Engaging underserved communities at the Liberty Science Center

The chapter “Liberty Science Center in the United States: A Mission Focused on External Relevance” by Emlyn Koster and Stephen Baumann explores the ways in which one New Jersey science museum has tried to become a socially responsible institution by reaching out to the traditionally underserved members of the community in which the museum is located. The Liberty Science Center has worked toward accomplishing this mission by implementing three unique programs. While each program is different, they all treat community members as partners instead of static receptacles for information.

The Abbott partnership program provides science learning opportunities to urban schools by offering on-site, off-site, and on-line resources. They also provide free visit passes to students so that they can continue their learning experience by bringing their family back to the museum. This program allows community members, especially school aged children, to feel welcome at the Liberty Science Center. It helps to dispel the myth that museums are institutions for the elite and provides an entry point for members of the community who may feel unwelcome due to inherent museum stereotypes.

Another program aims to reduce the acceptance of youth smoking amongst students ages 9 to 17. The museum worked in conjunction with community members to determine that this issue was of concern to local residents. This type of museum community partnership has been explored in other chapters of Looking Reality in the Eye, and it is wonderful to see that any type of museum (whether art, science, natural history, etc.) can create these personal relationships.

The third program that the Liberty Science Center has implemented is “Live from… Cardiac Classroom”. This is a very innovative and technologically driven experience. Students are able to watch an open-heart by-pass surgery taking place live through two way video conference technology. The goals of this program are to expand student’s knowledge of anatomy and physiology, while also highlighting the many different careers opportunities that exist in the medical field. In this way the Liberty Science Center promotes career development in the field of science. Students who may not have known much about the medical field before the program could be encouraged to explore a new career path. The program is also offered free to one-third of the students who attend to make sure that everyone is given an equal opportunity to participate regardless of income.

While these programs provide an excellent overview of the ways in which the Liberty Science Center provides public programming to create a community conscience, I am interested in the ways in which this focus on community may be incorporated into exhibits and gallery spaces? Is community input sought when developing or redesigning exhibits? If the Liberty Science Center wants to remain a relevant figure in the New Jersey community they must work to incorporate this type of social inclusion into all aspects of their institution, not just their public and school programming.