The Discovery
Going forward, we see now more than ever that science centers should be seen as cultural institutions that can express science in nontraditional ways.
The Discovery
Annual operating budget: $1 million–$4.9 million
Total number of employees: 43
Annual visitorship: 190,000
**Numbers reported in 2023
Our plan: Build authentic connections
Reno has a large Latino population, and over half of our schools are Title I schools. Making genuine community connections through programming that felt relevant to our audience was our priority. We identified this as an area of growth a few years ago, and have always wanted the community to feel like our museum is for them.
Our projects: Hands-on science in local schools
Our goal was to build understanding, trust, and relationships with our region’s Spanish-speaking community to increase interest and participation, and we aimed to do this by bringing hands-on science to their schools. We worked with city officials during a large Latino cultural festival and wanted to build on the connections we made there. We knew that schools are a trusted resource in our Latino community, and so we decided that if they weren’t coming to us, we would go to them. During a series of Family Science Nights, we served over 900 students and families. We focused on cultural values and expression, created a loom display that allowed multigenerational family members to participate and explore the science of weaving, including dyeing cotton for fabric. We provided dinner and relevant bilingual activities that all family members could do. Each night, we raffled off memberships and offered coupons to come to The Discovery. The result? More members of our Latino community coming through our doors. Internally, we’re also developing an internal DEI committee to help us continue to push ourselves and this work further.
Our takeaways: Reflection and connection
This was a year of growth and reflection, and we’ve gained so much:
- invaluable connections with like-minded organizations and people
- real growth that comes from getting comfortable with being uncomfortable
- the conviction that science is everywhere and nontraditional ways of knowing are crucial to the work we do
Going forward, we see now more than ever that science centers should be seen as cultural institutions that can express science in nontraditional ways. We’ve started to identify which barriers stand in the way of meaningful change. This important work is never done—this is truly only the beginning.
To read other museums’ stories of change, visit our Cambio Stories page.
