Mission
The Discovery Center’s mission is to engage curious minds to fuel the future.
Chartered in 1986 as Children’s Museum Corporation of Rutherford County, the Discovery Center provides hands-on education opportunities for the community. An extensive grassroots campaign orchestrated by young parents led to purchasing a building and creating exhibits and programs. During its first year of operation, over 11,000 visitors came to experience the museum’s exhibits and programs. Now, 30 years after its inception, the Discovery Center serves as a vibrant community and tourism center with over 120,000 children and families exploring the exhibits each year.
Vision
Our vision is to build a community with the courage to ask thoughtful questions, the drive to find creative solutions, and the confidence to implement positive changes.
Values
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Board of Trustees
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
BOARD OF Trustees:
Elisabeth Harper Rood,
President
Garth Bentley,
President-elect & Treasurer
Rachel White,
Secretary
Tom Campion,
Past President
Tara A. MacDougall
President & CEO, Discovery Center
Akashia Anderson Murphy
Rita Ash
Stephanie Bastyr
Allison Belt
Garth Bentley
Madhavi Boorgu
Tom Campion
Kelly Chastain
Amy Farrar
Elisabeth Harper Rood
Paula Harris
Marla Hord
Lauren Knox
Beau Noblitt
Larry Pavey
Sharon Pertiller
Rick Sain
Paul Seegert
Bernie Steen
Rachel White
Susan Wilson
Advisory Board
Lea Bartch
Amelia Bozeman
Caitlyn Brown
Megan Bynum
Jody Diana
Gena Dix
Janet Galvao
Rebecca George
Susan Harney
Sarah Jessie
Julie King
Preston MacDougall
Latonya Moore
Saleh Sbenaty
Aruna Shah
Melinda Tate
Butler Touchton
Katie Woodward
Staff
Melody Beaver - Visitor Services Specialist
Allante Brice - Visitor Services Associate
Amanda Dearry - Front Desk Associate
Rin Garrett - Visitor Services Associate
Ryan Gerke - Visitor Services Associate
Amira Hawat - Visitor Services Associate
Christian Heit - Visitor Services Specialist
Rachel Hooper - Visitor Services Specialist
Carmen Howell - Front Desk Associate
Dirk Heusinkveld - Animal Care Assistant
Katie Hill - Visitor Services Specialist
Denise Kelsey, Visitor Services Specialist
Betty Kirkminde - Visitor Services Associate
Emily McCorvey - Visitor Services Associate
Ryan Marshall - Visitor Services Associate
Austin Orman - Exhibits & Facilities Specialist
Sally Kerpchar - Accounting Specialist
Community Engagement
Discovery Center is committed to engaging communities locally, regionally, and statewide through a variety of strategic partnerships and nationally funded programs. This is achieved through:
direct service to children and/or adults in person or virtually
professional learning opportunities
special intergenerational programs
SPARK! IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
An IMLS-funded project
DC is expanding its SPARK program, an in-house program for early learners and their parents/caregivers, to surrounding communities in Rutherford County. Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, SPARK in Your Neighborhood is designed to encourage play and foster science skills and social-emotional learning. DC hopes to reach families new to Discovery Center by offering the program in local, under-resourced communities, and enriching museum offerings by drawing upon the knowledge and experiences of the partnering families. This project aligns with Discovery Center’s commitment to offering quality early learning experiences in the museum and moving very intentionally outside the museum’s walls by sharing exhibits and programs in new ways and with new audiences where they live and play. Partners include Read To Succeed and Murfreesboro City Schools Family Resource Center.
The Tennessee Rural Impact Project (TRIP)
An IMLS-funded project
Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, in partnership with a statewide alliance of science centers and museums, is committed to addressing a critical need of the museum field - understanding and adequately supporting rural under-resourced communities with limited museum access. Over the course of three years, TRIP will provide a proof-of-concept of the ways in which informal education centers across regions and states can engage, learn from and support rural school districts’ teachers, families, and communities through relationship building, asset mapping (across museums and each community), and collaborative integration and implementation of museum resources for children K-2, teachers, and families, with a focus on community needs and available resources.
Advisory Councils
Discovery Center invites the participation of community members with expertise and experiences aligned with special programs and exhibits. This includes:
Cultural Community Day Councils: Six days each year are designed to highlight specific cultures and are free to all visitors. These include MLK Day, Lunar New Year, Arts in April, Hispanic Heritage Day, India Day, and Holiday Open House.
Special Needs Council: Discovery Center holds multiple events designed to serve special needs families, with special spaces and accommodations available, and invites input on exhibits and programs that make us as inclusive as possible.
Youth Council: A youth advisory board that involves middle and high school students, was developed to evaluate Discovery Center’s current programs and exhibits as well as to survey the opinions of their peers. They are dedicated to the improvement of the Discovery Center through innovative ideas to attract all age groups with a fun, entertaining, hands-on experience.
Job Opportunities
Want a fun and rewarding job? Look no further than the Discovery Center! View our available positions below.
Visitor Services Associate
This position is responsible for assisting with implementation of Discovery Center’s education programs, interacting with guests, and assisting in keeping the building and exhibits clean and safe. Click here for the complete job description. Interested candidates, please email Haley Worthington with a cover letter, resume, and three references.
Senior Director of Learning
The Senior Director of Learning is a member of the museum’s senior staff and is responsible for the development and management of Discovery Center’s educational initiatives with programs and exhibits. This position requires vision and oversight for the development of staff and innovative and inquiry-based approaches to STEAM education. Click here for the complete job description. Interested candidates, please email Veronica Bosnak with a resume and three professional references.
Contact Us
Discovery Center
502 SE Broad Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Main Line:
615-890-2300
FAX:
615-849-9573
For group programs, field trips, birthdays, or rentals, please use our Program Inquiry Form.
For donation requests from Discovery Center, please use our Donation Requests Form.
For General Inquiries, please use the form below.
Donation Requests
We receive a large number of requests for donations each year. To help us manage such a volume, we require that all donation requests be submitted using our online form.