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.