Transforming Educational Spaces: Insights from Discovery World's CEO BRYAN WUNAR

What if thoughtfully transforming museum spaces could ignite a lifelong passion for learning? Join us as Bryan Wunar, President and CEO of Discovery World, shares his unexpected journey from pre-med student to museum powerhouse. Bryan's story is one of serendipity and passion, ignited by a chance opportunity to teach Newton's laws. Drawing on his past roles at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago to the Adler Planetarium, Bryan provides a compelling look at how museums bridge the gap between formal and informal education, creating unforgettable "wow moments" that spark curiosity and enhance classroom learning.

Learn how Discovery World is breaking down barriers to make educational experiences accessible to all. Bryan details the innovative strategies that have diversified their audience, such as access admission and bus scholarships, enabling families and schools from various demographics to participate.  By listening to community needs, Discovery World has created experiences that resonate deeply with local visitors, such as their water exploration exhibit. This hands-on exhibit underscores the impact of physical interaction in fostering curiosity and understanding, while offering simple yet effective activities that teach scientific concepts in engaging ways.

Explore the transformative power of playful learning and intergenerational experiences in early childhood education. Bryan shares insights on turning unused spaces into interactive areas that inspire young minds and how these initiatives extend beyond museum walls. Highlighting project-based learning and the importance of thematic approaches, Bryan provides valuable resources and practical tips for educators and families.

Tune in to hear how Discovery World is fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and inclusivity, ensuring that learning is both enjoyable and meaningful for all ages.

Discovery World At Home (Free Resources For Families and Educators)
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Bryan Wunar on LinkedIn

00:01:01 From Pre-Med to Museums: Bryan Wunar's Adventures in Learning

00:04:44: Piloting Discovery World Past Covid Challenges to Record-Breaking Attendance

00:09:02: Removing Barriers/Diversifying the Museum Base

00:12:18: Creating Relevant Experiences for Museum Audiences

00:19:16: Not an Engineering Factory: Developing Scientific Thinking in Museum Audiences

00:20:49: Including Play Intentionally and Intergenerationally

00:27:19:

Chapters

• 1:01 From Pre-Med to Museums: Bryan Wunar's Adventures in Learning
• 4:44 Piloting Discovery World Past Covid Challenges to Record-Breaking Attendance
• 9:02 Removing Barriers/Diversifying the Museum Base
• 12:18 Creating Relevant Experiences for Museum Audiences
• 19:16 Not an Engineering Factory: Developing Scientific Thinking in Museum Audiences
• 20:49 Including Play Intentionally and Intergenerationally
• 27:19 Engaging the Early Childhood/Elementary Audience in new ways
• 36:02 Creating a New Vision for the Museum World

Transcript

00:02 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
So welcome to the Adventures in Learning podcast today. If you are into playful learning and STEM and STEAM education, this is the episode for you. We are so fortunate to have Discovery World's President and CEO, Bryan Wunar, on with us today. I met him at the Play Conference in Indiana and I was so blown away by his practical approach to connecting informal and formal education in a playful way. So welcome to the show, Bryan. I'm so happy you're here. 

00:34 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Well, I'm really pleased to be here and I appreciate the invitation and hope that today's a day where we can share some of the kinds of things we do here at Discovery World and encourage others to try and explore the world around them too. 

00:47 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
Well, you know and I saw that you know you've got so much experience that you're bringing to the table. You were at Discovery World, you were at the Museum of Science and Technology in Chicago, right. 

00:58 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Yeah, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. 

01:01 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
You were at the Adler Planetarium, so you're bringing a whole career of bridging formal and informal education together. Before we start, can you tell us a little bit about your adventures in learning? What prompted you to go into this field and how did you get there? 

