EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — La Nube STEAM Discovery Center has been named the winner of the internationally renowned Hands On! Children in Museums Award for 2025, giving the museum and El Paso some global recognition.
“This extraordinary honor recognizes La Nube’s commitment to world-class STEAM learning, cultural representation, and barrier-free discovery for every child across one of the largest binational border regions in the United States,” La Nube said in a news release.
Photos courtesy of La Nube
The award was presented at the European Museum Academy meeting in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Five institutions from around the globe were selected as finalists, representing excellence from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States:
La Nube STEAM Discovery Center – El Paso
Museum of Ethnography – Budapest, Hungary
Children’s Museum – Singapore
OliOli Children’s Museum – Dubai, UAE
Showtown Blackpool – Blackpool, United Kingdom
La Nube now joins an elite group of United States institutions to receive this recognition. Only two museums in the country have won this award in its history: the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia in 2013 and the Boston Children’s Museum in 2015, according to La Nube.
Since opening, La Nube has welcomed more than 350,000 children and families into its 70,000-square-foot learning environment.
“What we have built here in El Paso is powerful,” said Gina Martinez, CEO of La Nube. “La Nube reflects the dreams of this community and the belief that every child deserves space to discover, create, and innovate. This award affirms that the work happening here will shape the future of children across El Paso for years to come. At La Nube, this is where imagination takes shape, and the most exciting part is knowing that we are only at the beginning. We are just getting started.”
Representing La Nube at the ceremony was Stephanie Otero, vice president of operations at the El Paso Community Foundation and one of the museum’s core founding leaders.
“La Nube’s achievement shines a bright light on our region,” Otero said. “This award is a testament to the power of collaboration, community vision, and the belief that children deserve world-class learning spaces. El Paso now stands as an international example of innovation, creativity, and excellence.”
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