The Impact of Playful Learning and STEAM at WOW! Children's Museum with Joanna Cagan

Show Notes: 

Dive into a world where play meets innovation! Discover how WOW! Children's Museum is reshaping STEAM education, fostering creativity, and bridging the gender gap in science for young learners -- even in an increasingly challenging landscape.

Join us as we step into a world of wonder and imagination with Joanna Cagan, WOW's inspiring executive director. For nearly three decades, this museum has been a beacon of curiosity and creativity in Colorado, focusing on playful learning and STEM/STEAM education. 

In this episode, Joanna shares her journey and reveals how WOW! is adapting to community needs with innovative spaces, programs, and exhibits. We highlight the transformative Girls in Science event, designed to empower young girls and address the gender gap in STEM fields. Despite funding challenges, WOW! remains committed to inclusivity and making STEM and STEAM accessible to all. Discover how you can help support this mission and ignite a passion for learning in the next generation.

Chapters & Timestamps: 

1:02: Inspiring Learning Through Play and STEM/STEAM 

8:18: Celebrating Girls in Science 

14:40: Joanna Cagan's Adventures in Learning

20:54: Empowering Communities, Families, and Youth Through Play and STEM/STEAM

Links: 

• Visit WOW! Children's Museum: 
• Donate or Help Out with Girls in Science and other events
• Register for the Girls in Science Event on March 7 

Get Involved: 

Whether you're in Colorado or elsewhere, support your local children's museums, art museums, nature centers, and zoos. Let's spark curiosity and discovery in the next generation together!

Transcript

00:02 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
So welcome to today's edition of the Adventures in Learning podcast. If you know me, this mission is going to sound real familiar to you. To inspire every child's learning and curiosity through play that's my mission, but it also happens to be the mission of wow Worlds of Wonder Children's Museum in Colorado, and we are so lucky to get to talk to Joanna Cagan today. She's their executive director. They're doing amazing things there, including a Girls in Science event that's coming up, and so I want to talk about the importance of STEM and STEAM with them, the idea of learning through play, and to zero in on why this Girls in STEM event is so important. So, joanna, welcome to the show. 

00:46 - Joanna Cagan (Guest)
Thank you. I'm so excited to be here, Diane, and really appreciate you having us on. 

00:51 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
I am so excited to have you on as well. Children's museums are my lifeblood and you are my heroes. You do such important work. Can you talk a little bit about your museum and how long it has been in Lafayette, Colorado? 

01:05 - Joanna Cagan (Guest)
Sure, well, wow is a longstanding community treasure, if I do say so myself. We've been here in our current location in an old firehouse in Lafayette for 20 years, but we've been in existence as a nonprofit children's museum for 29 years. We've been in existence as a nonprofit children's museum for 29 years, so 2026 will be a really big celebratory year for us as we hit 30 years. 

01:30 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
For a small, community-based nonprofit, that's something to really be proud of Absolutely and talk about sort of how you all have changed in that 30 years. 

01:40 - Joanna Cagan (Guest)
Yeah. 

01:41
So we started as an inspiration, an idea from a husband and wife couple who wanted a place where children could do hands-on learning. 

01:50
You know they knew that that was the best kind of learning for kids, Wanted a place also where community could come together, recognize the need in people's busy lives and in far-flung parent and caregiver lives where there could be a place where children could gather and get to know each other and learn together and play together and really tap into all of the sort of holistic aspects of childhood right the arts and STEM and music and social emotional growth, and so I can't imagine what that's like to have that idea and succeed in it. 

02:23
But they did, you know, nearly 30 years ago, and so it was, by necessity, based on what they had access to back in the day before. They had public funding and grants and membership base and all of the things that have evolved over the years as we've become a sort of trusted resource in our community. So we've moved locations, we've expanded our physical footprint, we've sort of streamlined a style. I think that really creates exhibits that are STEM or STEAM focused but allow for the different aspects of childhood play so that we can meet young learners where they are, and so it might be that someone is very interested in the literal goings-on of our mini bank exhibit, and that means counting the money and putting it through the pneumatic tube to send it to the little teller car where you can make a deposit. 

03:25
Yeah, but, it also might mean that a child who's really emphasizing the creative play and collaborative play takes those coins, takes the money and the early numeracy activities we have and brings them to our ship, because what we set up as a numeracy exhibit and the M in STEM is instead going to become something about sailing the seven seas and having the funds to pay for it. 