01:15 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Yeah. So I never intended to go into the museum world. That was not at all my plan. In fact, growing up I always thought that I was going to be a physician, and so I was a pre-med biology major and I was on track, took the MCAT and was going to go to medical school and realized, wow, that is not for me. And both of my parents were teachers and along the way there was never really anyone telling me that I could put my biology background to work in education and there was a little bit of me going. I'm not sure I want to do what mom and dad did, but I stumbled into education. 

01:58
I was working in a lab one day and my supervisor said we got a call from a local school. They're interested in somebody from our department coming out and teaching about Newton's laws. Would you be interested? And I was like, yeah, better than washing test tubes. So I went out and got in with a group of kids and we built a model rocket and I thought, wow, now I know why mom and dad are teachers. 

02:23
And it changed everything for me and from that point forward I thought I really think there's something to education and that's what sort of put me on that path and then eventually I ended up in the museum world, where I found that I could reach a very broad audience and I loved the idea that I could work with a different group of students every day. I could reach so many different kinds of people and I learned the power of museums and that has put me on the path to where I am today, and I think that places like museums and science centers are really unique in the education world where we can do some things you can't do in a classroom, but we can also be very complimentary and very supportive of what happens in classrooms and I think we have the ability to break down some barriers and spark interest in a whole lot of people who maybe don't think that science and technology is for that interest in a whole lot of people who maybe don't think that science and technology is for that. 

03:29 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
Well, you've just hit my museum girl heart in so many ways and I'm sort of laughing as you're telling your story because ours parallels so many ways and I think that's common in the museum world. I was a law school girl but I was going to law school and taking the LSATs, you know was getting myself all set and stumbled into education the same way. Both my parents were in education. It was kind of that I'm not doing that and yeah, went through it from the early childhood standpoint, had worked in, you know, ran my own preschool, and then we moved to Virginia and I wound up at the Discovery Museum here as the director of education and that was where I really started seeing that complimentary thing you were talking about, that we have an opportunity. 

04:07
We used to call it creating the wow moments to create the magic that would light the spark that let the teacher do their job when they got back to school. To add on to that and to build with it. 

04:19 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Yeah, yeah, so no it sounds like we have very similar paths and I don't know many people in the museum world who started with the intent of museums. I think most of us in our field ended up kind of wandering around a little bit and then they found themselves in museums as a way to kind of bring their background to bear and find a way to contribute towards education and find a way to contribute towards education. 

04:44 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
I think you're right and you know I've read about you and I was looking at some stuff where people call you the big ideas, the vision guy, and let's talk a little bit about vision. You know you're sitting at Discovery World. You've got this canvas that you took over just before COVID started, which I've got to imagine was a hard transition, challenge time. How did you make it through COVID and what's your vision for what museums can do today? 

05:12 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Yeah, so COVID was a major challenge and, as you said, I started here, coming from Chicago in late 2019. So the first real big decision as the leader of this museum was to close the museum, and I know a lot of people and a lot of organizations who had to make the same kinds of things. But it was really odd that that was sort of a starting point for me. But one of the things that was really important during that period was, I thought, when the time comes where we can reopen one, we had to think about how could we do that safely and be one of those safer alternatives for families, who we are and what we can be. Let's use this time to be creative and think a little bit differently so that when we come back, we come back even stronger and maybe we play an even more important role in our community. And I think it was great to sort of rally our staff around that. 

06:17
And then when we did not only just reopen but it led to a new long-range plan, it really helped us think about who our audiences are and what are some of the primary things that we need to be focused on. So, for example, it really meant shifting resources in two directions for our audiences. One, when we saw people coming back, particularly families. We were doing a lot for that nine-year-old and that 12-year-old, but there was also that five-year-old that would come along that we were not serving very directly. So we thought what if we put an emphasis on trying to start children even earlier when they're naturally curious, they're asking all those questions exploring their world? Well, let's start fostering that, that. And then let's also start helping parents and caregivers ways to keep that going. And so we, we have shifted a little bit earlier. We didn't give up on that school-age audience, but we thought let's start a little bit earlier. And then the other was we realized that and this is not just discovery world but museums in general very often there are segments of the community that don't see museums as for them. So how do we broaden participation? How do we think about diversifying our audience? How do we make sure that we're understanding the communities that may have been historically excluded from STEM, that may have had limited opportunities and resources, and so how do we think about going beyond our walls, how do we listen to what's happening in the community and then develop our experiences in ways that maybe make us much more valuable? 

