Meet Nene Spivy
CEO of the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation
One of the most important moments in a young life — in any life — is an instance of wonder and awe.
Maybe that happens in a classroom with a teacher who loves to teach orchestra. Or when taking a nature walk and seeing a strange creature scampering across a mountain pass. Or sometimes it happens in a museum.
The future Northern Virginia Science Center will be an interactive museum for families, students, and learners of all ages. This world-class facility is being built in the Dulles Technology Corridor and will bring exhibits that spark the community’s curiosity. And while they wait for it to open, the organization continues to bring hands-on, experiential learning to students at an interim home, the Children’s Science Center Lab, and through mobile programs.
Nene Spivy is the CEO of the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation. With a degree in industrial and systems engineering, she worked several years in the telecoms industry, but wanted to work more closely with the community, which led her to her current role.
She has loved seeing the community come together to create an interactive science center for kids. “We have the Smithsonian museums and other resources nearby in Washington, DC, but many of our kids in Northern Virginia have a number of economic obstacles. They qualify for free or reduced lunch. Their parents have many challenges.” One of the center’s goals is to ensure all children feel they can benefit from their exhibits and programs.
Google has been one of the investors in the center, seeing the value of building the new facility while also ensuring it has the resources to run in its current home until the new one opens.
While the community awaits the center’s completion, the staff keep working at making science fun. They still revel in the wonder and awe of a child contemplating the vastness of the solar system or the minuteness of a cell in the human body. It’s a beautiful journey each child in Northern Virginia will soon have the opportunity to take.
Maybe that happens in a classroom with a teacher who loves to teach orchestra. Or when taking a nature walk and seeing a strange creature scampering across a mountain pass. Or sometimes it happens in a museum.
The future Northern Virginia Science Center will be an interactive museum for families, students, and learners of all ages. This world-class facility is being built in the Dulles Technology Corridor and will bring exhibits that spark the community’s curiosity. And while they wait for it to open, the organization continues to bring hands-on, experiential learning to students at an interim home, the Children’s Science Center Lab, and through mobile programs.
Nene Spivy is the CEO of the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation. With a degree in industrial and systems engineering, she worked several years in the telecoms industry, but wanted to work more closely with the community, which led her to her current role.
She has loved seeing the community come together to create an interactive science center for kids. “We have the Smithsonian museums and other resources nearby in Washington, DC, but many of our kids in Northern Virginia have a number of economic obstacles. They qualify for free or reduced lunch. Their parents have many challenges.” One of the center’s goals is to ensure all children feel they can benefit from their exhibits and programs.
Google has been one of the investors in the center, seeing the value of building the new facility while also ensuring it has the resources to run in its current home until the new one opens.
While the community awaits the center’s completion, the staff keep working at making science fun. They still revel in the wonder and awe of a child contemplating the vastness of the solar system or the minuteness of a cell in the human body. It’s a beautiful journey each child in Northern Virginia will soon have the opportunity to take.
It’s interesting to see how the children change their attitudes about science and appreciate that it can be really interesting and fun. They may have never realized that without our programs.
Google has provided support to build the new science center. When we take our mission to the next level to reach more people, it’s good when you have partners that are strategic and visionary, helping us make great things happen for the long haul.
— NENE SPIVY
