New Praxair STEM Lab at Maritime Aquarium

Thousands of students who delve into marine sciences at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk will do so in the Praxair STEM Lab, a classroom equipped for STEM education following a grant by the Danbury-based corporation.

Praxair and Aquarium officials celebrated the company’s educational support in a ceremony on Nov. 4 at the popular South Norwalk attraction.

The classroom is one of the primary spaces used when school groups visit the Aquarium and participate in one of 37 available educational programs, ranging from 45-minute animal “touch” programs for preschoolers to 90-minute shark dissections for high-school students. All of the programs help teachers achieve academic goals for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) defined by Common Core and Next Generation Science standards.

Participants in the Aquarium’s summer camps also will now base their explorations and discoveries from the Praxair STEM Lab.

“We thank Praxair for its support, and welcome this new relationship with a company that has such a strong role in Connecticut and beyond,” said Dr. Brian Davis, president of The Maritime Aquarium. “Praxair’s participation ensures that The Maritime Aquarium can continue to present premiere educational programs, with the best materials and resources, in ways that support what teachers need and in ways that will be of lasting information and inspiration to students.”

In addition, the Praxair grant will help to subsidize visits to The Maritime Aquarium by Danbury Public Schools.

“We are very pleased to be working with The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk to support educational opportunities for students,” said Lisa Esneault, VP, Global Communications and Public Relations. “Praxair is committed to supporting our local communities and helping to develop the next generation of leaders in STEM careers.”

Praxair’s gift to the Aquarium comes through its Global Giving Program, which supports local communities; provides educational opportunities; promotes diversity and inclusion, environmental stewardship, and sustainable development; and supports health & wellness programs. Praxair Global Giving dollars also support business initiatives, STEM education, and scholarships to community colleges and technical schools for critical skills that are needed in local workforces.

Praxair, Inc. is a leading industrial gas company in North and South America and one of the largest worldwide. With market capitalization of approximately $40 billion and 2016 sales of $11 billion, the company employs over 26,000 people globally and has been named to the Dow Jones® World Sustainability Index for 15 consecutive years. Praxair produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings. The company’s products, services and technologies are making our planet more productive by bringing efficiency and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, primary metals and many others. For more information about the company, please visit www.praxair.com.

The Maritime Aquarium is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to educate visitors about – and to create stewards for – Long Island Sound. It accomplishes this by allowing visitors to get close to nearly 300 species native to the Sound and its watershed, including sharks, seals, sea turtles, river otters, jellyfish and other animals. One of the top places for family fun in Connecticut, the Aquarium also features hands-on educational programs and displays, public study cruises out onto the Sound, and Connecticut's largest IMAX® movie theater, with a screen that's six stories high. TripAdvisor.com reviewers rate The Maritime Aquarium as one of the Top 20 aquariums in the U.S. and No. 1 in New England.

Learn more about educational programs for schools as well as the public, plus current exhibits and IMAX movies, at www.maritimeaquarium.org.

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Submitted by Ridgefield, CT

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