Museums in Education: Do They Matter?

What is the value of a science museum? Do they really make a difference?

These are valid questions that I have heard even in my short time thus far as the director of a science museum. These questions are valid and need to be answered. For many, a museum appears to be a stagnant building that people visit, look around, and leave. The problem is that the majority of the museum's efforts are not seen by the casual observer. A family making a weekend trip to a science museum like Imagination Station will not see the numerous programs, workshops, and other educational opportunities the museum has to offer. I know, I used to be one. I think many times those in the museum bubble simply forget that the average person doesn't know the in's and outs of the museum world. Undoubtedly, it is the job of the museum to bridge that gap in understanding, not vice versa. We need to be able to justify our existence.

Until I became an educator in a museum I had no idea that so much was going on inside that "stagnant" building. Thousands of students get to experience science in ways a classroom simply can't offer. A museum has the resources that a school system can't. A school system can't keep tanks of Liquid Nitrogen, numerous live reptiles, and much more. A science museum, however, offers a centralized location with specialized equipment that schools can use to accomplish their science education curriculum.

Of course, there are also thousands of students served by our Science on Wheels outreach program, thousands more by our Smart Start preschool science programs and our Merck Pharmaceuticals professional development grant for teachers in the area of science education.

So, next time you drive by, or walk by, what appears to be a dormant building know that the place is most likely buzzing with activity; you just may not see it.