07:59
Because now we're serving a much broader audience, we're opening doors, we're part of a support system and not just direct delivery of programming and not just simply a destination, and so that change was very dramatic for our organization, and I think we've seen the benefits of that, too, where not only have we come back strong from COVID, but in 2023, we had the highest attendance we've ever had in the history of our organization, and so far this year, we're ahead of where we were last year. So if we keep this up, we're going to break our record-breaking year, which tells me we're doing something right and we're really serving a need, and maybe we're positioning ourselves as a different kind of community resource, and I'm hoping that that's something that's happening not only here in Milwaukee with Discovery World, but also for all of our peer institutions across the country. We've got a chance to play a different role, and I think we've got an obligation to step up and do that. We're seeing the benefits of it. 

09:02 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
First of all, congratulations, because that's amazing. I want to circle back and get concrete with both of those things, because I think they're really important and resonate, not just for museums but I think also as schools are having to look at how to reinvent themselves, to think about how are you more relevant to the lives of your families? You've got some really good stuff to share, so let's start with diversifying your base. What did that look like specifically Like? Can you give some concrete examples of things that you've done and how you've drawn in new people? 

09:34 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Sure, so I'm a big advocate of using data to make decisions. So much of my career has been thinking like a scientist that I thought we need to put that same approach to practice in terms of how we manage our own organization. If we can't do that for our own work, how should we be encouraging other people to do that too? But some real, concrete examples we found that our traditional audience which probably doesn't come as a surprise from a family perspective was very much a white suburban middle income audience and that's, I think, very much a traditional museum going audience. And so there are a few things that we decided to do was we wanted to find out what are the obstacles that would be preventing people from participating with us, and it meant we needed to go and listen and ask questions and find out. We can't make assumptions and we found out that there are a few very concrete barriers. One sometimes the cost of participation was the reason why people couldn't participate with us. So we instituted an access admission program so that for the families in our community that have a financial need, we offer an extremely reduced admission rate so that that is not the barrier to participation, and in this past year we saw that 10% of our audience came to Discovery World through that program. And so, you know, all of a sudden we went from having a very traditional audience to suddenly seeing that the people at Discovery World, the demographics, looked different. 

11:23
And we thought, okay, that's a starting point, so what else can we do? We thought about the same kind of thing from a school and community-based perspective. We talked with our schools to find out what can we do to be better serving you. And so, from you know, a lot of times people think about a field trip program at museums. Well, transportation was the biggest obstacle. So we established a bus scholarship program. We went to the philanthropic community and we have a number of funders who said we would be very willing to underwrite the cost for doing that. And when we went back to our schools and said if we were able to cover your transportation, would you be willing to utilize us as a resource? And we've seen the rebound effect of our post-COVID school programming come back and I think we're going to see that continue to grow. 

12:14
So that idea of removing barriers was a very concrete approach. 

12:18
The other thing was we needed to make sure that the experiences that we're offering are relevant to the audiences that we're serving, and so I think one of the things that happen in the museum world sometimes we develop for ourselves, we think an idea is cool, we think that that's something everyone should know, and so we create something and it might be great for us or for our staff or for our existing audience, but it is not something that resonates with the audiences that we're trying to reach. 

