The Discovery Center of Idaho today announced it has received a $330,000 gift from the Micron Technology Foundation to fund capital upgrades and underwrite the next exhibitions designed and built on-site. The Discovery Center's workshop, where exhibitions that engage learners take shape, is slated for a complete renovation in 2015 and will be named the Micron Innovation Exhibit Lab.

"When missions align and long-term partnerships form, incredible things happen for this community," said Discovery Center Executive Director Kristine Barney. "We are extremely grateful for the Micron Foundation's gift to expand our in-house exhibit development capacity. This incredibly generous investment affirms our vision and launches our master plan for Discovery Center 2.0 by helping us improve our exhibits, facility, programming, and visitor experience."

With the hiring of renowned Exhibits Director Eric Miller earlier this year, the Discovery Center is set to regain its leadership position among national hands-on science centers. The Micron Foundation's gift, the single largest private contribution to the Discovery Center, will make possible the modernization of facilities and exhibits. As it takes shape, the Micron Innovation Exhibit Lab will be the birthplace of two exhibitions slated to open at the Discovery Center later in 2015.

"This grant will move the Discovery Center's mission and visitor experience forward. More than ever, it will be a place capable of sparking a passion for science discovery, helping to inspire and develop the next-generation of engineers and scientists," said Dee Mooney, executive director of the Micron Foundation.

This gift comes at the perfect time, as the Discovery Center has just proven the potential of exhibitions designed and built by Miller. Launch It! opened Dec. 20 to rave reviews and record attendance. Miller is a seasoned exhibition designer, fabricator, space planner and leader who specializes in conceptualizing and building highly interactive and experiential science exhibitions and learning environments.