There are so many different projects to fit the needs and wants of a volunteer here. Just ask us!
See below for volunteering facts from Volunteering In America.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
We at MDC LOVE and THANK Volunteers!
The only way a place like the Minnesota Discovery Center can exist, is through the hard work of the dedicated volunteers. The work that volunteers do in the community is mind blowing because they contribute so much. They not only contribute time, but also spirit and energy, which is what makes a community a better place to live. My new volunteer is assisting me in organizing past exhibit data by creating scrap books! It's great because now we can keep this part of Iron Range history alive and documented. So, Thank You, to all of the volunteers here and in our community!
There are so many different projects to fit the needs and wants of a volunteer here. Just ask us!
See below for volunteering facts from Volunteering In America.
There are so many different projects to fit the needs and wants of a volunteer here. Just ask us!
See below for volunteering facts from Volunteering In America.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Good-bye Lettter to our Long-Time Friend
Since I have been working at the Minnesota Discovery Center, I have been so very fortunate to have worked with some really amazing people, and this week I very sadly and reluctantly said good-bye to one of those most special people, Matt Rasmussen.
When I arrived here in February, I had but one staff member in the Education Department, and you guessed it, it was Matt. It was me and him against the world! I soon figured out how much I needed him and how much I had to learn from him. I followed him on a tour on my second day of work and I thought, “How am I ever going to learn all of this and do it as well as he does?” Well, I did finally learn, and am still learning every day, but I still don’t think I have the same flair he has with tour groups. He really showed me the ropes and introduced me to this fantastic museum in his own unique and special way. I think it is safe to tell him now that I have stolen some of his tricks! His love for the museum was immediately apparent to me and I just fed off of that. If it weren’t for him, I don’t know if I would have learned so much so fast.
Let me tell you a little about Matt Rasmussen and his work ethic and many talents, he is truly good at everything he does, and I am not just saying that, he really is. He has done just about every job in this department and done it all over and above any expectation I ever had for him. He was an Iron Range History Player, tour guide, trolley operator, trolley conductor, and program leader. I think the only thing he didn’t do was demonstrator, and if I had asked him to do that, he would have done it with a smile and done it better than I could have imagined, I am sure of it. I also haven’t heard him sing, but I’d bet he is good at that too! (Why did I think I liked this guy? Just kidding!) And on top of all of that, he is one of the most positive people I have ever met. If I gave him a group of 25 Tasmanian Devils to tour the museum and they made his life a living hell, and I asked him how it went, he would put on a smile and find something positive to say, he never, ever, made negative comments about anything he did here, even when I knew things didn’t always go smoothly. He just has a way of shaking it off and finding the good in everything, it really is another of his many gifts.
I am certain that Matt will be great at whatever he chooses to do with his life and I wish him nothing but happiness and success. I am so excited for him to embark on this next phase of his life, but at the same time, I am so sad for myself, the other employees of the museum and for the guests of the Minnesota Discovery Center that will not have the opportunity to encounter Matt when they visit here. We really have lost a gem. He was not just a great employee, but a great friend and lover of the Iron Range story.
So, I would just one last time, this time publicly, say thank you to Matt Rasmussen for what he has brought to the Minnesota Discovery Center and what he brought to me personally.
Good-bye Matt, you will always be a part of the Minnesota Discovery Center family no matter where you go. Just don’t forget us little people when you strike it big! I would wish you luck, but I don’t think you will need it; all good things will come to you. Happy and safe travels my friend, you will be missed.
Sincerely,
Stefanie Carlson, MDC Education Coordinator
Don’t forget to keep checking back for more great profiles of Minnesota Discovery Center staff!
