Collaboration between the Exploratorium Museum (San Francisco) and the University of Chicago MRSEC in Educational Outrea
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Collaboration between the Exploratorium Museum (San Francisco) and the University of Chicago MRSEC in Educational Outreach Programs Eileen Sheu1, Heinrich Jaeger1,2, Sidney Nagel1,2, Barry Kluger-Bell3, Shawn Lani3, and Charles Sowers3 1 James Franck Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637 2 Dept. of Physics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637 3 Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA, 94123
ABSTRACT Science centers and museums have long been at the forefront of communicating the wonder of science to the general public and the K-12 school community. Interactions between the Exploratorium Museum (San Francisco, CA) and the University of Chicago MRSEC are described in this paper. The Exploratorium-organized NEO program—part of the NSFsponsored NISE network—has greatly influenced the Univ. of Chicago's approach to its materials science course for teachers and helped them incorporate inquiry more deliberately into their after-school science clubs. Also, Exhibit Developers at the Exploratorium collaborate with scientists at the Univ. of Chicago to design exhibits that explain contemporary cutting-edge research in materials. These exhibits emphasize the wonder and beauty of common phenomena that one rarely stops to notice but which leads to deep scientific inquiry. INTRODUCTION The integration of research with education and outreach is an essential aspect of the University of Chicago MRSEC’s mission. As an NSF-funded Center, it is committed to both communicating the processes and results of research to the general public and to broadening participation in the physical and materials sciences, especially in underrepresented groups. However, given limitations of time, funds, and personnel, effective use of our resources requires a deliberate focusing of our efforts. This paper describes our adoption, through our interactions with the Exploratorium’s NEO program—part of the NSF funded NISE network--of a researchinspired, inquiry-based approach to our outreach programming, and the Exploratorium-led program that catalyzed it. We also describe the collaboration between exhibit developers at the Exploratorium and researchers at the Chicago MRSEC to develop exhibits to be displayed on the museum floor. Science museums are a natural venue for high impact public outreach. In successful collaborations, not only can researchers reach much larger audiences (the Exploratorium, for example, attracts 530,000 visitors per year, with over half of the visitors adults) but museum staff can offer researchers assistance in presenting their science in a manner that captivates audience imagination. This presumes, however, that there is agreement about the purpose of the presentation and the level and type of content presented. In the best possible collaborations, there is a synergy of approaches, agreement about the level of presentation of the science, and similar goals for visitor experiences.
The Exploratorium’s approach to informal science education resonates particularly well with the University of Chicago MRSEC’
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