FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE:           

San Diego, CA  September 3, 2013—Prove that Grandpa and Nana are still the coolest—bring your grandkids to  celebrate National Grandparents Day with free admission to the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center’s exhibit galleries, brought to you by the ScholarShare College Savings Plan, a tax-advantaged way for families to save for college. On Sunday, September 8, grandchildren are also invited to flip this tradition on its head, and bring their grandparents to the Fleet Science Center for a day of free hands-on fun in our eight interactive exhibit galleries, including On the Fly: Technology Takes Off, the gloriously restored Block Busters!, Kid City and the Tinkering Studio!

ScholarShare has sponsored many of our recent public programs—and some of their cool exhibits will be out for National Grandparents Day! Check out our new AirZookas (air cannons that blast your friends with great wafts of wind!), make an aircraft soar in the Wind Tubes in the Tinkering Studio,  dig for knowledge at the Discovery Dig Tables in Kid City  or take a great “career day” photo in our fun character cutouts! Come on down to the Fleet and join us for hands-on science fun as grandparents and their grandkids celebrate together, with exciting “do touch” science exhibits for visitors of all ages.

The ScholarShare mascot, Diploma Dog, will also make an appearance early in the afternoon to conduct a sing-along for the kids and explore with them what they want to be when they grow up. Each child gets a “diploma” to color in Diploma Dog and to record his or her dream of a future career.

In On the Fly: Technology Takes Off!, you can catch our quadricopters’ complicated choreography—then explore aerodynamics and test the theories of flight for yourself! “On the Fly” features a fascinating display highlighting the unique characteristics of UAVs and how they fly, using magnetometers, pressure sensors, ultrasound sensors, gyroscopes, rotors and motors. Catch one of the multiple daily performances by small-scale unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which take flight in a temporary arena in the Main Gallery—hovering, moving, reassembling and reshaping the space. The entire performance is controlled by a laptop. After enjoying the show, you can apply the principles of aerodynamics to create your own aircraft in On the Fly. The Fleet provides the supplies, and you provide your creativity. See how well your creation takes flight by testing it out in a wind tube or sending it into the sky with the motorized airplane launcher. Learn all about the constantly evolving uses of unmanned flight technology at our digital media kiosk highlighting current events in the field.

The Main Gallery will be buzzing as grandparents share the opportunity to explore mechanics, motion, math, hearing, electricity and many other interconnected areas of science.  Explor-O-Rama features all-time Fleet favorites and new interactive exhibits from San Francisco's Exploratorium, with the challenging Bicycle Wheel Gyro, Strobe Flower and Magnetic Wave Machine as well as popular favorites the Whisper Dishes, Rope Squirter and Pedal Generator!

Of course every grandparent loves Kid City, where the under-five set can explore on their own—as the grown-ups sit and watch them burn off all that energy!  This is a very special exhibition where preschool age visitors create, work, play and learn as they experience the wonders of the everyday working world. The “fire truck” interactive is a favorite among young visitors.

Other ongoing exhibits include Nano: Imagine and Discover a World You Can’t See!, Cellular Journey, So WATT! An Illuminating Look at Energy, San Diego’s Water: From Source to Tap, Aging for All Ages, Origins in Space and the Gallery of Illusions & Perceptions.

IMAX films playing Sunday in the Heikoff Giant Dome Theater include Dolphins, Rocky Mountain Express, Flight of the Butterflies and the planetarium film Cosmic Collisions. (Admission to these shows are not included in the free admission offer.)

We have a number of wonderful grandparent volunteers here at the Fleet who are very involved, both interacting with our visitors and bringing their own grandchildren to play and learn, and they are happy to make time to be available for interviews about their experiences. Let Susan know if you are interested in getting more information on them or in arranging a chat!

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center will be open 10AM to 6PM on Sunday, September 8. Grandparents and grandchildren can pick up their free exhibit gallery pass at the ticket counter upon arrival. Free parking is available in the lot adjacent to the museum and along Park Blvd. For more information, call (619) 238-1233 or visit our website at http://www.rhfleet.org/events/grandparents-day.

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Celebrate the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center’s 40th Anniversary Year!

Forty years ago, a spark ignited our imaginations! March 9, 2013, kicked off a year-long celebration of the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and its 40 years of success in bringing hands-on science to our San Diego community. In 1973, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center opened its doors and brought interactive exhibits and the world’s first IMAX® Dome Theater to San Diego. Today, the Fleet inspires minds and connects individuals to science and technology through more than 100 “do touch” exhibits for all ages and amazing IMAX films and planetarium shows in the recently renovated Heikoff Giant Dome Theater. Enjoy our year-long celebration, featuring a blockbuster exhibition, incredible events and dynamic educational experiences.

About the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center (“the Fleet”) is home to Southern California’s only Giant Dome Theater and 100+ hands-on science exhibits for all ages. Watch immersive giant-screen films in the Heikoff Giant Dome Theater, featuring the world’s first NanoSeam™ Dome screen. The Fleet is the first Giant Dome Screen Theater in the country to share a digital planetarium with an IMAX® Dome theater, following the recent installation of a new, state-of-the-art, giant dome screen digital GSX™ system from Global Immersion, which augments the existing IMAX projector in the Heikoff Giant Dome Theater with one of the most comprehensive and powerful full-dome experiences available today. Experience eight galleries of fun, interactive exhibits, including major traveling exhibitions. A hurricane simulator thrills visitors with gusts of wind up to 80 miles per hour. Enjoy sandwiches, salads and healthy treats in Galileo’s Café. Find unique educational toys and games, books, IMAX DVDs and more in the North Star Science Store. Located at 1875 El Prado, two blocks south of the San Diego Zoo on Park Blvd, the Fleet Science Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the public understanding and enjoyment of science and technology. For information regarding current admission prices, please call (619) 238-1233 or visit our website at www.rhfleet.org.

About the ScholarShare 529 College Savings Plan:

ScholarShare accounts may be opened with as little as $25 per investment portfolio. ScholarShare has no annual account maintenance fee, no income limit and offers a high maximum account balance. Established in 1999, ScholarShare currently holds more than $5 billion in assets in more than 245,000 accounts as of 6/30/13. To sign up for an account or for more information about the plan, visit www.scholarshare.com. For information about the ScholarShare Investment Board (SIB), visit www.treasurer.ca.gov/scholarshare. Like ScholarShare on Facebook at www.facebook.com/scholarshare529 and follow us on Twitter at @ScholarShare529.

Named for the section of the IRS code under which they were created, 529 plans offer valuable tax advantages. Contributions are made with money that has already been taxed. Once funds are placed in the account, investment earnings, if any, are not federally or state taxed, if withdrawn to pay for qualified higher education costs.

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DOWNLOADS FOR MEDIA:

Press Releases and Photo Captions:  http://www.rhfleet.org/press-room

High-Resolution Photographs for all RH FLEET Exhibits and Giant Dome Theater Shows:

http://www.rhfleet.org/press-room/images

B-roll of Giant Dome Theater Shows & production footage of exhibits and galleries on the Fleet Media DropBox: http://www.dropbox.com; Click on sign in; email  reubenfleet@gmail.com; password pr1973media; "RHF Public Relations" folder.

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