USC Annenberg professor K.C. Cole presented projects created by students from one of the first AnnenbergX classes to the staff of the Exploratorium in San Francisco — a "museum of human awareness." The 7-week AnnenbergX course focused on the exploration of art, science, and humanities through hands-on exhibits, films, tinkering and interactive projects.
A highlight for the students was meeting the high school and college "Explainers" who come from all over San Francisco and comprise the floor staff of the 330,000 square foot museum on Pier 15. "Explainers" do demonstrations, dissections, explain science and arts, and basically run the show. In turn, the Explainers and museum staff were very impressed by the USC students' projects, which included a short film, interactive T-shirts and an Explorabus.
"They really got it," Anne Jennings, director of Extended Learning, said. Jennings noted the “amazing synergy” between AnnenbergX and the Exploratorium, which is ranked with top museums like the Louvre, Getty and Smithsonian (80 percent of the world’s science centers use Exploratorium-designed exhibits).
The 11 AnnenbergX students represented diverse fields including PR, comm management, psychology, business and architecture.
"There was so much to see and do," Paloma Mayorga, a public relations major, said. "The dedication to creativity and discovery is what is really going to push you to the next level in anything that you do."
Professor Cole said she plans to go back next year with an expanded AnnenbergX class, Ways of Knowing, which will include working with the Fisher museum’s eagerly awaited exhibition "Gyre. The Plastic Ocean."
