Contact:
Eric Sloss
412-268-5765

For immediate release:
December 16, 2004

Explanatoids® Installs "Dishing Out Science" Mosaic Project at Whole Foods Beginning Monday, December 20

PITTSBURGH - Explanatoids®, a collaboration between the Carnegie Mellon University School of Design, the University of Pittsburgh Learning Research and Development Center, Family Communications, Inc. and the Girls, Math & Science Partnership (GMSP), will begin to install a mosaic mural created during their "Dishing Out Science" project at the Whole Foods store on Monday, Dec. 20.

"Dishing Out Science," which is funded by the National Science Foundation and The Heinz Endowments, gave children from the Parental Stress Center the opportunity to work with a community artist to create the mural.

Installation starts at 8 a.m. on Monday at the Whole Foods store at 5880 Centre Avenue and will likely take two days to complete. Advanced Signs, Inc., has donated their services for this special installation.

Explanatoids® hosted a workshop over the summer, beginning on July 12, for children to create the mosaic. Explanatoids® also collected donations of broken or unwanted dishes and glassware from the community to use as materials for the mosaic. The mosaic has two science-related themes: conservation of matter (where does your food come from?) and nutrition/health. Kristin Hughes, assistant professor in the School of Design, said, "The goal of this project is twofold: first, to teach the kids about learning from their environment in ways they have not yet explored, and, second, to give a legitimate voice to the community through the mosaic. The kids interact directly with the community, listening to issues, topics and questions, and then learn how to visualize this information through the mosaic. This project provides an opportunity to reevaluate the process of cross-disciplinary collaboration and the role of design in creating culturally sensitive educational vehicles."

Explanatoids® is a media project created with the goal of encouraging young people to explore science in everyday life. Since its establishment in 2001, Explanatoids® has placed informal learning media in public places to stimulate dialog about the importance of education in math and science and also to encourage young people, especially girls, to seek careers in math and science-related fields.

For more information about Explanatoids®, visit www.explanatoids.org. For any other information, please contact Eric Sloss at 412-268-5765 or ecs@andrew.cmu.edu.