03:54
We don't limit children's exploration, we encourage it, and so I think we've grown as children's explorations have grown, and it's through community feedback that we've built up what we have. One of our newest exhibits, for example, came about from focus groups of families who said they love the opportunities for play, but sometimes the littlest explorers feel a little overwhelmed by the bigger kids. So we have something we call Micro U and that's only for babies. If you're older than three, the whole rest of the museum is for you, but we ask you to stay outside of Micro U so that we can have developmentally appropriate activities for infants and toddlers, meeting them where they are in their learning. And that's been wonderful to get that kind of feedback and realize that we have to grow with our community if we're going to remain relevant. 

04:46 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
I love that and you talked about STEM and STEAM. For those who don't know and I can't imagine you don't if you're listening but STEM is science, technology, engineering and math. We add the A for the arts and you get STEAM. Why is that important for a children's museum? 

05:03 - Joanna Cagan (Guest)
Yeah, it's so interesting as we look at where children's learning, where people's learning about STEM takes place. 

05:13
For all the amazing science teachers in classrooms across the country, whether in elementary school or middle school or college and beyond, most people's science learning takes place outside of the classroom. 

05:26
And with that in mind, recognizing that children's museums are trusted places, joyful places, where there isn't pressure associated with a standardized test or a grade at the end of the year or a performance expectation that people feel in so many aspects of their life, this becomes the joyful, safe place to be introduced to those concepts, even before the classroom and even alongside the classroom. So we really think children's museums play a fundamental role in people's science learning because, as we all know, science learning takes place in infancy and and onwards. And if we can provide opportunities where people can tap into their inner scientists before they even know they're doing it and, frankly, before they're scared of it or before they have those negative associations with often the science part and the math part in in STEM, then all the better. Then we're contributing to that community led education of the child and the whole person and we take our role really seriously there. 

06:33 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
And so, speaking of taking your role really seriously, I know that you all have a very special event coming up that's designed to help encourage and get a population of people who science hasn't traditionally been designed for them. Can you talk a little bit about the special event and sort of how long it's been around and why you guys started it? 

06:56 - Joanna Cagan (Guest)
So we are approaching our seventh annual Girls in Science Night at WOW and we love this event so much. We're so proud of this and its impact because of the unique place it is. I'm going to start that one again. Okay, we're so proud of Girls in Science at WOW. We're approaching our seventh year now of hosting this special event, and this event was designed to encourage girls in particular to recognize themselves as scientists, as future scientists with a ton of professional opportunities ahead of them, but also as scientists right now in the way that they make observations and ask questions and look for answers. 

07:45
That's being a scientist, as we all know, and we think it's really important to name it. 

07:49
We think it's really important for children to self-identify as scientists and we think special events like Girls in Science play an important role in that, especially in addressing the gender gap that still exists in the sciences today. 

08:06
The gender gap has been narrowed because of experiences like Girls in Science, because of wonderful picture books and teachers out there and attention to all people in the sciences. We're really hopeful by what organizations do to encourage young girls to go for it in the scientific field. So we designed this night where women in STEM fields come to the museum and they lead activities for young girls, and we're the only girls in science event in the area that focuses on young girls. It's a classic event to have for teenagers and it's a wonderful event to have for teenagers, but we think that scientific identity starts young and representation starts young, and so we want five-year-old girls to see role models in STEM fields, to interact with a woman in science from a nearby university. We're so lucky to live and work in a science-rich community and we have to turn presenters away, usually because there are so many women in STEM who want to give back and have these interactions with, and inspiration from, littles who are discovering their own scientific identity. 

09:22 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
That sounds incredible, and so, as you built this event, what have been sort of some of the joys and what are some of the challenges you face? 

09:31 - Joanna Cagan (Guest)
Sure, there are so many highlights. This is one of those events that's such a labor of love for the staff that the whole team are eager to work it. This is not an event where we have to say, oh, can anyone come and serve a shift at Girls in Science, because the energy in the room is absolutely electric. Things like a Girl Scout troop last year earning an exploration and careers badge from attending Girls in Science. Or a young woman environmental educator from a local nature organization bringing snakes and other reptiles for girls to interact with and ask questions about and observe. We love moments like that Girls getting to do DNA testing on strawberries or planting seeds with women in STEM from Denver Botanic Garden. There are so many examples. The energy is high, the whole event wise, and we sell out every year. 

