WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) today joined staff of the Seacoast Science Center to unveil plans and participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Center’s newest initiative, the Interactive Learning Studio. This new facility will provide an environment for children to participate in real-time interaction with scientists and deep-sea divers to learn about ocean exploration in marine habitats throughout the world.  In addition to $300,000 raised for this project through a variety of community fundraising efforts, Senator Gregg was able to secure $1 million in federal funding for the Interactive Learning Studio, which is slated to open during the spring of 2007.

Senator Gregg stated, “The Interactive Learning Studio will provide an exciting and educational resource for students and visitors of the Seacoast Science Center.  The Studio will offer an innovative way to learn about marine science and ocean habitats by fully engaging visitors in the underwater experience through real-time, virtual interaction around the world.  When children visit the Center on a field trip or with their families, the Interactive Learning Studio will take them on adventures far beyond the classroom.”

Wendy Lull, President of the Seacoast Science Center, stated, “We are proud to announce our newest initiative made possible with Senator Gregg's assistance: the Interactive Learning Studio. Funded by a $1 million grant from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration the Studio is considered to be a museum classroom of the future.

“The technology that is at the core of this new approach to learning will transport students and visitors to and from places in the undersea world they could only imagine-until now. Just by coming to the Seacoast Science Center, our students and visitors will be able to take underwater tours of the National Marine Sanctuaries in California and Florida. We will be able to connect our visitors with scientists as they explore the deep ocean or discover lost shipwrecks. Students at any school within a distance-learning network will be able to participate in a variety of special marine programs developed specifically for this new approach to science education.

  More importantly, however, in the Interactive Learning Studio, people will discover how much there is to see in the sea: from whales to phytoplankton, from watching sea stars' tube feet to tracking lobsters' migration. Here in New Hampshire we are fortunate to have a Senator who understands and values the power of that personal connection to the sea. The Studio is the newest way we will connect people to nature. And it will all happen right here starting next spring, thanks to Senator Judd Gregg.”

“The Department of Resources and Economic Development has always enjoyed an excellent relationship with the Seacoast Science Center and we’re thrilled that this new funding will result in greater visitor enjoyment and an enhanced educational experience,” New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development Commissioner George Bald said. “We commend Senator Gregg for his diligent efforts in securing this funding and look forward to witnessing firsthand the fruits of this expansion.”

The new 3,000 square foot Interactive Learning Studio will include an interior addition of approximately 1,000 square feet comprised of a 30-station high-definition theater setting with individual touch screen monitors; a floor-to-ceiling screen and by a pair of high-definition plasma screens; and various computer/interactive stations where students and visitors can participate in a wide range of marine exploration programs.  The programs will range from an in-depth exploration of National Marine Sanctuaries by remotely operating cameras and vehicles stationed in these habitats to a lesson on predator-prey relationships in Gulf of Maine to studying seal populations on San Miguel Island off the Coast of California.

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