12:51
So what we did was we tried to better understand what are some of the kinds of approaches we need to take, what are some of the areas we need to explore that open those doors. And one thing that became very clear and I think this goes to our education mission as well sometimes the content topics are very important, but the fostering of the ways of thinking that then can be applied in many different situations suddenly changes the value. So one of the topics that we explore here at Discovery World that's been part of our history from the day we were started is water. We're on the shores of Lake Michigan. Conservation of water is a really big issue for us, but for many of the kids here in Milwaukee they would come to Discovery World, they'd look out the window and they would say two things Is that the ocean they live a couple miles inland from. 

13:50
Lake Michigan but they had never been to Lake Michigan. They had no idea. And then we would talk to them about things like conservation and how, for most of the world, scarcity of fresh water is a real issue. 

14:04
But they'd look out the window and say scarcity, there's all this water right here. What they didn't realize is we're in a very unique situation where we have the luxury of abundance of fresh water, and that means our responsibility is even more increased. Responsibility is even more increased, and so part of what we had to do is not make the assumption that the children we were serving already knew about water and how does it work and what's special about it and why should we take care of it and what's its impact on us and what's our impact on it, and so that has led to a a very different perspective if we were going to encourage them and empower them to play a role in their relationship with water. 

15:16 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
Well, and I love the fact that you're having those conversations with the families and with the kids, because I think that's so important and it applies to teachers as well. You can't make assumptions about the people that you are serving, and it applies to teachers as well. You can't make assumptions about the people that you're serving and often you're going to find different strengths that they bring to the table that you may not realize. That can inform the way that you teach and run your classroom as well. So I love the fact that you use that to inform it. Are there specific components of the exhibit that you're really excited about? Are there children's books you guys are connecting to Tell us a little bit more about the exhibit? I had my toes in Lake Michigan last week. 

15:53 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Okay, yeah, no, Well, Lake Michigan is one of those sort of great places. So we're in the concept phase right now. But one of the things that we're thinking is really important is, if we're going to encourage people to explore water, they have to be able to touch and play with water. We saw a number of things where it was sort of the simulation and the virtual representations of water, and I think there's a role for that. But if we really want people to get involved, they need to have that physical experience. Want people to get involved, they need to have that physical experience. You know, I think it's a good idea to let's let them splash in the water, let them play in the water. 

16:33
We had some questions about, well, you know well what if it spills on the floor. I'm okay with that. We'll design to make sure that the environment can accommodate that Exactly. So one of the things that we're looking at right now is building a giant water table that will allow all of our guests to explore our local watershed, but they'll be able to change variables and see what happens and allow them to experiment right there by watching the changes that happen. 

17:05
Maybe they create a dam in an area and now water is backing up. What does that mean? I also want them to see that water has a lot of really interesting properties. I think one of the things that we saw in the past was we jumped right to the applications of water. What we really needed to do is start from the standpoint of what is water and how does it work. And it's been interesting because even in some of our early work, we've been able to try using some just everyday hands-on activities where, for example, if you had you know, a cup of water and a drinking straw and a penny. 

17:45
And we would say, and a drinking straw and a penny. And we would say, okay, we're going to take that straw and bring up some water. Let's challenge those children. How many drops of water can you fit on the top of a penny? 

17:56 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
Love that one, and of course, they'll be like three. 

17:58 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Okay, well, how do we find out? Well, let's try it, and then they'll do it. And all of a sudden you see children counting. You know 11, 12, 13, 14. And then they're starting to make observations. Wait a minute, there's this bubble, there's this dome on top of the penny, and then all of a sudden it falls off and spills off the edge. Well, they started to make these observations. Then, based on those observations, they change their predictions Based upon those predictions. 

18:25
They change their predictions. Based upon those predictions, they're trying to draw some new conclusions that maybe change their way of thinking about water. And so, in that sense, we started to experiment with those kinds of activities where the starting point was let's help people understand something like surface tension, but in reality they might walk away with an understanding of surface tension as an interesting property of water. But if you become a good observer and you make good predictions and you can draw conclusions from those observations, I think you're better prepared to go out in the world and explore anything, not just water. So we're using those kinds of things to inform our development process, so that in some sense the content becomes the context, and then it's all about developing those habits of mind. 