10:35
So the fact that we have to turn people away, the fact that it has this reputation in our community, is something we're very proud of. But we also face challenges. This is an event that calls out a specific group of people women in STEM and says that representation matters and that, while we support and believe and celebrate kids in STEM every single day, we still think it's worthwhile to have a special night for girls in STEM, and so currently we're hearing from some of our annual partners, who love this event, that they're worried about their federal funding streams and whether they can support an event like this, as amazing as it is, because of the emphasis on one group of people, because of that insistence that diversity in science really matters. That's an unforeseen challenge. We never thought this would happen on such a unifying and community-based evening. 

11:37 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
Right such a unifying and community-based evening Right and to be facing the backlash from federal stuff on diversity, equity and inclusion. To have that hit an event that's designed to uplift and promote science has got to be frustrating. 

11:53 - Joanna Cagan (Guest)
It's a excuse me. It's a little bit heartbreaking, to be honest, and we understand the difficult position that some of our funders and presenters are in. But it breaks our hearts a little bit too, because we know the girls are lining up to come to this year's event and we're certainly still going to hold it, continue to offer opportunities for all children to see themselves represented in science, to see themselves represented in STEM fields, in STEM explorations, in STEM exhibits. It's super important to us if we are going to inspire that learning and curiosity through play. 

12:30 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
Absolutely, and so if people want to step up to provide funding or would like to sign their daughters or their nieces or their granddaughters up for this event, how do they do that? 

12:42 - Joanna Cagan (Guest)
Sure, so you can go to wowchildrensmuseumorg. That's all just one word, and we have information about how to register for the event. Tickets are on sale now. The other thing our funders do is enable us to offer this for only $5. And if you are one of our special members we call Play for All members If you're on any form of public assistance, this event is actually free for you and you can register at wowchildrensmuseumorg and you can also donate to support this event to make up for those funders who, very reluctantly, weren't able to step up this year. We welcome people's support. We welcome people's attendance. We welcome people volunteering at events like this. If you're a woman in STEM or STEAM and have a special story to share or an activity to do, you can also find all of our contact information on our website. 

13:40 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
Excellent. So we're going to take a quick break, and when we come back, we're going to get to know Joanna just a little bit better. Okay, we're gonna take just a quick break. So welcome back to the Adventures in Learning podcast. At this point in the show, I love to get to know our guests just a little bit better. So, joanna, I'm wondering if you can tell us a little bit about your adventures in learning. Did you always dream of growing up to be the executive director of a children's museum, or was there an interesting twisting and turning path that took you here? 

14:12 - Joanna Cagan (Guest)
Yeah, it's a great question, Diane, because I think when I was a child and probably even when I was in high school and college I didn't really know that there was such a thing as an executive director at a children's museum. I knew that I loved museums and zoos and aquariums and places where hands-on learning takes place. Those were always my happy places, alongside being in nature. That's always been the other thing that sort of keeps me going, and so I love talking to young women and young men exploring career options and telling them my story to point out that the whole world is sort of a journey, right, and you don't need to know where you're going to end up or even how you want to end up, to just go for it. 

15:00
So I started volunteering many years ago at the Central Park Zoo in New York Love it, just to fill my cup, right, because I loved working with children, I loved working with animals, and I was already in my early 30s, and so volunteering in a cultural institution in a STEM focused community space like that inspired me to do a career change and to start looking into what it meant to work in this field to support more formally children and families in their science learning in their connecting with each other, in their bringing learning alive. And so I started down that path, had to go back to school to do science courses I had never taken, got my master's degree in childhood education and it's been a wonderful ride ever since I love that and I like the idea that you're also learning through play. 

15:58 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
I mean, you're living out the museum's mission through the things that you volunteer to do, through going back to school, kind of your whole approach to learning you embody what your mission is all about. 

16:10 - Joanna Cagan (Guest)
That's a really neat way of thinking of it, diane. I think that we are all lifelong learners and there's a lot of pressure on grownups and children to know all the answers, and for me, the opposite is true, if we can all continue to be sponges, soaking it up and finding whatever style of learning which for so many of us is joyful. Play is making mistakes and laughing through them and figuring out how to retry something. I'm so lucky that I get to do that and see that in a daily basis and to get to work in this place that is so filled with laughter and curiosity and adorable faces, so that if I'm down in my offices working on a budget or writing up a grant application or talking with someone from the city, I know that I can take a break and in one minute, be out on the museum floor engaging with these families who are here just in full exploration mode and in full joy, and that makes me really lucky, I know, in my role. 

