Sterling Hill Mining Museum
Honored with
2006 Prazen Award
Pictured with the 28-inch bronze Prazen
Award are Richard Hauck, president, on left, and Robert Hauck, trustee.
A representative of The National Mining
Hall of Fame and Museum in the old silver-mining boomtown of Leadville,
Colorado presented the award Oct. 14, 2006 in recognition of Sterling Hill's
important contribution to education in science and mining.
The National Mining Hall of Fame and
Museum was established in an abandoned Victorian schoolhouse in 1987, much
like Sterling Hill Mining Museum was founded in 1989 when brothers Richard and
Robert Hauck purchased the historic Sterling Mine and formed a foundation. The
two organizations share paramount goals of public education about the
importance of mining and minerals. The mining business often suffers from
misunderstanding in the public arena and through continued efforts, both
museums strive to present the other side of the story.
Sterling Hill is proud of their
achievements that include workshops for New Jersey science teachers, Teacher’s
Guide project, Rock Discovery Center for hands-on learning, and maintaining a
state-accredited facility to provide professional development training for
teachers. The site is a resource for education in science, technology, and
mathematics. It provides underground tours, mineral specimen collection,
hands-on activities, and the fluorescent mineral displays are known worldwide.
Famed mining sculptor Gary
Prazen of Utah created the bronze award in 1995 as a symbol of his
appreciation of the mining industry. The National Mining Museum presents it
annually, and Gary makes a signed bronze casting, to an organization that has
demonstrated excellence in educating the public as to the importance of
mining.
David I. Oreck donation of
$550,000, August 2001 For use to acquire specimens for the museum's
collection.
Ralph Digman Award, 2001 National Association of Geoscience Teachers, Eastern Division For continued Excellence in geoscience education. The Ralph Digman award is typically given to lay persons, but this was the first awarded to an organization. Board of Director Alan Rein attended the Eastern Division award banquet held in Sparkill, New York, to accept the plaque on behalf of Sterling Hill.
New Jersey Historical Commission Matching Grant Award, $10,000, June 2001 For planning of expansion and upgrading of SHMM facilities and programs to develop integrated history-based programs that will allow interpretation of the mine and surrounding area and its effect on mining growth and development within the state of New Jersey.
Certificate of Excellence in Science Education, March 2001 From Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ In recognition of exemplary programs in science and environmental education in partnership with Great Ideas in Science.
Sterling Hill was honored to receive a "Certificate of Excellence in Science Education" awarded "in recognition of exemplary programs and science and environmental education in partnership with Great Ideas in Science" from MSU. Dr. Jacalyn Willis presented the award to Mikki Weiss, left, on behalf of Sterling Hill and stated, "It was awarded in recognition of the extraordinary partnership between MSU and Sterling Hill and in recognition of the excellent and outstanding programs.
SHMM Teaching Guide published by New Jersey Geological Survey, 2001 Teachers experience a classroom style geology workshop using the NJ Rocks and Sediments Kit and Teaching Guide developed and produced by Sterling Hill through a grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and in collaboration with the New Jersey Geological Survey and New Jersey Statewide Systemic Initiative Regional Center at the County College of Morris in Randolph and published by the New Jersey Geological Survey.
Harry & Elizabeth Zobel $500,000, December 2000
New Jersey Council for the Humanities Grant, $500, October 2000 A state program of the national Endowment for the Humanities SHMM hosted "We Live By The Whistle" in recognition of Humanities Festival Week 2000. The theme for the year 2000 was Voices of the Past/Visions of the Future. The play was held Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. in the Education Center auditorium at Sterling Hill. Humanities Festival Week 2000 was celebrated between October 21 and 29. The monodrama was inspired by the lives of wives, daughters and sisters, and based on experiences related by mining families from the period 1901 to 1986. It was written by Peter R. Nadolny under HerStory Productions, a partnership with actress Jeanne L. Austin who brings to life the cultural diversity of mining families through the voices of women. She wears period clothing and relates local history through various accents and the reality is clear that they all lived by the whistle. It sounded at regular intervals from dawn to dusk and they commonly shared joys and sorrows although from diverse cultural backgrounds. CARNEGIE
AWARD The Carnegie Museum of Natural History recognizes Sterling
Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, NJ with the prestigious Carnegie Mineralogical Award!
Museum statement as it appeared in the, Sterling Hill Newsletter, Winter/ Spring issue, 2000. "The winter weather slowed activities at the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, but a most exciting event occurred in February when our museum was presented with the Carnegie Mineralogical Award at the annual Tucson Gem & Mineral Show. Each year the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh bestows on an individual or organization an award consisting of a plaque and an endowment of $2500. This award is presented,"… in recognition of outstanding contributions to the field of mineralogy and in exemplifying the underlying ideals of mineralogical preservation, conservation and education as embodied in The Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems."
Acceptance of the Carnegie Mineralogical Award (l-r) Dr. Jay Apt, Director, Carnegie Museum of Natural History; Dr. Marc L. Wilson, Collections Manager, Carnegie Museum of Natural History; Dr. Earl Verbeek, Resident Geologist, SHMM; Richard Hauck, President, SHMM; Steven Phillips, Vice President, SHMM; and Steve Misiur, Curator, SHMM Photo by Herb Obodda ***************************************************************************
U-Haul Super Graphic, 2000 A logo was designed for the year 2000 fleet to appear
on 600-800 U-Haul trucks in New Jersey. The graphic of fluorescent mineral
ores painted on the trucks depicts the Geological Treasures of Franklin
and Sterling Hill Mines and inspires interest in mining heritage. Listed
at www.uhaul.com under supergraphics. Fluorescent Mineral Society Recognition, October
19, 1999 From Fluorescent Mineral Society Board of Directors For the Thomas S. Warren Museum of Fluorescence as
the official fluorescent museum recognized by the Fluorescent Mineral
Society. Women In Mining, Washington, DC Chapter,
Recognition, August 1999 Recognition for exemplary education programs by a
visit from Women in Mining, Washington, DC Chapter, and National Mining
Association members. Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Grant, $30,000
matching grant, March 1999
For the first and
original showing of the monodrama "We Live By The Whistle" held at the Old
Schoolhouse and Firehouse Museum in Ogdensburg, N.J. on June 13, 1999,
made possible by a grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and part
of the SHMM Science Education CRYSTALS project. HerStory Productions of
Augusta, N.J. presents the play which is based on experiences related by
mining families and inspired by the lives of wives, daughters, and
sisters, who lived by the sound of the whistle from dawn to dusk.
Sterling Hill Mine is recognized at the
Smithsonian's Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals,
September 1997
Selected for its
unique suite of fluorescent minerals, Sterling Hill Mine is one of four
dioramas featuring specimens lit by state-of-the-art fiber optics to
display them as they appear underground. The Sterling Hill Mine exhibit
features an actual fluorescent ore vein from the historic zinc mine viewed
under ultraviolet light.
The other three
mines represented at the Smithsonian are the historic copper-lead mine,
the Copper Queen Mine in Bisbee, Arizona; the Morefield Mine in Amelia
County, Virginia, a small pegmatite mine known for its rare minerals and a
variety of gem-quality stones; and the Fletcher mine in Viburnum,
Missouri, located in one of the greatest lead-zinc districts in North
America. Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Grant, $40,000, March 1996 To extend Sterling Hill's Geological, Environmental, Mineralogical Science (GEMS) program to supervisors, teachers and other informal educational agencies in New York and Pennsylvania.
|
