Museum Studies Intern at Carnegie Science Center - Fall 2018
“The beak of a giant squid-like creature has been found on the bottom of the fjord. The only conclusion we can come to is that we have found the remains of the monster that inspired the Viking legends, the only thing that frightened them. We have found proof... of the LEGEND OF THE KRAKEN!”. And with that an eager audience watched and listened as Oleg and Grigorg, two holographic Vikings brought back to life using the most advanced technology, recounted their final efforts to defeat the legendary beast. Through a roundabout chain of events including a faulty catapult launch, misfired cannon, disruption of the god Thor and a treacherous lightning storm, the Kraken met his demise.
Spectators proceeded to watch as the Vikings set a recreation of their complicated story into action. Using only gravity and a plastic boulder, a machine consisting of over 20 intricately constructed steps was set into motion. After months of planning and preparation, the student team from Seneca Valley High School was presenting their original Chain Reaction Contraption to a panel of judges. The creativity in both their design and presentation did not go unnoticed as they earn themselves an award for the most creative contraption.
The Chain Reaction Contraption Contest is an annual competition held at Carnegie Science Center. Nearly 50 teams of high school students learned about design, problem solving and teamwork as they built contraptions to complete a specific task in no fewer than 20 steps. This year, students were challenged to create contraptions that would ‘tie a knot’. Teams have the opportunity to exhibit their creative side as they decided how to interpret the given challenge. As an intern in the Marketing Department at Carnegie Science Center, my semester of work culminated in the opportunity to manage the media surrounding this year’s competition, a highlight of my internship experience. From writing the media advisory to creating content for social media throughout the day of the competition and adding my contributions to the Science Center’s photo archive I was given the opportunity to showcase all of the skills I had garnered through the semester.
In a city known for science and innovation, Carnegie Science Center has worked hard to establish themselves as trusted voice of science and technology. I was honored to be a part of assisting the Science Center in maintaining this role within the community. Throughout my internship I gained an understanding of the breadth of tasks the Marketing Department undertakes as I managed large data sets of sponsor deliverables, collected and analyzed visitor information, directly engaged with the public to enhance community relations and much more. The opportunities the Science Center provided me as an intern were invaluable.