19:16
How do you become a person who can think like a scientist and an engineer? And we want to expose you to all of those pathways. But we have no expectation. We're not an engineer factory. Every child isn't going to come to Discovery World and then go and get a PhD in physics, sure. But if they can think scientifically, if they can ask good questions, if they can gather information and draw some conclusions, I think that's good for all of us, no matter what pathway that anyone takes, and regardless of what the end career is. Maybe we've opened the door to some careers that children didn't even know existed. But even if it's not a STEM career, if they're thinking that way, I always go back to worst case scenario. Maybe you're an informed voter, maybe you think differently about just personal decisions you're making in your life, and I think that that is something that we're really trying to promote. And then how do we connect that to an appreciation of the world around you and how things work? 

20:17 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
You know, I just recently was at the Dunn Museum outside of Chicago and they were. I loved the thing on their doors. It said arrive curious. And they were. I loved the thing on their doors that said arrive curious. And it got me thinking about that's really what we're trying to foster, those 21st century skills. We're trying to trigger that curiosity, to work with that curiosity and to let people know it's okay to ask those questions, it's okay to make mistakes, to not know the answer, and I think that that's a lovely part of. What museums do you know? 

20:49
As you were talking, I was thinking about some of the things I've done with early childhood connected to water and how so many of those things were designed to foster that inquiry, that sense of I didn't know. You know just through play. Often I would give kids colored water, a pipette and different plates, different surfaces. So you might have one covered in foil, one that's styrofoam and one that's just a regular like bamboo plate and let them just play with what happens when you put the water on the plate and what happens when you have multiple drops. And then, oh look, you've got a stream and you know they think they're playing, but they're really asking questions, they're observing each other, they're comparing and they're coming up with words to go with what they're doing, and I think that that's so valuable and we don't allow enough time, I think, for that kind of play, and so I love the fact that you all are looking intentionally at ways to include play throughout the museum and through this exhibit. 

21:48 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Yeah, and I think it's the kind of learning we want everyone to do. And one of the things I love in our environment is, while, ultimately, that child is the end audience that we're trying to reach, we do a lot of things that are multi-generational, and I love when we sort of have the role reversal where it's the children encouraging the adults to play. Yes, and that it when we sort of have the role reversal where it's the children encouraging the adults to play and that it's okay for them to learn right along with the children, or it's okay for that child to share something that they've learned, that you don't have to be the expert, and in a lot of ways, it makes it even more accessible. If we're at a point where you're making it okay to make mistakes and try again and take some risks. I think we're encouraging that amongst children, and so I think it's a really interesting opportunity for us and I think it is part of what the informal learning community really has to offer. 

22:52 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
You know one of the things when I was at the Discovery Museum in Virginia, I started STEAM nights and we would go out to the community and we'd go within 100, 150 mile radius because we were sort of a rural, we were suburban, but our clients, you know, as you talked about trying to reach out, figure out how to reach people a lot of rural communities where transportation was an issue. So we brought the museum to people and so we would come up with like these themed steam nights and 12 stations usually included that hands on opportunity for discovery. I like to connect things to picture books because that's how I roll, and so multicultural, diverse picture books you'd bring out, set up the stations and then the school would be responsible for providing the people who ran the stations, and often it was the NH, you know, it was the National Honor Society. Kids. You'd have teachers and my favorite thing was to get to go around and observe, because it became intergenerational. 

23:48
These were done in the evening. People brought grandparents, they brought uncles, aunts, and the kid was the leader and that was usually. I would be the one at the door greeting and I would always stop and talk to the kids and go. You're in charge. Make sure your grownups behave and make sure that you're the one that's helping them to learn. Today and you know, said it to the kid with the idea that the message was going to the adult. But I loved that intergenerational learning because people got a chance to see things that they might not have realized their kids could do. Often you would see the dad who would kind of come in with his arms crossed like I can't believe you're dragging me out here. That was the person I had to push out the door at the end of the night, like they couldn't leave the paper airplane center and I'm like this is good, but now I need to go home. 

