Small World

Photograph by Peter Hutson

At Exploris, a new educational center in Raleigh, N.C., youngsters are taught that the world is in their hands.

Through exhibits on the environment, global trade, and cultures around the world, people are encouraged to learn about major issues — and to take steps to make things better.

“Life’s not a spectator sport,” says Anne Bryan, the center’s president and co-founder. “Each of us has a role to play, and we hope we’re giving visitors an understanding of how they can get involved.”

The exhibits are aimed at kids age 8 to 14, but the center has been attracting plenty of older and younger visitors.

Among the exhibits: “Culture Boxes” features big drawers, each filled with items used in the daily life of someone in another part of the world. And series of rooms and closets — from a Japanese bathroom to a Lebanese pantry — shows how the global economy works. Computers located nearby ask questions such as, “What would be missing from this room if all the coconuts in Venezuela rolled into the sea?”

In the “Take Action” exhibit, people can listen to live news broadcasts from 42 countries, and an interactive exhibit lets people offer their opinions on various topics. After the votes are tallied, the results are sent to members of Congress and other decision makers worldwide.

In the exhibit shown here, children learn the importance of working as a team. A globe sits at the bottom of a Plexiglas tube with holes in the sides. A draft of air rises continually from below the globe, and when several visitors join together to plug up holes, the globe rises — a feat that one person alone could not accomplish.