Description
The McCaw School of Mines was built on the campus of the Gordon McCaw Elementary School, the first elementary school built in Henderson, NV. The McCaw School of Mines is an introduction to mining for elementary school students. It is the only mine in the country attached to a school. Though described as a museum, the McCaw School of Mines is actually more of a hands-on experience. The McCaw School of Mines started out as a papier-mâché model of a mine tunnel built into the corner of a classroom. Shortly thereafter the Gordon McCaw Elementary School staff met, discussed the idea, and then decided to "think big". As a result, in 1996 the McCaw School of Mines became a 4,500 square foot reality at the Gordon McCaw Elementary School in Henderson, Nevada. Built along the same lines as the Indiana Jones exhibit at Disneyland, it is the only simulated mine of its kind in the state of Nevada. In 2000, the Visitor's Center was added to the site. Th e McCaw School of Mines represents a million plus dollar project built entirely from donations, with no cost to the Clark County School District. The McCaw School of Mines Foundation was formed to provide for the continuing development, operation and maintenance of the McCaw School of Mines. The Foundation provides free transportation for students from throughout the region to visit the mine. The McCaw School of Mines was built in 1996 entirely from donations and through the support of the McCaw School of Mines Foundation. Transportation to and from the exhibit is provided as a free service to more than 5,000 Clark County students each year. Since January 1997, over 50,000 students from Nevada, Utah and California, accompanied by 9,000 plus parents and teachers, have enjoyed a student-led, interactive, hand on experience when they entered this open-pit mine through a simulated tunnel containing track and ore cars to discover scale model replicas of mining equipment and vehicles. The McCaw School of Mines is an established 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing a unique, hands-on educational experience to elementary school students. The goal of the McCaw School of Mines is to introduce students to mining and the importance of the industry to modern society, as well as the role mining has played throughout Nevada's history. The McCaw School of Mines was developed through a collaborative effort between educators, school officials, the business community, the mining industry and local government.
