KANSAS CITY, Mo. — What started as a concept on paper in a Grandview elementary school is now the newest exhibit at Science City.
Students from the FOCUS (gifted and talented) program at the Grandview C-4 School District, partnered with engineering firm Burns and McDonnell and Union Station to design and launch “The Amazing Brain,” an exhibit all about the human brain. The organizations held a grand opening ceremony Thursday morning.
“This is an exhibit designed by kids for kids,” explained George Guastello, the president and CEO of Union Station.
The Amazing Brain is the fifth exhibit built thanks to Burns and McDonnell’s Battle of Brains competition. Students submit ideas for an exhibit, and the winner works with engineers, architects and fabricators to turn the idea into a reality.
This group began working on the $1 million project in November 2017. Throughout the process students visited manufacturers, met in the Burns and McDonnell board room and saw real-world applications for their classwork.
“It’s an immersive experience designed to introduce students to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in a unique way, and hopefully get them on the path to a STEM career,” said Burns and McDonnel Chairman and CEO Ray Kowalik.
At the grand opening, Kowalik announced the company will launch its fifth Battle of the Brains competition this year. He said Burns and McDonnell currently employs two people who went through the competition as students and has two interns starting this summer who also participated.
The Amazing Brain exhibit is now open for all to see at Science City within Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri.
