CASC Award Submission: Best Exhibition or Show for a Large Institution

Energy: Power to Choose, Canada Science and Technology Museum

1. In 50 words or less, provide a Summary Description of the exhibit or show.

Energy: Power to Choose invites visitors to reflect on their own energy consumption, as well as the social, economic and environmental consequences of energy production in Canada – enabling them to make more informed choices about energy today and into the future.

[10% = 1 page including Question #1] 2. Provide an Overview of the exhibit or show. Note: If the project involves an online presence connected to other aspects of the exhibit or show, please clearly describe the connection for the jury.

Energy: Power to Choose encourages visitors to reflect on their energy consumption, as well as the social, economic and environmental consequences of energy production in Canada. The exhibition invites visitors to make informed choices around energy and to understand how their choices affect Canada’s larger energy landscape. At 7,500 square feet, it is the country’slargest exhibition on this topic.

The exhibition is structured around a central forum, a space that highlights the global nature of the energy topic. Visitors flow around and through the circular room which features the “Magic Planet,” a cutting-edge interactive spherical projection that animates global energy data. Electronic questionnaires around the Magic Planet call for personal reflection and dialogue by polling visitors’ knowledge, opinions and actions around energy.

A historical overview of Canada’s energy consumption is told through a series of artifacts from the museum’s collection, while various objects and graphics suggest ways that visitors can reduce their own consumption in practical ways.

The exhibition also explores the opportunities and challenges faced by industries in harnessing and delivering energy from all primary sources available in Canada. Through audio-visual tools, the exhibition explains in simple terms how each energy source is harnessed, while artifacts highlight important societal stories around these sources. The visitor is prompted to view Canada’s energy production and distribution as an ‘energy mix,’ driven by availability, economics, policy, new technologies, and social expectations.[AT1]

An additional area is devoted to more light-hearted aspects of energy including a human-sized hamster wheel that produces electricity, a live display of electric eels, and a thermal-imaging camera.

As the keystone of the Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation’s “Let’s Talk Energy” initiative, Energy: Power to Choose features a prominent screen which displays the #letstalkenergy Twitter feed and encourages visitor-to-visitor interaction in real-time. This energy literacy initiative, which connects 27 museums and science centres across the country, encourages Canadians to learn more about the energy that powers their daily lives. Energy: Power to Choose is flanked by parallel exhibitions on energy at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and the Canada Agriculture Museum.

[10% = 1/2 page] 3. Describe the relevance of this exhibit or show to Canadians and/or residents of the region.

Energy is of vital concern to Canadians. Not only does Canada have one of the largest energy consumption rates per capita, it is also globally among the largest energy producers. Energy: Power to Choose strives to open a dialogue around energy and encourage energy literacy, enabling visitors to make informed choices about energy.

While the country has the challenges being cold, large, and sparsely populated, it is the availability of cheap energy has turned Canadians into big consumers. In contrast, public opinion has Canadians wanting to be more environmentally responsible. By understanding their role as consumers and its rippling effects, visitors are called to action and encouraged to save energy in a variety of ways.

The energy industry employs a large number of Canadians and its economic benefits affect the lives of all Canadians. In addition, the environmental challenges and societal impacts related to each primary source of energy are of concern to Canadians. In understanding the potential alignment and conflict of these elements, visitors are prompted to see how their opinions and actions can influence how energy is produced and distributed in Canada.

[10% = 1/2 page] 4. Describe the participation of other partners [AT2]in the development and delivery of the exhibit or show.

Energy: Power to Choose was the result of the cooperation of a variety of partners, who provided support in the form of research, loans, expertise, design and fabrication, as well as funding. For a complete list of all partners, see Appendix A.

As a part of the “Let’s Talk Energy” initiative, the exhibition benefited from the guidance of an advisory committee made up of industry, environmental and governmental representatives. Being under the umbrella of the initiative allowed for more efficient sharing of information, a broader base of perspectives, and a larger audience reach.

