St. Louis Science Center's exhibits coming here

~ Montgomery Bank and the center forged a $600,000 partnership.

A $600,000 partnership between Montgomery Bank and the St. Louis Science Center will bring traveling Science Center exhibits to Southeast Missouri by the start of the next school year.

The partnership, announced earlier this month, will serve both institutions, said Science Center CEO Doug King.

Montgomery Bank's benefit will be an increased profile in St. Louis, said King, where the company name is now prominently displayed on the Science Center's EXPLORADOME near Forest Park.

The $600,000 provided by the bank will support educational programs at the Science Center and traveling exhibits in Southeast Missouri, extending the Science Center's outreach to an area it hasn't served in the past.

Phil Lyon with Montgomery Bank in Sikeston said the arrangement was a product of negotiations with the Science Center. Lyon said the sponsorship helps the bank support education in its home area of Southeast Missouri.

The Science Center serves 1.2 million visitors annually, many of them from the Southeast Missouri area, said King. With the new partnership the center will be able to serve some locals who may not be able to go to St. Louis, or generate interest in those who simply haven't been to the center.

King said the Science Center wants to dig its hands into Southeast Missouri by meeting with local educators and finding out what kind of exhibits they'd like to see in their schools.

Since the Science Center hasn't performed as much outreach to Southeast Missouri as it has to other parts of the state, King said the center doesn't really know what educational needs are present here.

"We need to get down there and get to know our neighbors first," he said.

The sponsorship will last three years, allowing time for plenty of traveling exhibits to reach Southeast Missouri. The first should start in the fall, said King.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182