The results are in!

The weather was perfect for running and spirits were high at Monticello High School track on Saturday, May 23rd for the Virginia Discovery Museum’s 19th annual Discovery Dash! We had 543 participants from 56 area schools, and over 60 trophies were awarded!


Our top 3 fundraisers were:
Nathan Scott $106
Keegan Scott $105
Joseph Van Storch $100

Congratulations to all of you and thank you for all your efforts!


A warm and grateful thank you to our sponsors as well!
SNL Financial
Charlottesville Albemarle Airport
The Lollipop Shop
UVa Children’s Hospital
Allied Concrete
Splendora’s Gelato
Volvo of Charlottesville
First Systems and Resources
Bob’s Wheel Alignment
The Little Gym
Charlottesville Track Club
Ragged Mountain Running Shop
Rivanna Gear and Apparel
WINA

19th Annual Discovery Dash Results are posted online at www.vadm.org.

Let's Go Green!

Monday, May 25th, Memorial Day, the Museum hosted “Let’s Go Green!”, the last Me at the Museum program for the 2008-2009 school year. Six children ages 3-7 participated in this fun and educational program which centered on ways for children to help the environment at home and in the community.

Some of the projects the children made included an egg carton caterpillar, which taught them to reuse materials in their house, a canvas tote bag to take to the grocery store or library, and a worksheet on how to pack an eco-friendly lunch with reusable containers, water bottle, silverware and napkin. A trash sorting game was played in which everyone learned how to tell what is recyclable, and we went on a nature walk to Lee Park and pointed out all the plants that were helping the atmosphere. We also discussed the way cars hurt the atmosphere and the importance of using other forms of transportation.

The Virginia Discovery Museum offers several Me at the Museum programs throughout the year on Teacher Work Days, Professional Development Days, and other days when the schools are closed. Pre-registration is required for these programs and you can register at the Museum’s front desk or by calling 434-977-1025 and asking for Michelle Staller or Kelly Smith. Registration fees are $25 members/ $30 non-members and the classes last from 9 am – 12 pm.

New Summer Hours and Summer Mini-Camps

Starting Tuesday, June 9th, the Virginia Discovery Museum is changing its hours for the summer. Tuesday through Saturdays from June 9th - August 21st we will be opening an hour earlier at 9 am! We will see you then!

Do not miss our awesome Summer Mini-Camps, 9 - 12 pm, Mondays through Wednesdays, this June and July! You can register by calling the Museum at (434) 977-1025, X9 and asking for Michelle. Fees are $80 for members/$100 for non-members and include all materials and snacks for the three days.

June 8-10: Kids On Stage, 4-6 year olds
June 15-17: Kids On Stage, 4-6 year olds
June 22-24: Dragons and Dynasties: Discover Ancient China, 6-8 years olds
June 29 - July 1: Dragons and Dynasties: Discover Ancient China, 4-6 year olds
July 6-8: Dragons and Dynasties: Discover Ancient China, 4-6 year olds
July 13-15: Dino-Rama, 4-6 year olds
July 20-22: Dino-Rama, 4-6 year olds
July 27-29: Dino-Rama, 6-8 year olds

We hope you register today!

Volunteer Appreciation Party, 2009

We had a great evening at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Party on Sunday, April 5, at the Museum. Fifty-two people attended and enjoyed a wonderful buffet dinner and entertainment by local musician Greg Howard on the Chapman Stick. The Museum Board contributed a delicious cake for dessert.

Attendees went home with lots of goodies – door prizes, contest prizes, and thank you gifts. We also honored ten volunteers who contributed over 100 hours in 2008. They are: Holly Connell, Susan Demas, Lionel Fernandez, Judy Goetz, Carol Hendrix, Priscilla Lepsch, Kay Moore, Jacquie Pickering, Jocelyn Saunders, and Runa Zaman. Every year volunteers donate about 5000 hours to the Museum – we couldn’t do what we do without their dedication, hard work, and support!

If you are intersted in volunteering at the Virginia Discovery Museum, contact Margie Rein for more information, (434)977-1025 X9 or vol@vadm.org.

The Discovery Dash

May 23rd will be the 19th annual Discovery Dash at Monticello High School's track! Be sure to register your child today! Come by the Museum to pick up a registration form. Call Brett at 434-977-1025 x4 with questions.

"What is the Dash?" you ask. Well, the Discovery Dash is a series of races for kids ages 3-12 and their families. It started 19 years ago with a small group of runners on the downtown mall and has since grown to over 400 runners! The Monticello High School Track is now home to the Dash which welcomes over 1000 attendees. It's quite the event!

As well as the individual races, there is also the Discovery Cup School Relay. This event is very popular among the schools of Charlottesville and surrounding areas. The teams are made up of 4 students (6, 7, 8, and 9 years old) that run 1/4 mile each. The winning team takes home the coveted Discovery Cup and $200 for their school to use on new sporting equipment! The second and third place teams receive $100 and $50 prizes respectively. We hope to see you there!

This year's event is sponsored by the following

SNL Financial
UVA Children's Hospital
Charlottesville Albemarle Airport
The Lollipop Shop
Volvo of Charlottesville
Allied Concrete
First Systems
Splendora's
Charlottesville Track Club
The Little Gym
Bob's Wheel Alignment