Government organizations provided research and loaned objects[AT3], while a number of companies from the private sectors donated cutting-edge technologies [AT4]that could be displayed in the exhibit.

Sponsors provided monetary funding as well as in-kind donations. Various interactive elements in the exhibition were developed with energy industry partners [AT5]to leverage their expertise and present the information to visitors in an engaging and memorable way.

The exhibition team worked in collaboration with the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Engineering to develop the Human Hamster Wheel interactive. The museum provided the interpretive goals and design vision, while graduate students designed the software and electronics. This collaboration resulted in one of the most popular elements of the exhibition.

[30% = 2 pages] 5. Explain how this exhibit or show demonstrates the highest standards of science centre/museum practice through innovative techniques and creativity.

Relevance: Energy: Power to Choose looks at a contemporary, multi-disciplinary and highly contentious issue to create a debate, prompt Canadians to make choices, and calling them to action. The exhibition focuses the topic of energy on the visitors, by encouraging them to see how they affect the Canadian energy system with the choices they make.

Objectivity: The exhibition presents balanced, unbiased information in a language that avoids emotionally-charged expressions. To remain as objective as possible on such a difficult and complex topic, the research included a broad variety of sources produced by the curatorial staff and external experts.

Layered approach: A layered content and text approach is used to ensure that visitors can quickly extract key ideas without extensive reading. More complex information and details are available through a variety of digital and print media. An example of this layered approach is the clothesline interactive. While pre-school children simply pin T-shirts on a clothesline, other visitors can take in the energy conservation tips written on the T-shirts and come to understand that using a clothesline rather than a dryer is an easy way to save energy.

LINK TO OTHER LTE ELEMENTS[AT6]

Accessibility: Although the content, language and style of the exhibit are aimed at visitors aged 10+, the exhibition offers enriching and engaging experiences to audiences of all ages. For example, role play (dress-up station for energy-related jobs) and everyday chores (clothesline interactive) speak to pre-school children, while information on energy-saving home upgrades is aimed at parents.

WEBSITE, MAPP[AT7]

Catering to different learning styles: The exhibition stimulates learning and enjoyment through a range of interpretive techniques, including artifacts from the Museum’s national collection, audio-visuals, text, photographs, interactive experiences, and social media.

State-of-the-art interaction: Among the numerous interactive elements are a few stand-outs:

  • At the heart of the exhibit is the “Magic Planet,” a cutting-edge interactive spherical projection that animates global energy data including changes in climate, energy consumption around the world, and ____[AT8].
  • Touch-screen questionnaires call for personal reflection and dialogue by polling visitors’ knowledge, opinions and actions around energy. Results to date are displayed immediately so visitors can compare their responses.
  • A one-of-a-kind human-sized hamster wheel produces electricity and sets off a giant Tesla coil.

Stepping out: While the use of live animals at the CSTM is unusual, the exhibition ethically uses electric eels to power a lighting display. This special element is the feature of a daily feeding demonstration and is very popular with the museum’s visiting population, families with children.

Social media on-scene: Energy: Power to Choose features a prominent screen which displays the #letstalkenergy Twitter feed and encourages visitor-to-visitor interaction in real-time.

Showcasing the distinctiveness of the Museum’s collection: Canada’s nuclear energy story includes the Tokomak fusion reactor and the ZEEP fission reactor[AT9]. The CSTM is the only institution in the world to exhibit both a fusion and a fission nuclear reactor core. In addition,

Looking ahead while looking back: The exhibition gives historical perspectives on the development of various energy sources through artifacts, but also displays new and emerging technologies to showcase the future of energy. For example, on loan from the Royal Ontario Museum are water jugs from over 5000 years ago, while other artifacts such as the OPAL [AT10]solar collectors were produced in 2011.[AT11]

Highlighting Canadian innovation: Canada has been a leader in a number of energy-related technologies (wind, nuclear, hydro, oil). Through artifacts, stories of scientific research and technology development are presented and connect Canadians with their heritage. For example, the National Research Council’s research on wind turbines in the late 1970s and 80s…[AT12]

Design that resonates: The design exemplifies the principles presented in the exhibition. The exhibit uses LED lighting on motion-detected dimmers to reduce the amount of energy consumed. Much of the cabinetry is built with recyclable materials such as glass and metal; fasteners were used instead of glue to facilitate recycling at the end of the exhibit. Displaycases are modular for easy rearrangement and reuse at a later date.

