Interviewed by Joelle Seligson

This interview appeared in the November/December 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine.

Laddie and Jim Elwell grew up in the Eastern United States with ready access to museums. When they noticed a lack of such resources near Bemidji, the small Minnesota town they now call home, the couple took action. This year Laddie and Jim are retiring as executive director and financial officer, respectively, of Headwaters Science Center (HSC), which they opened 18 years ago. They spoke with Dimensions about their grassroots effort and how ASTC has helped them along the way.

Read the full transcript, or listen to the podcast.

This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the November/December 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine.

My ideal museum experience is memorable. It requires only one cool exhibit experience where I spend significant time, engaged in a way that taps into previous interests and expands my thinking. It makes me wonder about something and allows me to explore an idea viscerally, using my hands—even my full body. Connecting with others (family, friends, or a museum educator) around the phenomenon is important, too, as it shapes and grows my own perspective. Yet I have to own the activity, by directing next steps and reflecting on what I did and learned. Ideally, I’ve embodied a concept, had my interest piqued, and am primed to explore further. In fact, my ideal museum experience is more than memorable. I’ve come to care.

Tracey Wright, senior researcher and developer, TERC, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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IN THIS ISSUE
September/October 2012

Rapid innovations are continually impacting society and our daily lives. Science centers have an important role to play as a link between innovators and the public, a guide that helps communities navigate a constantly changing world, and a safe place for visitors to unleash their own creativity and imagination. In this issue, we look at innovation from multiple perspectives—from how science centers are fostering new innovators and highlighting innovation in their communities and beyond, to how they are applying innovative technology and new research to enhance learning within their walls.

Contents

• Nurturing the Innovator’s Mindset, by Tim Ritchie
• Why Talk About Innovation in Science Museums?, by Erika Kiessner
• Inspiring Visitors to Tinker, Create, and Innovate
• A Science Center’s Role in Innovation During Changing Times, by Kate Bennett, Debra A. Jacobson, and Calvin Uzelmeier
• Born in Israel: Showcasing Our Innovations, by Maya Halevy, Varda Gur Ben Shitrit, and Dea Brokman
• Augmented Hands-On Exhibits, by Karen Elinich
• How New Family Learning Research Can Inform Innovative Programming, by Heather Toomey Zimmerman

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By Tim Ritchie
From Dimensions
September/October 2012

Everyone agrees that it will require an enormous commitment to innovation for humankind to survive (and thrive!) on our fragile planet. But to what must our communities, and our nations, commit in order to foster world-changing innovation? What roles can science centers play in nurturing innovators and encouraging innovation?

We think about these questions a great deal at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California. We are located in the heart of Silicon Valley, so if anyone should be able to describe what it takes to nurture innovation, we should.

One of the Tech’s Board members challenged his associates at Bain & Company (a management consulting firm) to identify why innovation flourishes in Silicon Valley. The unpublished Bain report describes the habits and mindset of successful innovators and the ecosystem that nurtures innovation. This article focuses on the innovator’s mindset, because every science center can do a number of things to develop that mindset. I also briefly describe the ecosystem that innovators need in order to succeed. In some cases, science centers can play a role in nurturing that environment as well. (more…)

This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the September/October 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine.

Science center and museum professionals from around the world share ways that they are engaging visitors in hands-on innovation.

 
In July 2012, the Exploratorium launched its Global Tinkering Studio Initiative at the Saudi Aramco Cultural Program, an annual science festival in al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Informed by 10 years of educational research and development, the Tinkering Studio invited visitors to build, hack, invent, and “think with their hands” while working on individual creations that explore the natural world. As part of the festival, the Exploratorium’s master tinkerers held professional development workshops to immerse local educators in the Exploratorium’s approach to tinkering as a way of learning.

At the Exploratorium’s new home on the San Francisco waterfront in 2013, an even more expanded Tinkering Studio will be at the heart of the museum, directly across from the Machine Shop where all the museum’s exhibits are made.

Linda Dackman, public information director, Exploratorium, San Francisco
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