Sylvia Goodman

Sylvia Goodman was the driving force behind the construction of the Sci-Port Discovery Center, a 67,000 square foot hands-on science center designed to enrich the lives of children in the area of science. Goodman is diligently working to resolve the need for supplementary science education in the state and provide wonderful educational opportunities.

In 1991, Goodman began raising the money to design and construct a $20 million permanent science center through both public and private funding. Through her fund-raising efforts, an interim science center was established in 1994 that has served over 300,000 children. Even with the success of the current interim center, Goodman continued to direct the process of creating a permanent center.

From 1991-1997, she led the political effort to acquire seven million dollars of city funding matched by $8.5 million dollars of state funding for the construction of the permanent science center. At her expense, Goodman lobbied legislators and traveled around the country to negotiate contracts and get the project off the ground. She served as building and exhibits chair as well as president of the boards of directors. Goodman traveled to science centers around the country and abroad to gain the expertise to design and plan the building and exhibits. All of this work was done at Goodman's own expense.

Goodman was at the helm of every aspect of the science center. As a result of her efforts, the Sci-Port Discovery Center opened at the end of November 1998. Every effort she made for the children of Shreveport was done on a volunteer basis. Goodman's love for science and children provided the drive and determination that brought the dream of the science center to a reality.