24:36 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Yeah, well, I love that idea of you know the adult realizing that they didn't know what that child was capable of, and I think in some sense it changes the expectation when you suddenly realize how capable children and young people are and what's possible. 

24:55
And if we give them those opportunities and support them in exploring things and going further, I think more often than not they exceed our expectations and so it's a way to sort of build that up. 

25:07
And I love when we have those kinds of events and those kinds of experiences where the family members become so proud of what the children have been able to do and how we can showcase what they're doing. One of the things I love doing is when we work with schools and we'll be working on project-based learning and they'll be doing things project-based learning and they'll be doing things that are back in the classroom, but we become a venue where they can display the work we've been doing and showcase all the wonderful things that children have been coming up with. And I always say, like, when we open something new in a museum I've done this throughout my career for 30 some years if we open something new, I still invite my mom because I'm so proud and you know, and I still get excited, and she still gets excited, and so when we can do that, there's nothing like having you know, a nine-year-old, showcase what they're doing in a major museum having their family so proud of them as a way to empower them to want to explore further and take that further. 

26:10
And I think that's also a role that we can play. That sometimes gets overlooked. But being that showcase and it's not just showcasing to those families, but nothing like having the general public see what was happening at this particular school or with this particular community organization and to realize that children sharing their learning is a really dynamic public experience for us and we've had really great success with that. 

26:40 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
Well, you know, we talk about, with both project-based learning and problem-based learning, that it's supposed to be authentic. You're supposed to have an authentic reason for doing it, and that's where museums can play. Such an important part is you are that authentic place that kids can create and demonstrate and showcase, and I love the fact that you guys are taking on that role. Yeah. 

27:01 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Yeah, it's so much fun and I think for our staff it's also great, because it allows them to see and remind them a bit of like. This is why we do what we do, and I think having those motivations encourages our team to keep going too. 

27:19 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
Well, I want to circle back a moment to something you said at the start. You talked about how working with school-aged kids was sort of the bread and butter and that was what you all had been doing. But during COVID and as you were planning to come out of COVID, you realized that there was an audience that maybe hadn't been paid attention to before. Early childhood is sort of where I view the world from that's my lens and I love the fact that you are looking at sort of that pre-K to second grade sense. What are some of the things you found that you had to do differently? What are some concrete examples of ways you've managed to engage this audience? Because I think they're some of the coolest little people in the world and I love the way they think. 

28:03 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Yeah, well, there are a couple things in terms of work we've done, as well as some things that are in the works, and I'll tell you a little bit about both of them. So, in terms of things that we've done that are in the works, and I'll tell you a little bit about both of them, so in terms of things that we've done, one right away we thought let's take some open space that we have right now. We had some open real estate in our facility and we thought let's just come up with some real straightforward ways to just start engaging that audience so that we can observe how they're interacting with us, start engaging that audience so that we can observe how they're interacting with us. So one of the things that we did, we thought we talked to a few of our local early childhood education experts and we explored a few different concepts, one of which was children love to build things, and that became something where we thought, okay, how can we do that? Where I remember, you know, as a parent, you know we had Legos and blocks and things like that at home all the time. But how could we do that on a different scale in the museum? So what we did is we ended up bringing in very large scale foam blocks of all different shapes and allowing them to start constructing their own ideas. So it wasn't prescribed, but we wrapped the space in a really fun way, using graphics, through sort of the lens of some of like the kinds of things that we have behind us. 

