Science Museum of Minnesota

Museum experiences:the Science Museum of Minnesota (smm) is a premiere attraction in downtown st. paul that engages hundreds of thousands of visitors annually in the joy, and wonders, of Science, technology, and our natural world.though most known for our expansive campus full of artifacts, interactive exhibits, and the all-digital omni theater, smm is also respected both nationally and internationally for our stem education programming, world-class scientists, and advocacy for a more ecological approach to public policy. For example, our st. croix watershed research station is currently leading research on the impact of climate change, nutrient pollution and road salt on the health of our lakes and rivers. Through this work, and in partnership with federal, indigenous, and state partners, we are working to find innovative solutions to the most significant ecological issues facing our watersheds.meanwhile, our kitty andersen youth Science center is an oft-emulated model for how to engage young people in Science, technology, engineering and math. By creating a pathway for students to advance through our programming from the littlest of learners to the oldest, we not only instill in young people the sense that they can become scientists, but also build the skills required to launch a meaningful career.in fy24, there were over 3.6 million engagements through onsite, online, offsite, and outreach programming in fy24. - 533,000 were direct engagements our audience had through face-to-face experiences at the Museum, outreach at schools and community events. - there were 2.4 million digital engagements through content on our website, as well as through email and social media.

The work of the Science Museum's center for research and collections (crc) is making an impact. Members of the center of research and collections (crc) turn on the Science by exploring the world around us, bringing together all our scientific disciplines (anthropology, biology, collections stewardship, paleontology, water research) to synergistically amplify the impacts of our research, and partnering with departments across the Museum to share these impacts with multiple audiences. Science Museum scientists are in the field and lab collecting and analyzing samples and objects that impact decisions to improve water quality, teach us about the world around us, and contribute to global knowledge and help with workforce development. Our staff care for a collection of about two million objects and through their research learn about the world around us so that we can make informed decisions moving forward. Caring for the Museum's collections while making them accessible to broad audiences was a focus of fy24. Key Science project in fy24 included1. Digitizing the Museum's collections is an institutional strategic priority. In fy24 we continued to digitize records and imaged objects through several projects including the imls-funded wannagan creek and chiapas projects, nsf-funded neotoma project, legacy amendment collections access project, the mpca cannon river project, lccmr-funded bioatlas, community curator, and the pine needles artist in residency program. In total, we digitized 5,700 object catalog records and added 3,478 images of fossils, sediment cores, seeds, mayan textiles, mammal specimens, and objects from recent archaeological surveys. 2. Hosting native american community visits to the collection for consultations and elevating the awareness of our collections. In fy24, we worked with dakota and ojibwe community members, elders, and tribal historic preservation officers3. Collecting and examining cretaceous leaves to build toward a new climate study that could extend Minnesota's climate data at least 90 million years further into the past. 4. Adding to our existing fossil collections from both sides of the mass extinction event 66 million years ago. Studying the invasive diatom didymosphenia in streams along the north shore of lake superior. 5. Understanding how harmful algal blooms form in relatively pristine ecosystems like the boundary waters and superior national forest. 6. Studying the impacts of rising salt levels in Minnesota lakes. 7. Inventory and digitization of ethnographic seed collection, following community interest and feedback from community conversations. 8. Inventory and digitization of textiles and other ethnographic collections from highland maya communities of chiapas, mexico, and working with cultural advisors locally and in chiapas to ensure the records are accessible and useful for maya weavers. 9. Continuing 20-year partnership with the national park service's great lakes inventory and monitoring network to monitor water quality and guide aquatic resource management in seven upper midwest national park units.

Stem equity & education:as one of the largest providers of informal Science education the Science Museum provides a host of programs to help address opportunity gaps in k-12 stem education and connect the dots from a childhood interest in stem to pursuing advanced education and careers. Fy24 continued to build on in-person programming, with engagements increasing, most notably among school outreach and off-site programming. Here are some of the k-12 programming highlights:1. Stem education instructors and specialists traveled statewide to deliver programming logging nearly 16,500 miles, more than 40,000 engagements, and reaching students in 54 Minnesota counties. Programming occurred as close as 1 mile away in st. paul and as far as 330 miles away in east grand forks. The willingness and capability to travel remains a unique part of smm's educational programming that directly supports equity and access to stem programming in Minnesota. 2. The Museum supported 64,000 field trip engagements in fy24 and worked to clarify communication processes with schools to improve the overall field trip experience. 3. The Museum's education opportunity awards financially supported almost 10,000 students in fy24. Awards connect students with Science Museum of Minnesota programming by providing financial support for buses to attend field trips and reduced pricing for assemblies and residencies. The education opportunity awards also supported students visiting on the Science is all of us celebration days. 4. The Museum's ideal center delivered professional development for educators and reached almost 400 k-12 educators from 12 Minnesota counties in fy24.

Other program services include unallocated costs including communications and marketing, volunteers, and evaluation and other activities to support Museum members and visitors.