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NEW FROM
THE ECHO BLOG |
THE PUMPKINSEED SUNFISH DANCE AGAIN- CLEARING THE DANCE FLOOR |
POSTED MAY 22 AT 4:27 PM |
Once again our sunfishes are beginning their annual… |
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GET
CLOSER
TO THE LAKE |
ECHO's
Expansion Campaign |
 Since opening our doors in 2003, ECHO Lake Aquarium and
Science Center at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
has welcomed over a million visitors. We have expanded
our reach through partnerships with local school
districts, social service agencies, colleges,
universities, businesses, other non-profits, and
environmental groups to meet the growing need for
innovative outreach and educational programs.After
such tremendous growth and sustained impact, we are both
physically and programmatically bursting at the seams.
To better serve our community now and into the future,
ECHO will launch an ambitious campaign to expand our
building and the hands-on educational, Lake stewardship,
and cultural offerings our visitors have come to rely
on.
Our plan involves:
- Increasing our flexible exhibit and program
space to create a spectacular 5,900-square-foot
Lakeside Pavilion
- Moving and expanding our early learning area,
Discovery Place
- Creating a state-of-the-art
Lake Science Lab for
teens and adults
 This
campaign also includes support for educational and
community programs, the Annual Fund, and an endowment
fund that will ensure the sustainability of ECHO Lake
Aquarium for generations to come. Over the years, ECHO
has experienced enormous success because of dedicated
people like you who believe in our mission to educate
the community about the Ecology, Culture,
History, and
Opportunity for stewardship in the Lake Champlain
Basin.
We turn to you now, at this critical and exciting
time, to help ECHO expand our offerings to include
world-class traveling exhibits and educational
programming, and to fill the need for more space
dedicated to science and Lake stewardship for residents
and visitors alike. Please read more about our plans by
clicking the images on the right, and
see how you can be a part of this continuing ripple
effect.
Campaign Overview
When we celebrated ECHO’s fifth anniversary in 2008,
we marked the occasion by conducting an extensive
strategic planning process to guide our future. Under
the guidance of a museum and science center industry
expert and plenty of input from ECHO’s Board of
Trustees, staff, donors, stakeholders, and community
representatives, we learned that while we have been
extremely successful in attracting visitors – serving
over one million since
 opening in 2003 – there exists a
need for additional program enhancements and capital
investments.
To meet these important strategic goals, we are proud
to announce the Get Closer to the Lake Campaign.
Set to launch publicly in early 2011, this initiative
will be powered by broad-based community support and
will allow us to educate and inspire hundreds of
thousands of neighbors and visitors about the vital need
to conserve and protect Lake Champlain, one of Vermont’s
most important natural resources. The Get Closer to the Lake Campaign has four components: |
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| CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENTS |
$3,000,000 |
Phase I: Lakeside Pavilion (opens
2012)
Renewable Energy Exhibit (opens 2012)
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$2,000,000
$250,000
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Phase II: Discovery Place (opens
2013)
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$500,000
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Phase III: Lake Science Lab (opens
2014)
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$250,000
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| SUPPORT FOR
EDUCATIONAL & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS |
$300,000 |
| Includes ECHO’s E-Team, ECHO’s Open Door,
Voices for the Lake, Inquiry Science in the
Schools, Lifelong Learning in Science, Science
and Stories |
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| ENDOWMENT & PLANNED
GIFTS |
$500,000 |
| ECHO’s 10-year plan for financial
sustainability includes increasing the endowment
to provide support for mission-based
programming. |
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| ANNUAL GIVING |
$300,000 |
| ECHO’s Annual Fund supports annual operating
costs, and is an essential supplement to earned
revenues to provide animal care, on-floor
educational programming, and changing exhibits. |
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| TOTAL COMMITMENT REQUIRED: |
$4,100,000 |
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George E. Little, Jr. Story
When the idea for ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center at
the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain was conceived more than a
decade ago, George E. Little, Jr.’s vision was at the heart of
the new venture. George was a state senator, public advocate,
and founding board member at ECHO whose love for the Lake,
unshakable faith in the value of public education, and
commitment to developing long-term policies and sustainable
economic strategies still inspire ECHO today.
Contributions help honor George’s pioneering vision and help
bolster ECHO’s sustainability, vibrancy, and relevance to the
numerous efforts that keep Lake Champlain the vital resource it
is to so many. Contact Phelan Fretz, Executive Director
here or call him
directly at 802.864.1848, ext. 126.
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1.802.864.1848
