Behind the scenes: He's in charge of fun at the Clay Center

January 25, 2008
Behind the scenes: He's in charge of fun at the Clay Center
The school buses pour in to the Clay Center daily, bringing students and teachers from all over West Virginia and parts of Ohio and Kentucky.
By Mike Whiteford
Staff writer- Charleston Gazette

The school buses pour in to the Clay Center daily, bringing students and teachers from all over West Virginia and parts of Ohio and Kentucky.

As they arrive for their scheduled field trips, they probably feel a bit overwhelmed by the sprawling arts and sciences complex in the heart of Charleston, but Clay Center officials are always there to greet them, answer their questions and ease their fears.

"We talk to the teachers; we talk to the other chaperones,'' said Lewis Ferguson, the center's director of art and science education. "Basically, we lay out the agenda for the day, and then we bring them in for some fun.''

Lewis Ferguson, the Clay Center’s director of art and science education, demonstrates one of the center’s hands-on learning devices.

Once inside, a member of Ferguson's staff gives them a tour that might include a trip to the Gizmo Factory, where exhibits and gadgetry offer hands-on lessons in physics. From there, they might participate in games at Health Royale, where they try to answer questions while learning the intricacies of the brain and heart and picking up tips on nutrition, exercise and lifestyle.

A staff member also might entertain them with a science demonstration and perhaps pique an interest that might last a lifetime.

They might learn about the moon, solar system and universe in the ElectricSky Theater or see a giant-screen documentary on the Nile River, the Serengeti Plain or the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Of course, a one-day trip covers only the tip of the Clay Center's educational iceberg. Ferguson, a Kanawha County native, supervises a staff of 16 employees, including 13 full-time people, who create and coordinate wide-ranging educational programs for all ages.

Ferguson, a 1987 Herbert Hoover graduate, earned a degree from West Virginia State in visual arts, photography and graphic design with a minor in art history and has a master's degree in strategic leadership and planning. He's a former preschool and kindergarten teacher.

Under his supervision, about 25,000 students annually pass through the 4-year-old center, not only for field trips but for after-school and Saturday programs and workshops, which are science- and art-oriented. Beginning in February, the staff will add three days of dance instruction and is considering such after-school subjects as archeology, the human brain and what Ferguson calls "the fun side of mathematics.''

For adults, the staff is planning similar offerings taught by area professionals.

"Something I'm really excited about coming up is focusing on our dedication to lifelong learning,'' he said recently in his Clay Center office. "It offers adult education opportunities. A couple of things that we have in the works are an astronomy workshop for adults and a water-colors workshop for adults, where we would have professional artists and astronomy teachers from the community come in and teach adults on-site.''

Such programs might open the door to additional ones.

"Other things we're looking at are the possibility of a geology workshop and a digital photography workshop,'' said Ferguson. "They're not in the works yet, but they're things we're hoping to get.''

Ferguson especially likes the idea of getting area professionals involved.

"We're really fortunate to have such a treasure of artists who are willing to work with us,'' he said, "and it gives us a chance to reach out to even more through their efforts.''

Ferguson recently made use of his teaching background to conduct a health-science workshop, which was beamed from the Clay Center to fifth-grade classrooms in Ritchie County. He was able to see his students and communicate with them, and vice-versa.

"The feedback was tremendous,'' he said. "The teachers really liked it; the students loved it. So that was a really positive experience. It was a positive experience for me and one that I hope to repeat soon.''

Last October, the staff introduced a once-a-month series in which area speakers discuss subjects ranging from bats (the mammals) to America's westward migration in the aftermath of the Lewis and Clark trip. They're held in the Clay Center café and are free to the public.

"We're going to have a different topic each month on a Wednesday during lunch hour,'' he said.