We create experiences and share what we learn.

Every day, and with every encounter, we co-create our exhibits with our audience. Children are active participants in their world, so we invite them to be active participants in everything at the Museum. We are constantly learning from our audience. We use what we learn to improve our own programs, but that’s only the beginning.

We provide an opportunity for children to have an immersive experience in the Museum’s approach to learning through our Opal School, a private preschool (ages 3–6) and public charter elementary school (grades K–5). Opal School serves as a resource for teacher-research by supporting and provoking fresh thinking about learning environments that inspire playful inquiry, creativity, imagination, and the wonder of learning in children and adults.

Through our Museum Center for Learning, we make visible the ways children think, imagine, design, invent, and create when given intelligent materials, including the tools of the arts and sciences. We share our experiences through professional development workshops, educational materials, and our annual Summer Symposium.