Discovery Centre at the Melinda and Bill Gate Foundations Headquarters, Seattle

Entrance to the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundations' Discovery Centre, Seattle

Microsoft is located in Redmond, a suburb of Seattle. 

We heard of the great work done by the Melinda and Gates Foundations, therefore, we were determined to  visit this organization located near the Seattle Centre in Seattle.

The Discovery Centre was opened not long ago.

It has a spacious exhibition hall that can accommodate school groups and a large number of visitors.

It hands on and interactive displays.

The Gates' Discovery Centre is also set up with a number of theatres allowing visitors to learn of the projects in which the foundations are involved. 

We saw displays showing the applications of the needed technology which people can use to improve their lives in poor countries around the world.

For instances :

1.  A display on a waterless and self- composing toilet

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2.  Problems caused by mosquitoes in African and tropical countries.


















A display showing the provision of mosquito nets to African countries to reduce mosquito carrying diseases

3. A display on how girls are missing school during their menstruation in some less developed countries.

There was a hands on activity  encouraging visitors to design a hygiene kit for girls.

Visiting the Discovery Centre at the  Gates Foundations Headquarters, helped us to gain an appreciation of what the foundations are doing to help and improve the health conditions and lives  of the needy people around the globe.

The Discovery Centre is more than a place to gain much information about how technology and  human creativity can help to solve problems in the world.




















It has many interactive activities for adults and children alike.

For instance, in this station, it asked visitors to share their wish on some social issues about which they felt passionate.

The supplies needed  to record these ideas down were there. So that people could take time to think about them and write them down.

After ideas are written down on the paper discs supplied, these paper chains of ideas would be put together and hung up in the area and become part of the displays.


















We saw many of these visitors' ideas on  paper throughout the exhibition hall  becoming part of the decorations.

The lamp shades in the Discovery Centre's exhibition hall sitting area were made up of these ideas, pictures and drawings on paper too.

How creative was that!

There were many short videos, books and other displays at the Discovery Centre. 

The part we enjoyed the most was the Centre's numerous attempts in getting visitors involved, sharing their ideas in various different ways.  

Becoming a part of the solution in whatever way the visitors could seemed to be the Centre's focus along with educating and informing the public.




















Participate we certainly did!

We shared our ideas at the photo booth.


















In less than 5 minutes, we saw our picture appear on the big screen in the exhibition hall along with many other visitors before us.

It was neat!!!

We also appreciate the Discovery Centre's efforts to be inclusive in its displays and exhibitions.


This efforts has not gone unnoticed on our part.

The Melinda and Bill Gates Discovery Centre provides a great learning experience to its visitors, both young and old. As an educator, I highly recommend it!

Thumbs up to the Gates Foundation for creating this Discovery Centre!

R.T.

Discovery Centre
Melinda and Bill Gate Foundations Headquarters
Seattle, Washington State
USA