Public Outreach at the Soudan Underground Laboratory

1. Public Outreach at the Soudan Underground Laboratory Marvin L. Marshak University of Minnesota • Public Tours • Group Tours • Short Courses • Mass Media • Art Public Outreach at the Soudan Underground Laboratory-9/20/2002

2. Public Tours • Led by Minnesota State Parks staff • Use special viewing gallery (ADA) • Admission fee ($7/$5; -$2 combo with historic tour) • Late May through early September • Typical group is 20; total in 2002: ~4,000 • Guides have no special science background; trained by scientists and given scripts • Includes 10 minute “Meet A Scientist” • Evaluation planned for 2003; informal comments ask for “more science” Public Outreach at the Soudan Underground Laboratory-9/20/2002

3. Group Tours • Led by Minnesota State Parks staff or Soudan Lab staff • Visit MINOS and CDMS II • Mostly K-12 school groups; also college and other groups • Year-round • Some groups also visit nearby environmental center • Total number of visitors in 2002: ~1,500 • Future plans include more curriculum support materials Public Outreach at the Soudan Underground Laboratory-9/20/2002

4. Short Courses • Typically 20-25 people for Friday evening through Sunday noon • Taught by scientists, along with bat biologists and historians • Students mostly have college degrees, often with some science background • Include visit to underground laboratory • Possible extension to week-long “elderhostel” format Almost 200 unique learning opportunities without grades, exams or credit. Compleat Scholar is designed for adults, serious about the enjoyment of learning and the skills attained. To browse a listing of all current classes, select course listing. You can also browse current class descriptions by selecting the menu for subject categories. Public Outreach at the Soudan Underground Laboratory-9/20/2002

5. Mass Media • Mass media efficiently reach large numbers of people and help build interest for tours and other programs • Television is most restrictive format—3 to 5 minute segments on local news and National Geographic Today • Print media enable more detailed message; widest distribution was AP wire story—850 words appeared on numerous websites • Minnesota Public Radio produced 2 hour live program plus website Public Outreach at the Soudan Underground Laboratory-9/20/2002

6. About 28’ by 60’ on wall opposite visitor gallery • Provides an alternate modality for relating to science that is more effective for some people • Improves laboratory aesthetics, which is especially useful in a deep underground location • Minnesota has 1% public set-aside for capital projects Art Public Outreach at the Soudan Underground Laboratory-9/20/2002

7. Realistic and Limited Goals • Communicate excitement of science to a broad range of people through a limited number but wide range of modalities: public tours, group tours, short courses, mass media and art • Cooperation with State Parks, University Relations, University Continuing Education and others is essential to success • Future plans: evaluation, refinement, more curriculum for group tours Public Outreach at the Soudan Underground Laboratory-9/20/2002