17:15 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
Oh, absolutely, and I like the idea that we're sponges. We don't have to have the answer. One of the things I always say to families and children and teachers when I'm working with them is you don't have to know the answers, you don't have to be the full-out scientist. All you have to bring to the table is curiosity and the willingness to say let's find out together and then go explore and figure it out. 

17:38 - Joanna Cagan (Guest)
That's exactly it. You know we, in addition to supporting children, we do professional development programs for teachers and parent caregiver sort of support programs. And that's a consistent message of ours and we mean it 100% is that it's learning alongside your child. That's going to give your child the best start in life. You don't have to be an expert in science to encourage your child to be a scientist. You just have to be willing to say to them I don't know the answer to that, let's find out together. And just like that you're opening so many doors of inquiry and observation and explanation, and that means all grownups are empowered to do that. You don't need some fancy degree behind your name. 

18:25 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
That's 100% true. So before I move to my last question, you had commented on the books behind me and I told you I love to find books that I feel connect well to the person I'm talking to, and so, knowing we were going to talk about girls and science, I pulled some things like Born Curious and Girls on the Rise. There's Vivi Loves Science. The Last Straw is all about kid activists who have come up with different ways to address environmental problems. So those were some of my favorites and I was wondering do you have favorite books that you all use at the museum or that sort of spark your playfulness or your curiosity? 

19:04 - Joanna Cagan (Guest)
I mean we have so many. We are very lucky to live in an author-rich community too, and we actually have a brand new partnership with the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Nice Rocky Mountain Chapter. So they come to wow, that's actually starting this week and do free story times of their books with whoever's visiting the museum that day. 

19:25
There's no additional admission charge or anything like that Fabulous, because children's literacy and book discovery is a whole other area where the um, where the learning is nonstop and where there's so many opportunities. I will confess to being um, to returning to some of what are the classics to me when I want to be inspired or or comforted and um, and some of those are the early chapter books. So I, for example, was sure that I was going to grow up like Harriet the spy and make notes in my secret notebook as I observed my classmates and my neighbors and get myself into all sorts of hijinks from my excellent detective skills and my excellent reporting skills. Charlotte's web, similarly, and the illustrations, the messaging about friendship and family and belonging um, and then the little science lessons that happen in along the way. 

20:26
So I can't look at a spider without um wondering if it's charlotte and so a book like that so many years ago, uh, actually helped combat my own anxiety around invertebrates and think of them as celebrated friends instead of something to be scared of. I think the power of a book in all of these cases is really magnificent. 

20:48 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
Absolutely. I, to this day, still rescue spiders in a cup and move them outdoors. Same spiders in a cup and move them outdoors Same. So last question for today. 

21:02 - Joanna Cagan (Guest)
And it feels like it's a timely one. What brings you hope? It's a great timely question. I'm lucky to work in a field that's all about hope. 

21:12
Children are natural scientists. 

21:17
They're natural communicators. They have a natural sense of fairness and justice. Um, they are social by nature and inquisitive, and when I'm feeling discouraged about headlines I see in the news or our own bottom line, when I'm wrestling with that kind of stuff, going and engaging with the children who are visiting our museum brings me so much hope because we have an obligation to them. That means everything and it's not. In some ways it's the simplest obligation of all. Right. They deserve a world that's joyful and equitable and clean and hopeful itself. 

22:09
So it is very hard to be cynical around children. It's very hard to stay depressed or hopeless around a baby when it's dropping a ball in front of you and then laughing and seeing what you do and then creating its own science experiment and doing it again and again, while you unwillingly realize you're part of a science experiment from an eight-month-old. Children give me so much hope and they also give me that sense of responsibility of what the stakes are for all of us and why places like a children's museum and a nature center and quality schools and arts and culture experiences it all matters so much to our community's children 100%. 

22:53 - Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor (Host)
Joanna, thank you for joining us on the Adventures in Learning podcast today. I'm going to drop all of the information in the show notes. Folks, thank you for joining us on the Adventures in Learning podcast today. I'm going to drop all of the information in the show notes. Folks, if you want to sponsor Girls in Science or any of the programs that they're doing, you'll have an opportunity to do that, and I would also encourage you if you're listening and you're not in Colorado, please go visit your local children's museum, your local art museum, Nature Center, Zoo, and give them some love as well. Thank you so much, Diane.