Discovery Museum seeks $1.6M investment to double its elementary school STEM workshops in five years
Acton, MA – Discovery Museum announced an ambitious plan to double the size of its Traveling Science Workshops program to serve 120,000 students in their classrooms with hands-on STEM by 2030 and is seeking a $1.6M catalyst investment to fund the growth.
Traveling Science Workshops (TSW) are state curriculum-aligned, small group, in-classroom workshops that use simple, everyday materials and a hands-on approach to allow students to be scientists by exploring, observing, asking questions, and sharing discoveries. Museum educators deliver workshops on 23 STEM topics—including Sound, Weather & Climate, Physical Changes of Matter, and Force & Motion—to give elementary and middle school students direct experience with how things work in the physical world. It is the only classroom-based program of its kind in Massachusetts.
Discovery Museum has offered TSW for 34 years; the program has grown 183% in the past six years alone. In 2024, 60,000 PreK through 8th grade students in 123 towns experienced a Traveling Science Workshop.
“With federal policy slashing public education budgets, questions about the truth of science running rampant, and an urgent need for creative, collaborative, open-minded problem-solving across our society, we believe now is the time to ramp up the reach of TSW,” said Discovery Museum CEO Marie Beam. “Our open-ended workshop experiences change children’s attitudes about their own capacity, their ability to “do science,” and to think scientifically—they build confidence. And because we travel to school classrooms, we can reach every student without regard to learning difference, English language fluency, disposition about science, family economic status, or access to transportation.”
The $1.6M investment the Museum is seeking will go towards establishing two new regional hubs to better serve the north shore and south shore regions of the state, additional staff and science materials, and a greater number of subsidized workshops to expand access in underserved districts. More information can be found on the Museum’s website.
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About Discovery Museum
Discovery Museum is a hands-on museum for families that blends science, nature, and play. The museum and its Discovery Woods accessible outdoor nature playscape and giant treehouse blend the best of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) learning on a beautiful 4.5-acre campus abutting 180 acres of conservation land in Acton, MA, about 20 miles west of Boston. Originally founded in 1982 and expanded to two museums in 1987, the museum reopened in a single, 16,000sf accessible building after a complete renovation and expansion in early 2018. Hands-on, open-ended exhibits developed by professional educators inspire curiosity and exploration, providing a fun and engaging experience for children and adults to discover their world together. Serving families and schools from towns throughout the region, the museum is devoted to informal education that enhances classroom learning. Discovery Museum is committed to accessibility and is a proud recipient of the Massachusetts Commonwealth Award, the only winner in the Access category, and a LEAD® Community Asset Award from The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
In 2024 Discovery Museum was awarded a National Medal for Museum Service from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the nation’s highest honor awarded to museums that make “significant and exceptional contributions to their communities.” Discovery Museum is a community-supported non-profit organization.
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