A Time For Science Information

A Time for ScienceNature and Science Learning Center exists to provide environmental education and outdoor recreation to the children, adults and families of eastern North Carolina. A Time for Science Nature and Science Learning Center (ATFS) has grown exponentially since conception in 2009. In 2015 alone, A Time for Science served approximately 10,000 students in Pitt County and 15 surrounding counties. The majority of the students served by ATFS are undeserved youth living in Tier 1 counties. Not only do we provide hands on, science education, we offer these children the opportunity to experience nature in a fun and exciting way. For the majority of the students coming out to ATFS, it is the first time they have ever had this opportunity! Currently, the majority of our day to day business is providing field trips to students throughout eastern NC. Our field trip programs offer students a chance to move through the trails of our park led by highly trained educators for a hands-on learning experience that reinforces and brings to life the concepts that are taught in the classrooms. Our field trips are correlated to the N. C. Essential Standards and to the Next Generation Science Standards according to grade level and subject area using academically-based curriculum materials. We feature four distinct habitats - stream, forest, swamp and ponds - that are ideally suited to enhance the fundamentals of environmental science in a controlled setting. In 2015, ATFS completed the construction of the "Chia yu Li Planetarium", which allows us to include astronomy education in our field trips. We also have attained 2 outreach domes in order to better serve the community by being able to take the "show on the road", allowing us to have an impact on some of the most rural areas that may not otherwise have access to the funds necessary to visit ATFS.