29:31
But what we did is we took iconic architecture from around Milwaukee and we kind of put it through that sort of animated lens, and then what we tried to do is identify what are some shapes and structures that are specific to some of those iconic buildings and then ask questions like are shapes important in terms of how you build things? So there's the free form you can build whatever you want. But even within that, did you find let's, so let's, let's connect geometry. All of a sudden did you find that certain shapes allowed certain things to happen, and so we ended up giving them all this opportunity to explore, but then to relate it to architecture and engineering in the real world, and what we were finding was four and five year olds were very quickly identifying the same kinds of things that engineers are doing all the time, and so we thought let's use this as a chance to just explore and just like when I was saying we were doing activities related to the water. 

30:43
One of the things that we did when I saw you in Indiana was a construction activity. Yes, same kind of thing where how do we use everyday materials? Here in the museum, we can create giant foam blocks, but what could you do at home on the dining room table? That extends that experience. So things like how do we take something as simple as index cards and make that challenge of can you build a structure that can hold a certain amount of weight or that can reach a certain height? And then you start to watch children be real creative and very quickly we find things like can I change the shape of the card? Well, of course you can. Well, triangles are really strong and you find that out very quickly. Or cylinders can hold a lot of weight. 

31:43
And now we've got five-year-olds that are relating geometry to physics principles in a way that it's not about the equation, it's not about calculating, but conceptually they're realizing when you change the shape, that might actually improve the quality of the structure to accomplish the goal and solve the problem at hand. 

32:06
So we've done a lot of those kinds of things on a large scale. But then we try to think about how do we bring that to an everyday, using everyday materials. Again, a parent or caregiver, a teacher, an after-school program educator, wherever you happen to be, you can still keep these things going. They don't just have to happen inside a museum like Discovery World, they don't just have to happen in a classroom, but they can happen anywhere using everyday things. So as we went through that process, we realized that part of what we want to do is create some very dedicated spaces that are very appropriate for a younger audience. But then we also want to see how can we take that strand across a lot of our other experiences. So if that family does go to another exhibit, what's the element of that? 

33:01
that connects that younger child to the way of thinking and to the subject matter we're exploring in that exhibit, so that they're not just sort of on the sidelines while their older siblings are exploring, but there's something that's there for them and then maybe there's that chance for that family unit to be able to learn and explore together. So we're going to be dedicating some spaces throughout Discovery World and then we're also trying to expand that through our other experiences and then we're building it into our programming. So one thing we're really proud of here at Discovery World we have one of the largest museum-based science summer camp programs. Last year we served almost 1,700 students in our summer camp camps for that K-2 audience and they were the first ones to sell out. 

33:55 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
Yep. 

33:56 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
And so we thought, okay, we need to build off of that. And then we built in a scholarship program so that we can make sure that. Again back to where I was saying we're moving barriers, how do we make sure that these are programs that are accessible to all of our audiences across all of our communities? And so one of the things that we will be doing this summer is some very specific, structured, in-depth experiences with that younger audience that we hope it's a really great experience for those particular children, but we're going to use it as a chance to learn from that, to inform how are we going to build out these new spaces? And then how are we going to do some things that make sure that, wherever we are, we're thinking about early learning as part of all of our experiences. And then those places that have always been appealing to that we are, as part of Discovery World, we also host the Ryman Aquarium, which is the largest aquarium in the state of Wisconsin, and so we know that things like a living collection can have huge appeal for a younger audience. 

35:07
But how do we capture that and build off of that? So it's not just that initial aha moment of I got to touch a stingray. But then how do we turn that into something that is extended well beyond just your time with us? How are those things that you know? What's the discussion in the car when you leave, or at the dinner table that night or gives you reason to think about? Where else might you explore If you go out in your backyard? How might you find some things? And that way it's not just science learning in the way that we want to happen. We don't want it to just happen when you're with us. We want it to be something that can happen at any moment, no matter where you are, and I think we're on to something with that, and I think over the next couple of years, if where you are, and I think we're on to something with that, and I think over the next couple of years, if we do this right, I think we're going to revolutionize the role we're playing. 