Flexibility: As the contemporary nature of the topic is dynamic, and developments and information are constantly changing, the exhibition offer flexible methods for incorporating and updating content such as… [AT13]

Connecting to curriculum[AT14]: The exhibition relates directly to the Grade 5 Ontario Curriculum for Science and Technology by treating the topics of energy, sustainability and stewardship, as well as Social Studies curriculum related to aspects of citizenship and Canadian government. It also facilitates an overarching goal of the Grades 1-8 curricula “to relate science and technology to society and the environment.” This connection encourages and facilitates school group visits.

Part of a larger picture: As the keystone in the national “Let’s Talk Energy” initiative, the exhibition resonates beyond the walls of the museum. Through the initiative, Canadians will have access to the information, ideas, and interactives presented in the exhibition via the web.

[20% = 1 page] 6. Demonstrate the size and/or significance of the audience reached by the exhibit or show relative to the potential audience.

[20% = 1 page] 7. Explain how you measured success with this project. Your answer may include comments on learning outcome success, and/or attendance success (numbers and structure) and others as appropriate, financial success, (on time, on budget).

[NOT COMPLETE YET]

- an actual number of visitors to the exhibit; is it higher or lower than most other exhibits? 150,000 visitors to the museum since the exhibit opened (no numbers for actual visitors in the exhibit)

- # of energy related demos - more than 30,000 attendees since exhibit opened

- # of participants in education programs/summer programs/lectures/public programming related to energy exhibit; is this number more or less than other exhibits? 2 edukits, 2500 kids attending energy related school programs, 3309 downloads of the energy virtual program.

- # of visitors that have taken the quizzes/surveys (Andrew must have this; I need it to be broken down into the three different touchscreens) More than 8000 per screen - I will get exact numbers

- qualitative: any visitor comments - stay tuned

- anything else Gabby has pulled together on the exhibit so far - stay tunes

We need to place the “Power to Choose” exhibit in a LTE context to define strategy I think. I would reference the number of visitors, the numbers of energy related demonstrations, and visitor feedback. Initial results are that the gallery keeps visitors longer than many of the other galleries in the CSTM. I think we also want to mention the engagement of sponsors, the advisory committee, and companies who are helping with material as a measure of success.

We may want to look at any studies that Gabrielle has done to support our claims here.

Canada Science and Technology Museum – Energy: Power to Choose

Page 1

APPENDIX A

National Advisory Committee: NEED UPDATED LIST

Name / Title
Susan Swan, Co-Chair / Public and Government Affairs Manager, Imperial Oil Foundation
Denise Amyot, Co-Chair / President & CEO
CSTMC
Pierre Alvarez / Vice-President, Corporate Relations, NEXEN
Michael Binder / President and CEO, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC)
Peter Calamai / Freelance and Former Journalist at the Toronto Star, Adjunct Professor at Carleton University
Denise Carpenter / President, Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA)
Michael Cleland / Nexen Executive in residence, Canada West Foundation
David Collyer / President, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP)
Beth Diamond / Managing Partner, National Public Relations (NPR)
Serge Dupont / Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
Diana Lee Dalton / Chair, Canada NovaScotia OffShore Petroleum Board (CNOPB)
(term ended Sept. 1, 2011)
Pierre-Luc Desgagné / Senior Director, Hydro Quebec
Timothy Egan / President and CEO, Canada Gas Association (CGA)
Robert Hornung / President, CanWea
Jacob Irving / President, Canada Hydropower Association (CHA)
Brenda Kenny / President & CEO, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA)
Claude Lajeunesse / Former President and CEO, Aerospace Industries Association Canada (AIAC)
David Lunn / Program Developer, SEEDS
L. Ian Macdonald / Editor, Policy Options, Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP)
Hon. Anne Mclellan / Professor at the University of Alberta, Counsel at Bennett Jones LLP
Tom Mitchell / President and CEO, Ontario Power
Bob Page / TransAlta Professor of Environmental Management and Sustainability
Gerry Protti / Consultant, Former VP of Encana, and Executive Advisor at Cenovus
Sam Shaw / Vice-President, Natural Gas Policy Development, Encana
Robert Slater / Adjunct Professor in Environmental Policy, Carleton U and former ADM at Environment Canada
Sailesh Thaker / Vice-President, Industry and Stakeholder Relations, SDTC
Ralph D. Torrie / Managing Director, Trottier Energy Futures Project, (linked to the David Suzuki Foundation)
Ed Whittingham (Resigned as of October 26, 2011)
New member pending / Executive Director, Pembina Institute

