At the Emerald Coast Science Center, we’re working to encourage and develop a community actively involved in science. As such, we offer programs fun for ages 2 to 102. Now, besides the existing scientific workshops, exhibits, and opportunities for a wide range of interests at the museum, the Emerald Coast Science Center would love to rent out its space for your next big get-together! Class reunions, business meetings, and more can all take place on-site in our museum.

    We have two classrooms, two exhibit galleries, and an outside seating area. Our classrooms have projection capabilities, and we are able to provide high-speed Internet access for free as well. Whether you need a little space or a lot, we’re happy to accommodate your event. Each room is equipped with tables, chairs, and kitchen facilities for you. We also provide a host to ensure your event runs smoothly. We are an animal-free environment, accessible to the disabled, and have enough parking room on our lot at the center.

     Add-ons available

    You can reserve museum exhibit access and request additional staff to run museum stations to keep your group entertained, and more, which are provided at no charge after you pay the rent. If you’re looking to host a team building exercise, high school reunion, etc., you can ask us about creating a sciPAD workbook featuring SMALLab Learning games tailored for your event! Prices of creating it vary according to the rent you pay.

    If you would like more details, please call 664-1261.

    At Outstanding Youth, we’re committed to boosting teenagers’ confidence, which is key to their future success. Our Teen Confidence Workshop is an interactive online program which helps teens grow in confidence and determination in a supportive virtual community.

Who Can Join

    If you’re a teen aged 13 to 18 and want to improve self-confidence, our workshop is perfect for you. We keep groups small, with just ten spots, to make sure everyone gets a chance to participate and learn together.

What Happens

    At the workshop, you’ll learn 12 useful tools that are practical and easy to apply, ranging from effective communication techniques to strategies for overcoming self-doubt. They’re made to fit different situations, so you can handle anything confidently and calmly.

Details

    • Duration: Two full, successive days (e.g., Wednesday and Thursday).

    • Cost:

    • Booking: Given the workshop’s popularity, early registration (at least two weeks in advance) is advised.

How We Teach

    Our teaching philosophy emphasizes “Learning by Doing.” After a brief theoretical introduction, we focus on hands-on application. We believe that true confidence comes from practice and experience, not just from textbooks or videos.

    Take this opportunity to strengthen your self-confidence in a friendly atmosphere. Sign up for the Teen Confidence Workshop and start reaching your full potential!

    Are you a high school student thinking about going to Portland Community College (PCC)? Would you like to learn more about PCC’s excellent academic programs? Do you have questions about how to fulfill your college goals? Then PCC’s Preview Day is the event for you! During Preview Days, you will:

    • Get valuable information on how to prepare to attend PCC

    • Hear about programs, degrees, and certificates

    • Spend time interacting with PCC faculty(全体教师) and staff

    • Learn about financial aid and other scholarship opportunities

Individual campus tours offered

      Guided tours: Join a guided walking tour led by PCC staff, offered at each of PCC’s four campuses. Guided tours typically last about 45 minutes and prior registration is required. Choose your desired campus and date below to schedule a tour. Space is indeed limited now, so register today!

    If you have a disability that requires any special materials, services, or assistance, let us know at least 72 hours prior to the date of the event so we can accommodate you.

      Self-guided tours: Explore one of our campuses at your own pace with a self-guided tour. Complete a brief form to receive a digital self-guided tour package for the campus you wish to visit.

Preview Day registration

    All Preview Days will be in-person at the campus locations listed below:

    At 93, Doreen Hynd effortlessly keeps busy with cooking, dancing, and teaching her students across different places. Active in life, she credits her energy to her lifelong practice of Tai Chi. Hynd praises Tai Chi for developing awareness of peacefulness, inviting the body, mind and inner consciousness to work together, and offering an experience of lightness and strength.

    Born in Australia, Doreen Hynd started her Tai Chi training at the University of Sydney in the 1980s. After moving to the United States in 1984, she sought out Sophia Delza, who had studied under Ma Yueh Liang, a respected Tai Chi master in China for many years. After Delza passed away, Hynd, who had become Delza’s teaching assistant, continued to promote Tai Chi culture. Reflecting on her mission, she states, “I have always wanted to bring it to the whole world. Tai Chi has stood the test of time for centuries in Chinese culture.”

    “A lot of the classes I teach are for retired people, which has been one of the most inspiring aspects of my life,” Hynd shared. Over her 24 years of teaching Tai Chi, she has witnessed miracles(奇迹), such as a student with serious brain damage recovering memories after a year of practice, despite doctors considering it impossible. “Some students in poor health learned about me through the college I worked at in Canada, and they’ve stayed with me since,” she added, smiling broadly.

    When asked about using Tai Chi for self-defense, Hynd expressed a preference for connecting with someone approaching aggressively, even if it meant risking her life. She prioritizes forming connections over fighting. According to Cao Guozhong, a great Tai Chi master, Hynd has absorbed the essence of Chinese culture through Tai Chi. “Hynd loves to listen carefully to others, approach them with understanding, and transform enemies into friends,” Cao Guozhong explained. “She reflects the philosophy found in the ancient Chinese text, I Ching, which discusses change in the world.”