36:02 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
I love that, and that sort of segues into sort of the big question I want to ask you, which is, as you're looking at, the future of this scientific learning, this hands-on learning, what would be some of the big things that you hope to see happen, not just at Discovery World but across the industry? 

36:23 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Well, one of the things that I think is interesting. You know, oftentimes in the museum world we shy away from things like standards. You know where we say things like. 

36:34
You know nobody fails a museum, you know and we're not about teaching to a test and we're not about covering content or coverage of the curriculum, but I do think in the next generation science standards there are just really great examples of good teaching and learning that should play out everywhere, and some of those are things that have happened in science centers and learning that should play out everywhere, and some of those are things that have happened in science centers and museums for a very long time. So the idea of cross-cutting concepts- and making connections across disciplines, broad themes. 

37:11
You might come to a place like Discovery World and you might go to three different exhibit galleries and have three different experiences, but if you can find that connection where experience one connects to two, connects to three, even though those were three completely independent things, that's a huge win for us from a learning standpoint. So I think that thematic approach and using those cross-cutting concepts so big ideas like energy is something that we're exploring, a lot of skills-based exploration. So when we're thinking about things like the science and engineering practices, if we really want to encourage learning, giving young people the chance to think like scientists and engineers is something we have to all be able to do. They need to have a chance to not only understand what that means but to put that to practice. So how do we make sure that we're designing experiences, that we're designing curriculum resources that allow all of those children to step into the shoes of that engineer or of that scientist and to do that in a way that makes that very real for them, that gives them the chance to explore and gives them the chance to sort of play around with science, but then help them see how that's directly related to things that they're encountering in their life. 

38:36
I love the fact that we have a Tesla coil downstairs you can put your hand in and people are like, oh, I'm touching lightning. Well, I love that, but how do we relate that to every day? We flip the switch, the light goes on. How does that happen? Yes, and if we can make those kinds of connections and then encourage children to be asking the questions of? Well, if that's how that happens, I wonder why this happens. Or I wonder how we do that. Well, let's find out. 

39:06
And so, if we can help kids ask good questions, if we can help them define problems and design solutions to those problems, I think those are the things that really change the role that we play, and it means that we're supporting every child to go out and be more ready to go out into the world, regardless of the career path that they take, regardless of the end result, and I think it's the kind of thing that really changes everything for both the audiences that we're committed to serving, as well as how we function as an organization. And so I think it's a really exciting time for science centers and museums, and I hope that this is just the beginning of where we're going to go. I hope that this is just the beginning of where we're going to go. 

39:54 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
I think you're right and I think that there really is a golden age opening up for children's museums and science centers. That hands-on learning is just going to become more and more important and, as you said, it's one of those places that can bring us together as well, and I think that, in a time where we're so hugely divided, we need all the things we can get that will bring us together and help us to form communities. So I love that you all are doing that. Folks, if you're in Milwaukee, you absolutely need to go visit Discovery World. But, brian, let's say that we're far away from Discovery World. Are there ways that people can interact with you all online or connect with the museum? 

40:36 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Yes, so if you go to discoveryworldorg, that'll tell you all about our museum, but there'sa section that is called Discovery World at Home. So the kinds of activities that I was talking about. We have a whole library of resources that use everyday materials, that are easy to implement and they're all available for free and it's a way that you can tap into not only what we have but you can make sure that you're encouraging science learning wherever you are around the country, around the world, and if we can be a resource for that, I think that's great. 

41:13
We also have some virtual experiences online. We're doing more in the social media realm, so there are a number of ways that you can get involved with us too, but I think discoveryworldorg is a great starting point. 

41:27 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
So, families, teachers, this is your chance to add another tool to your tool belt to really take advantage of Discovery World and also to check out the museum in your own local community, because there is this trend in providing really solid hands on education and, brian, thank you for being at the front of that. 

41:50 - Bryan Wunar (Guest)
Well, thank you so much and thanks for helping to get the word out. 

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