Abstract

We live in an era that is science and technology-driven, yet public understanding of even simple scientific concepts is extremely poor, often due to unequal access to educational opportunities. As society continues to be challenged with complex scientific and cultural issues, the role of informal education institutions becomes more critical in developing and supporting an informed and engaged citizenry. Like most museums, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) works to provide access to lifelong learning opportunities for individuals and families of all backgrounds and levels of knowledge and training. We envision AMNH as a place that could serve as a touchstone for science education, throughout one’s life. As AMNH continues to develop an educational pipeline spanning academic levels from pre-K to post-doc, we are exploring the “complexity and interconnectedness of learning experiences across the lifespan (Falk, et al 2008:4).” These efforts to engage our audiences in deeper and more sustained learning raises the question, “How can museums encourage audiences, with incredibly diverse educational backgrounds, to maintain lifelong relationships with science?” This paper examines strategies for engaging diverse audiences in lifelong learning.