SciTech moving forward with new leader, partnerships and website
"New" is the 2024 theme for SciTech 2.0 as it reintroduces itself to the Fox River Valley as a mobile STEM education provider.
Nick Scanlan, SciTech board president, said, "SciTech has made a big pivot from hosting a museum to being a mobile STEM service provider, where we go to the learners."
"A key driver to moving SciTech's 2.0 vision forward as a mobile STEM provider was hiring an entrepreneurial-minded educator to lead the organization," Scanlan said. "We are happy to announce that Amanda Mistretta is the new SciTech executive director."
Mistretta filled the vacancy left in June 2023 when Faith Slowinski resigned.
Mistretta, formerly the SciTech director of education, said, "I am honored and excited to embark on this new journey as the executive director of SciTech.
"With over a decade of experience in education and a background in entrepreneurship, I am committed to driving innovation and fostering a dynamic learning environment that empowers the next generation of STEM innovators and problem solvers," Mistretta said.
Mistretta is already making an impact, from collaborating with interns from the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy and potential partners to helping the organization size its assets and operations to the right degree.
Matching the 2.0 vision for SciTech is a new location for their office at 336 McKee St. in Batavia.
The new location helps the organization right-size its operational space and expenses and provides a central location for serving the Fox River Valley. The new Batavia location is not customer-facing but rather an office to operate the mobile STEM programs.
Also, on behalf of the board of directors, Scanlan is pleased to announce the addition of three new board members who joined SciTech in the fall of 2023: William "Will" Perkins, Chief Mission & Impact Officer, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora; Donna Allen, retired program manager from ComEd, Exelon, and Quality Training Systems; and Amanda Pammer, an attorney with Ford & Britton, P.C.
Matching the new executive director, location, and board members is the vision to serve the Fox Valley as a mobile STEM provider instead of a museum.
The new direction as a mobile STEM startup harkens back to SciTech's origins, when its founder, Dr. Ernest Malamud, would lead STEM demonstrations in living rooms before there was museum space. Aligned with the new direction, SciTech is developing a new curriculum to reflect priority areas identified in their 2019 master planning and recent 2.0 Input sessions with key stakeholders.
The 2024 theme for SciTech is "EcoExplorers of the Fox Valley: STEM in Nature and All Around Us."
Development and delivery partners include Friends of the Fox River and IMSA interns.
New programs kick off on Saturday, Jan. 27, starting with the Batavia Public Library Science Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Moving forward, SciTech is engaging with Fox Valley public libraries, park districts, community centers, and organizations to promote STEM learning for young learners.
More information is available at their new website: GoSciTech.org.
It is also on social media at "SciTechFoxValley" on Facebook and Instagram.
For more information about SciTech, contact Amanda Mistretta at director.scitech@gmail.com or visit their website at GoScitech.org.