LANDFALL INVESTIGATION STATION

     As part of the Studio 3D project, mentors from the Science Museum visit the Investigation Station in Landfall, one of the only trailer parks that is also an incorporated city, in Minnesota. The Investigation Station is an activity and play space open to youth age 5 - 12 every weekday after school. Using an assortment of tools, we introduce activities about science and technology that offer the kids fun and creative hands-on learning experiences. These visits greatly add to the quality of the kids' experience at the Investigation Station, an underfunded space in an under-served community.

     The kids have made Jitterbugs, motorized bugs that jitter around on paperclip legs, youth designed and built marble runs, digital stop-animations, cricket-powered decoy ducks that the kids have launched in a Tanners Lake just outside the Investigation Station, glue, goop, acid-base paintings, bubble paintings, a nearly 10 minute group-made digital documentary film of youth life at Landfall, much more.

     Several different adult mentors have visited Landfall over the period of the Studio 3D grant, always maintaining at least two afternoon visits per week. Through the Youth Science Center at the Science Museum we are also able to bring a group of experienced teen (15-17) Team Leaders out to work with the kids at Landfall on activities they helped plan.

     The Investigation Station is located on the ground floor of the Landfall City Hall at 52 Aspen Way, Landfall, MN, just 15 minutes drive from downtown Saint Paul.