KUWAIT CITY— Raytheon Company’s MathAlive! interactive math and science exhibit was formally welcomed at The Scientific Center of Kuwait (TSCK), a facility founded by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), during a ribbon-cutting event held September 7, 2014, marking the third country debut in the exhibition’s five-year tour of the Middle East.
The exhibit first opened at the center on July 28 during Eid-al-Fitr. A one-of-its-kind in Kuwait, MathAlive! aims to contribute to the country’s expanding knowledge economy by giving Kuwaiti children access to state-of-the-art programs designed to engage their math and science skills in an exciting and educational way.
As a result of the government’s renewed focus on education, Kuwait is already above the regional average in math and science, according to the United Nations Human Development Index. However there is still room for improvement, says Mijbil Almutawa, chairman and managing director, TSCK. “We have always been dedicated to educating our young people in this country,” he stated, “and access to MathAlive!’s extensive, high tech exhibition and numerous educational tools is a great way to further Kuwaiti children’s knowledge of the maths and sciences, increasing our country’s ability to succeed in the future.”
The ribbon cutting event at TSCK’s Discovery Place provided officials and important members of the community an opportunity to experience the MathAlive! exhibit and to better understand Raytheon’s efforts to promote math and science education throughout the Middle East.
“We understand that Kuwaitis see careers in math and science fields like engineering as essential to the expanding future of their nation,” said Gary Menke, Raytheon’s Kuwait director. “Through MathAlive! and other initiatives, Raytheon is committed to assisting our partners in advancing math and science education to forge their future.”
Raytheon has maintained a deep global commitment to promoting vital education in the math and sciences. Math Alive! first opened at Washington, D.C.’s Smithsonian International Gallery in 2012, and the Middle East version of the exhibit began a five-year tour of the Gulf region in 2013, with previous stops in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The MathAlive! exhibit that is traveling the Gulf was specifically designed for the region, offering numerous exciting activities in both Arabic and English – everything from the building of future cities to programming of the robotic arm from the International Space Station’s Cupola observatory module. In all, the exhibit offers 40 interactive displays allowing kids to explore and learn about numerous areas of math and science. MathAlive! will remain at TSCK until Jan. 5, 2015.