The sciencenter, in partnership with the national informal stem education network, proposes a professional development project for museum practitioners in service of early childhood learning

The Sciencenter Discovery Museum received a $999,539 Project Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the 21st Century Museum Professional Program (CFDA 45.032) beginning October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. The award supports a three-year professional development initiative in partnership with the National Informal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Network. The project will engage 30 pairs of museum practitioners and local community partners through six-month professional learning communities designed to strengthen their capacity to deliver family engagement programming in STEM across all audiences. Museum-community partner pairs will collaborate within cohorts to plan, develop, and implement early childhood STEM programs while building reciprocal partnerships that address local needs.

The project will generate two primary deliverables to extend impact across the museum field: online workshops and a digital toolkit will be developed and made widely available to reach additional practitioners beyond the direct cohort participants. By strengthening local partnerships and connecting museums with evidence-based resources, the initiative aims to build field-wide capacity to serve early childhood and family learning needs across the museum sector. The resources and professional development model will support museums in developing relevant, inclusive STEM programming for diverse audiences while fostering sustainable community collaborations.

This three-year project will engage 30 pairs of museum practitioners and local community partners in six-month professional learning communities to increase their capacity to provide relevant family engagement in stem for all audiences. Museum-community partner pairs will collaborate within a cohort of their peers to plan, develop, and implement early stem programs while growing a reciprocal partnership. This project will build field-wide capacity to address early childhood needs by strengthening local partnerships and connecting museums with effective, evidence-based resources. Online workshops and a digital toolkit will be made widely available to reach additional practitioners and enrich early childhood and family learning across the museum field.