List of companies and individuals who provided objects and audiovisual material free of charge or at a considerable discount for Energy: Power to Choose:

Agriculture Canada and Agri-Food Canada
Alberta Southwest
Alexander Turnbull library
Aqua Lung International
Argus Machine Company Ltd
Atlas Copco
BC Hydro
Canadian artists
CAMECO
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
Canadian Centre for Energy Information
Canadian Electricity Association
Canadian Gas Association
Canadian Museum of Nature
Canadian Press
Choi+Shine Architects
Conoco-Philips
Cyrium Technologies
Diefenbunker
Energy Aware Technology Inc.
Enwave
Fairbank Oil
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
General Fusion
Hydro One
Hydro Ottawa
Hydro Québec Archives
Hydro Québec Historical Collection / Idées au cube
K-Line Insulators Ltd.
Konarka Power Plastics
Magellan Aerospace
Manitoba Hydro
Museum of Industry
Mustang Survival
National Geographic
National Research Council Canada
Natural Resources Canada
Nexen
Oil Museum of Canada
Ontario Power Generation
Opel Inc.
Packers Plus
Pembina Institute
Plasco
Private individuals and researchers (var.)
SafetyBoss
SRS Energy
St. Lawrence River Institute
Suncor Energy Inc.
Toronto Star
Union GasUniversity of Ottawa School of Engineering
Verdant Power
Wenvor Technologies Inc.
Worldmapper

Other Materials to be included

As part of the submission, each institution is allowed to add to their package one CD with up to 25 digital pictures and 5 minutes of video footage. I suggest including:

Photos:

  1. Photos of historically significant artefacts (3-4 artefacts)
  2. Photos of important new technologies (3-4 technologies)
  3. Photo of the carbon cube and the “day in the life”
  4. Photo of the “Using and Saving Energy” section of the exhibit
  5. Photo of clothesline interactive
  6. Photo of students interacting with the magic planet
  7. Photo of students interacting with the Map of Canada
  8. Photo of youth interacting with the off road simulator
  9. Photo of students interacting with the thermal camera
  10. Photo of students interacting with the Hamster wheel
  11. Photo of students interacting with the transmission interactive
  12. Photo of students interacting with the geothermal interactive
  13. Photo of students interacting with the energy T-shit interactive
  14. Photo of the electric eels
  15. Photo of the tesla coil discharging
  16. Photo visitors interacting with VE staff at energy demo
  17. Families with small children in the kids area – kids in costumes
  18. screen shots from energy quiz/survey interactive (2 pictures)

Video:

30 second clips of the following:

  1. Eel feeding demo
  2. Hamster wheel run and tesla discharge
  3. Resource map of Canada
  4. London Science Video with student voice over
  5. Magic planet cycling through the presentations
  6. Pan shot of intro with big idea and historical perspective on energy use
  7. Pan shot of carbon cube

[AT1]1 I know that this paragraph only mentions on the generation/transmission/distribution aspect, but I think that of all the main ideas, it is the least important. Decision was based in the interest of space.