By Shannon Sullivan
At Sacramento Children’s Museum, role models don’t just live on a wall or in a single exhibit. They’re built into the interactive ecosystem where children, caregivers, staff, and community partners experience STEM together. Deputy Director Meghan Toland says joining the IF/THEN® Champions Network has helped the museum create new ways to emphasize role models and representation.
People become interested when they can understand a professional’s pathway into STEM. One of the goals of the Champions Network is to help museum visitors encounter real women working in STEM and understand the variety of STEM fields.
Toland first encountered the Champions Network while exploring ASTC’s resources to strengthen the Sacramento Children’s Museum’s work. She says that the Champions Network has proven to be an important way to help the small organization’s activities and experiences go farther. “We’ve really leaned into using [Champions Network] resources to amplify what we have here and what we can do here.”
The museum has used the free resources, such as materials and exhibits featuring IF/THEN® Ambassadors, to create or boost opportunities for families to explore STEM together. For Toland, one of the most powerful moments came when she happened to see a father and daughter looking at a display featuring the 125 Ambassadors, diverse women in STEM. The two excitedly pointed out multiple professionals who looked like the little girl. “I’m so glad I happened to walk by when it was happening because I ran to my boss and said: this is exactly why we’re doing this.”
Connecting Exhibits, Play, and Real Scientists
The museum has also found ways to integrate Champions Network resources throughout its existing experiences rather than treating them as stand-alone additions.
In the exhibit Mission: Imagination Challenge, children use recycled materials and challenge cards to design and build solutions. A child might be building something in the exhibit and then staff will encourage them to look nearby at the images of real scientists. Staff help make the connections clear by pointing out that these are real people, with real STEM careers, doing work related to the kinds of problems children are exploring through play.
The museum is also developing building challenges inspired by the scientists featured in its displays. For example, children might be challenged to build something that could protect people during an earthquake, inspired by IF/THEN® Ambassador Dr. Wendy Bohon, a California-based geologist featured in a Champions Network exhibit kit. This cross-promotion helps turn representation into conversation, and conversation into play.
IF/THEN® as a Catalyst
One of the keys to Sacramento Children’s Museum’s success has been staff engagement. Toland describes the Champions Network as both aligned with the museum’s existing values and something that has helped strengthen those values among the team. She says that connection builds enthusiasm which translates into practice—staff guide children toward Champions Network displays and incorporate STEM role models into conversations about what the children are creating.
When the museum connected with Dr. Bohon through the Champions Network, Toland says the team was eager to meet and engage with her when she participated in their Pop Into STEM event this past July. For a small museum, these local and regional connections can be particularly meaningful. A national resource can open the door, but a local STEM professional can make the experience personal and ongoing. The museum is looking forward to Dr. Bohon returning for another event in October.
Toland also says the museum has been able to use its Champions Network resources when talking with financial supporters about the importance of STEM programming. The museum recently received a large grant to support ongoing STEM programming, and the Champions Network materials and partnerships helped the team demonstrate that STEM is a sustained priority for the museum.
At Sacramento Children’s Museum, Toland believes the biggest impact has come from weaving representation into a community of relationships. An image can show a child what a scientist looks like. A game can let them explore a problem a scientist might solve. But a conversation with a scientist can make that career feel tangible and help a child imagine that they might belong in that world, too.
The IF/THEN® Champions Network is an ASTC initiative in partnership with the National Girls Collaborative Project and funded by Lyda Hill Philanthropies. We support science centers and museums in connecting audiences with inspiring STEM role models and creating experiences that encourage young people to see themselves in STEM. Through exhibition development, collaboration, and resources, the Champions Network helps institutions build more engaging and representative STEM experiences. Questions? Email IfThen@astc.org.