On August 5th, we celebrated the grand opening of another Spark!Lab National Network site. Located in Science City at Union Station, in Kansas City, MO, this newest member is full of enthusiasm for creativity, a passion for making, and love for local invention history.
Opening day festivities were joyful and a sign of great things to come. Children who were Spark!Lab's first visitors had a spontaneous dance party to "Gangnam Style," followed by more stately remarks from Lemelson Center, Science City, and Ford Motor Company Fund representatives. After a ribbon cutting to officially open Spark!Lab, kids streamed in and starting diving into the activities right away.
As with every Spark!Lab installation I've been a part of, it doesn't take long to see that children are naturally drawn to invention. Their fearless problem-solving attitude, coupled with their boundless imaginations, completely transformed the Science City space into a real Spark!Lab.
The staff at Science City are amazing. They too are problem solvers, creators, collaborators, and critical thinkers. We are so excited to continue working with them to maximize the potential of Spark!Lab for their community.
In a different gallery at Science City, the first Teflon frying pan sits among many other inventions created by local Kansas City inventors. Who knows what future inventions may come from the visitors of today? I do know that having a space that encourages risk taking, collaboration, tolerance of failure—and all the other skills inventors practice—is an asset in developing inventive citizens. As the Spark!Lab National Network continues to grow, I look forward to more grand openings such as this.
