake early warning systems work. In our lab, learn about the effects of earthquakes with the liquefaction box, fault blocks, the Make-A-Quake accelerometer, and more!

FOR A LISTING OF AUGUST ACTIVITIES VISIT

PowerhouseSC.org

Double YourDonation!

Many companies support causes that are important to their em-ployees by matching charitable

contributions—does yours? It’s easy to find out. Just check with your

company’s HR department and ask about matching gifts.

Dreyfuss & Blackford