Great Explorations Children’s Museum is hosting forums to collect feedback on a planned center. The new facility will provide hands-on learning in science, technology, and engineering for older kids and teens. Forums started Wednesday at Bay Point Middle School.
The proposed center will expand on what the museum does now by building a space where older students can dive into interactive experiences. Visitors will experiment with chemistry. They’ll build robots, use 3D printers, and solve engineering problems. Space-related activities will fill the center, along with hands-on science programs, according to Fox13 News.
Museum leaders are seeking feedback from parents, grandparents, teachers, students, business leaders, and others. Attendees can preview the vision. They can share ideas that might shape exhibits, educational programs, and what visitors will see. Registration is encouraged but not required.
The forums happen at Bay Point Middle School at 5800 22nd St. S. The schedule includes sessions on Wednesday, July 15, at 4-5 p.m. for a Youth Forum. More sessions will run Thursday, July 16, at 8-9 a.m. and 12:30-1:30 p.m. The final forum is set for Wednesday, July 22, at 8-9 a.m.
Great Explorations has served Bay Area families since 1987. The museum sits at 1925 4th St. N. in St. Pete and targets children 10 and younger with exhibits focused on creativity, play, and exploration.
The nonprofit also runs a preschool with recognition at the national scale. It offers educational outreach programs throughout the area.
The new center would mark a shift for the organization, which has spent almost four decades serving younger children. The project aims to give older students access to STEM learning in a hands-on setting.