New AFRL Initiative Shares Artifacts, Period Pieces with Museums Published Jan. 31, 2013 By Jeanne Dailey Directed Energy KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, New Mexico -- The Air Force Research Laboratory has entered into education partnership agreements with two prominent museums, the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, and Explora Science Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The agreements allow AFRL to lend historical artifacts such as lasers, high-powered lenses and electromagnets to Evergreen and Explora. Various period pieces, such as signs and furniture, will also be provided on loan so the museums can re-create the era in which the equipment was operational. The partnerships will increase the public's awareness of the vital role AFRL has in national defense, while promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers to the nation's youth. These agreements mark the beginning of a STEM education program to take AFRL technology to museums across America. Evergreen Museum collects, preserves, and interprets the history of aviation culture and space exploration through its artifact collections, educational programs and historical exhibits. Explora is a science center and experiential learning center with exhibits and educational programs designed to provide students with an alternative approach to content in science, technology and art.