    Inspired mainly by the cuisines of Greece and southern Italy, the Mediterranean diet is well established as one of the world’s healthiest eating patterns, particularly for preventing cardiovascular(心血管的) disease. But recent research has highlighted the benefits of traditional diets from elsewhere in Europe—namely, the Nordic diet (which features foods from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) and the Atlantic diet (which is inspired by the cuisine of northwest Spain and Portugal).

    Both share many features with the Mediterranean diet, as they emphasize whole foods and minimally processed foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and nuts. All the three diets also feature seafood as one of the main sources of protein. Many types of seafood also contain heart-protecting omega-3 fatty acids.

    While beef and pork are a traditional part of the Atlantic diet, they’re also included in the Nordic and Mediterranean diets, though in smaller amounts. “We know that frequent consumption of red meat is linked to a higher risk of diabetes(糖尿病) and heart disease,” says Marta Guasch-Ferre, a Harvard professor of nutrition. That’s why nutrition experts suggest eating meat infrequently, ideally in small amounts added to other dishes.

    The variations in these three cuisines are based on what’s available locally in each region, an approach that has additional benefits. “All of these diets focus on seasonal and local foods, which supports environmental health and sustainability,” says Guasch-Ferre. By backing local farmers and producers, people contribute to the local economy while reducing food waste and the carbon footprint associated with food transportation, she adds.

    Compared with the typical American diet, European diets tend to include far less highly processed junk food, which may be another reason they are associated with better cardiovascular health. Guasch-Ferre notes yet another advantage: a focus on the cultural and social aspects of eating. “Meals are often enjoyed with an extended family and friends, which brings the feeling of belonging to a group that may boost the quality of life in younger and older people alike,” she says.

    With fundamental developments in the field of technology, some experts foresee serious risks to jobs and employability in the coming years due to the rise of artificial intelligence(AI). Approximately 27% of jobs are at high risk of automation during the artificial intelligence era.

    Low- and middle-skilled jobs are most at risk, including construction, farming, fishing, forestry and, to a lesser extent, production and transportation. High-skilled occupations, despite being more exposed to recent progress in AI, face the least risk of automation.

    While the adoption of AI is still relatively low, rapid progress, falling technology costs and the increasing availability of workers with AI skills suggest that the world may be on the edge of an AI revolution(革命). So far there is little evidence of a negative employment impact on firms that adopt AI. Workers and employers say that AI can reduce boring and dangerous tasks, leading to greater employee engagement and physical safety.

    Nevertheless, a recent survey showed that three in five workers are worried about losing their job to AI within the next decade. Additionally, a similar number of workers worry that wages would decrease due to AI. More than half of workers are concerned about privacy and three in four say that AI has increased work pace.

    In my opinion, for the better protection of the labour market and workers in the coming years, governments should encourage employers to provide more training, integrate AI skills into education and support diversity in the AI workforce. There is an urgent need for policy action to address AI risks in the workplace and to ensure accountability for and openness to employment-related decisions supported by AI. The recent speedup of generative AI-related developments and tools marks a technological watershed(转折点) with material implications in many workplaces. Longer-term policy frameworks for the use of AI in the workplace should be considered and closer international cooperation should be seen to maximize the benefits while appropriately managing the risks.

    Most artwork displayed in a typical art gallery includes beautiful landscapes and people as we’re drawn to beautiful things. Artwork that does not fit typical beauty standards is reserved for terrible themes, existing only to remind us of the terrible parts of life that we prefer not to think about.

    The University’s Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) exhibited “Beyond Beauty”, an exhibition showcasing artwork that does not fit the “perfect” beauty standards of other art. Preconceived(先入为主的) views of art and beauty are what “Beyond Beauty” seeks to change by surrounding visitors with uncomfortable descriptions of the human condition. Each piece describes humans as less-than-perfect in the traditional sense, with the collection including the “ugly side” of society like interpretations of death and social ills, and has an enormous power, producing strong emotional responses.

    Some artists are found not to steer clear of the depressing themes modern society and museums rarely choose. One striking work displayed in the exhibition is “Constellated in Brief and Darkly” by printmaker Rosemarie Bernardi, which shows deep insight into the realities of medical practice and stimulates conversation around the complex and painful theme of congenital(先天性的) abnormality.

    The development of “Beyond Beauty” started with the installation of a clown(小丑) painting. Visitors were forced to consider a colorful, unconventional painting alongside old master artworks. The MAG received comments from visitors who suggested keeping the terrible art away from their beloved traditional landscapes. Others found the painting to be engaging, which improved their museum experience.

    Now, Condo’s “The Clown” sits at the front of the exhibition, welcoming visitors in. After this visit, they may consider “ugliness” not as something to be rejected, but something that is to be welcomed. As today’s society sets impossible beauty standards, it’s as important as ever to remember beauty does not exist in just one form, and public views of “ugly” do not tell the whole story. Without the inclusion of the “ugly” side, we lose the descriptions that define entire groups of people and time periods.