Developing the Mentor Center at Shodor
Developing the Mentor Center at Shodor
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It is the dream of the scientists and educators of the Shodor Education Foundation, Inc. to transform a centrally-located parcel of land in our community into a safe and appropriate home for the Mentor Center at Shodor. The main goal of this new initiative is to offer an increased range of educational experiences and opportunities to the Durham community and the Triangle area at large. We want this to be a dynamic collaboration with other educational institutions, schools, museums, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and other Durham organizations. We also want and need the collaboration of local and state governments, the business community, and others who share the common goal of improving an active and important neighborhood area while increasing internship and research apprenticeship opportunities in science, mathematics, and technology education for students in the Research Triangle.
For nearly a decade, the Shodor Education Foundation has offered a variety of exciting education programs that change and improve the ways students, parents, and teachers learn and explore math and science through new technologies. This has been accomplished using a variety of delivery mechanisms, including workshops, tutorials, and online courses. Shodor's programs include:
- Project SUCCEED: workshops for middle and high school students in the summer, after school, and on Saturdays;
- The National Computational Science Institute a federally-funded effort to reform undergraduate mathematics and science teaching and learning;
- The Computational Science Education Reference Desk: development of interactive explorations for middle school, high school, and college courses;
- The Mentor Center at Shodor: internships and research apprenticeships for students throughout the year.
Our offices also serve as training labs and internship workspaces. We are located halfway between Duke's east campus and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM). We need to improve our facilities to reach a greater number of students and teachers, and to provide real-world internship experiences. Unfortunately, the properties neighboring our offices have been severely neglected and constitute a local blight, and have caused us great concern for the safety of students who attend our workshops or who work as interns.
Our goal: to explore the possibility of a combined effort that will transform these adjoining properties into a first-rate science and exploration facility for Durham and the Research Triangle area, one that complements other existing programs and facilities. This expansion will broaden Shodor's mission,focus, employee population and physical footprint. Shodor needs assistance in working out the initial details of this envisioned expansion, and in building a consensus in the community that will lead to a sustainable and productive collaboration.
We have already created two blueprints for this transformation. Phase 1 calls for the renting all of the building at 923 Broad and it was realized in August of 2000. Within the contraints imposed by the landlord, the interior spaces were be adapted for expanded training and intern areas. Phase 2 involves a capital campaign to purchase the building and land at 923 Broad, as well as the buildings and properties immediately adjacent and to the south on Broad Street (culiminating at South Ellerbe Creek).