"Spotlight on: Stuart DeVelasco, TDC Board Member..."

Stuart DeVelasco, TDC Board Member

As a natural history museum, children's camp site, and education center, The Discovery Center plays a mighty role in helping children of the Central Valley discover their love of learning. And it takes the tireless efforts of many individuals to make all The Discovery Center's activities possible.

Behind the scenes, The Discovery Center's Board of Trustees work to support the programs, classes, and activities that take place at the park. One board member, Stuart DeVelasco, shares with us his story of how he became involved with TDC and what this experience means to him.

Moving to Fresno from the Bay Area, Stuart and his family enjoyed being so close to nature. With Fresno located in the heart of the Valley, they could appreciate the nearby national parks, agriculture, and something new - The Discovery Center.

"My son was eight years old, and he loved the Discovery Center right from the beginning," Stuart recalled. His son learned about rockets and space travel, dinosaurs, and even attended Summer and Winter camps at the park. "He handled snakes, looked through telescopes, and played with the pond animals."

"From understanding the natural world, to preserving the environment, from technology competence...Children follow their love of learning along a natural path to adulthood..."

Through this hands-on approach to learning, Stuart saw his young son transform into an independent learner. His son became eager to learn new things, realizing he didn't have to depend upon adults for everything. So when the Center's museum burned down, Stuart felt compelled to lend a hand.

"Years of working for the Pacific Stock Exchange didn't prepare me for a children's science museum," Stuart explained. "But perhaps I could help paint." A few months after volunteering at TDC, Stuart was asked to join the board of trustees.

As TDC's Secretary on the board of trustees, Stuart knows how important it is to support the works of the Center. Larger cities have their own science museum, natural history museum, and even special ones just for children. Serving the Fresno community as all three of these things, Stuart realizes The Discovery Center has its work cut out. "It's a big role, but the need is even greater here."

Seeing this firsthand with his own son, Stuart understands that the joy of learning science is discovered in childhood. "Every poll you read places kids' hands-on science education near the top of the list that taxpayers are willing to spend money on," he explained. "From understanding the natural world, to preserving the environment, from technology competence...Children follow their love of learning along a natural path to adulthood."

On behalf of The Discovery Center, thank you Stuart for all the hard work you do! If you're interested in becoming a board member for The Discovery Center, please call us for more information: 559-251-5533.