When I arrived here in February, I had but one staff member in the Education Department, and you guessed it, it was Matt. It was me and him against the world! I soon figured out how much I needed him and how much I had to learn from him. I followed him on a tour on my second day of work and I thought, “How am I ever going to learn all of this and do it as well as he does?” Well, I did finally learn, and am still learning every day, but I still don’t think I have the same flair he has with tour groups. He really showed me the ropes and introduced me to this fantastic museum in his own unique and special way. I think it is safe to tell him now that I have stolen some of his tricks! His love for the museum was immediately apparent to me and I just fed off of that. If it weren’t for him, I don’t know if I would have learned so much so fast.
Let me tell you a little about Matt Rasmussen and his work ethic and many talents, he is truly good at everything he does, and I am not just saying that, he really is. He has done just about every job in this department and done it all over and above any expectation I ever had for him. He was an Iron Range History Player, tour guide, trolley operator, trolley conductor, and program leader. I think the only thing he didn’t do was demonstrator, and if I had asked him to do that, he would have done it with a smile and done it better than I could have imagined, I am sure of it. I also haven’t heard him sing, but I’d bet he is good at that too! (Why did I think I liked this guy? Just kidding!) And on top of all of that, he is one of the most positive people I have ever met. If I gave him a group of 25 Tasmanian Devils to tour the museum and they made his life a living hell, and I asked him how it went, he would put on a smile and find something positive to say, he never, ever, made negative comments about anything he did here, even when I knew things didn’t always go smoothly. He just has a way of shaking it off and finding the good in everything, it really is another of his many gifts.
I am certain that Matt will be great at whatever he chooses to do with his life and I wish him nothing but happiness and success. I am so excited for him to embark on this next phase of his life, but at the same time, I am so sad for myself, the other employees of the museum and for the guests of the Minnesota Discovery Center that will not have the opportunity to encounter Matt when they visit here. We really have lost a gem. He was not just a great employee, but a great friend and lover of the Iron Range story.
So, I would just one last time, this time publicly, say thank you to Matt Rasmussen for what he has brought to the Minnesota Discovery Center and what he brought to me personally.
Good-bye Matt, you will always be a part of the Minnesota Discovery Center family no matter where you go. Just don’t forget us little people when you strike it big! I would wish you luck, but I don’t think you will need it; all good things will come to you. Happy and safe travels my friend, you will be missed.
Sincerely,
Stefanie Carlson, MDC Education Coordinator
Don’t forget to keep checking back for more great profiles of Minnesota Discovery Center staff!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Swinging Door Toaster from Collection
By Mai Vang, Curator
In 1905, the modern electric toaster was the new iPad 2. It wasn't until 1906 that nichrome, a very hardy wire that can withstand high heat, was invented, that the toaster could function the way we know it today. Before that, the metal wires melted or caught on fire. A very dangerous household item. After nichrome was invented, toasters of all shape, sizes, and styles came about.
Click on the image to see it in action!
The toaster in our museum has two swinging doors made by Landers, Frary & Clark under the name Universal. Both the front and back had swinging doors that would flip over to toast both sides of the bread. Inside are metal coils where the electricity runs through in wavy "U" formations. See how the swinging door works?
Can you find pre-modern appliances in your home?
For more information in general on toasters see The Cyber Toaster Museum.
In 1905, the modern electric toaster was the new iPad 2. It wasn't until 1906 that nichrome, a very hardy wire that can withstand high heat, was invented, that the toaster could function the way we know it today. Before that, the metal wires melted or caught on fire. A very dangerous household item. After nichrome was invented, toasters of all shape, sizes, and styles came about.
Cool dates:
1920 - Charles P. Strite, from Stillwater, Minnesota, invents the pop-up toaster
1928 - The first pre-sliced bread sold
The toaster in our museum has two swinging doors made by Landers, Frary & Clark under the name Universal. Both the front and back had swinging doors that would flip over to toast both sides of the bread. Inside are metal coils where the electricity runs through in wavy "U" formations. See how the swinging door works?
Can you find pre-modern appliances in your home?
For more information in general on toasters see The Cyber Toaster Museum.
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