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Morehead brings GSK Science in the Summer™ to students in Robeson County

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July 22, 2019

Morehead brings GSK Science in the SummerTM to students in Robeson County

CHAPEL HILL 

This week, Morehead Planetarium & Science Center is partnering with GSK to provide a one-week, full-day summer enrichment camp at Pembroke Elementary School as a part of the GSK Science in the Summer™ program. 

The summer learning opportunity for students comes on the heels of Robeson County’s recovery efforts after suffering the devastation caused by Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Matthew. 

Science in Summer class activity

Over 100 American Indian students will be able to participate in the free program. In a collaborative effort with Robeson County School and Robeson County Indian Center, 2nd through 5th grade students were pre-registered. 

This is the 11th year of GSK Science in the Summer™ in North Carolina, a free program aimed at providing high-quality science education for kids in underserved communities during the summer. As demand for professionals with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) backgrounds continues to grow, the need for STEM resources and learning outside of the school year has become a critical education issue, particularly among those who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. 

“We are thrilled to continue the strong partnership with GSK to offer Science in the Summer in Robeson County,” says Crystal Harden, Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives at Morehead Planetarium. “Morehead is honored to support the efforts to further science education with Robeson County Schools’ Indian Education Center. We understand the magnitude of this need in light of the recent hurricane devastation in Robeson County.”

Science in the Summer encourages kids to learn to love science by engaging in hands-on experiments and exciting activities.  The program also aims to prevent what is known as the ‘summer slide,’ to continue learning from grade to grade and to prevent students from forgetting what they learned from the school year over the summer months. 

This year’s theme is “The Science of Me” and encourages children to explore the biological systems that make humans fundamentally alike and the elements that interact to create a unique individual. Through engaging hands-on exploration, students discover how food becomes our body’s fuel, where oxygen goes when we breathe it, how our brains interpret the world, and what role DNA plays in making us who we are.    

“Programming for GSK Science in the Summer™ is carefully curated to include rigorous and thought-provoking activities that are age-appropriate and tackle questions that are familiar to elementary-school children,” said Becki Lynch, Director of US Community Partnerships at GSK. “We are so thrilled to help bring our partnership with Morehead Planetarium to students in Robeson County this summer.”

Additionally, Morehead Planetarium has adapted the curriculum to incorporate Indian culture into the daily science content activities.

In addition to Robeson County, Science in the Summer is expected to reach at least 40 venues including libraries or other community-based organizations in 10 other counties: Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston, Orange, Vance, and Wake. 

To serve the community year-round, GSK and Morehead Planetarium will also offer Science After School during the school year at Boys & Girls Clubs in seven counties (Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Vance and Wake) for 10 days per semester. 


About GSK
GSK – a science-led global healthcare company with a special purpose: to help people do more, feel better, live longer. For further information please visit www.gsk.com

About Morehead Planetarium and Science Center 
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is a unit of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Morehead works to serve North Carolina and beyond by bringing together the unique resources of UNC to engage the public for an improved public understanding of science, technology and health.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
GSK: Evan Berland, 215-751-5497, evan.a.berland@gsk.com                       
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center: Malenia Swinton, 919-843-3474, malenias@unc.edu