Museum Women in STEM Host Career Event for Girl Scouts

DuPage Children’s Museum (DCM) designs and delivers unique programming that serves youth organizations like the Girl Scouts. On March 24, DCM’s President & CEO and Chief of Building & Making were invited to give a presentation for Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois (GSNI): “Careers in Museums: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.” A group of Girl Scouts had the unique opportunity to learn about non-traditional and alternative career pathways for women in STEM while fulfilling requirements toward the new GSUSA STEM Career Exploration badge.

From badge labs to overnights in the Museum, DCM creates opportunities that celebrate and advance the mission of Girl Scouts to “build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.” As an organization founded by and led by women of courage and confidence, DCM celebrates the Girls Scouts and actively contributes to their work as a Preferred Partner.

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois CEO, Fiona Cummings, shared, “GSNI is thrilled to be partnering with DCM to engage Girl Scouts throughout Northern Illinois in opportunities to become better problem-solvers, critical thinkers, innovators, and to learn about STEM as the foundation for a meaningful and successful future in careers and leadership... My own family spent many enriching hours at DCM, and I am grateful to have this opportunity to offer these experiences to Girl Scouts.”

During the presentation that took place via Zoom, girls learned about the career pathways of DCM President & CEO, Andrea Wiles, along with the Museum’s Chief of Building & Making, Kimberly Stull. Their presentation was tailored to focus on core values, teamwork, problem solving, lifelong learning, and collaboration. Wiles emphasized STEM careers focused on making a difference; helping children understand science, engineering, thinking, learning, solving problems; and ensuring equitable access to compelling early learning through play and STEM experiences. Stull also underscored the skills students practice in school as preparation for careers while emphasizing the importance of being creative, persistent, and trying new things again and again.

While specific jobs unique to museums and museum operations were discussed, the DCM Women in STEM shared that what they liked and loved as kids shaped them as adults and defined their career choices. Andrea Wiles expressed her interest in fairness and her goal of making a difference in the world. At DuPage Children’s Museum, Wiles works towards these life goals by empowering her team to learn, share their expertise, and collaborate to achieve the museum’s vision that all children have the opportunity to achieve their full unique potential through hands-on play and STEM experiences.

Kimberly Stull explained the work she leads in the exhibit development process. She highlighted the skills of contributing individuals who range from artists and graphic designers to architects, exhibit fabricators, technicians, electrical engineers and the many others. These professionals sketch, doodle and problem solve to make stories and experiences come to life and advance children’s natural quest to discover and learn about the world around them.

Kim’s reflections about the exhibit development process inspired one girl scout to ask whether DCM gets any of their ideas from kids. This question allowed Stull to share about DCM’s use of focus groups to test concepts and prototypes. This feedback from children informs the design by revealing what works, what doesn't work - and why. Kim notes that the design process allows DCM staff to be “creative, persistent, and try again.”

The DCM Women in STEM leaders concluded their presentation by reminding the Girl Scouts that there are STEM jobs and careers that allow individuals to learn through play, be creative and persistent, talk together, work together, and communicate big ideas about how to make the world a better place.

Following the presentation, Girl Scout Program Coordinator, Christina Kirsch, remarked, “This presentation was interesting because girls often think of STEM as just being a scientist in a lab. This presentation allowed the girls to see different careers that involve STEM. It was good to expose them to ideas other than what they see as typical.”

For more than 30 years, DuPage Children’s Museum (DCM) has been inspiring families to laugh, learn, and love spending time together. Through exhibits, programs, and special events, every experience is designed to help children develop a strong foundation of creativity, problem solving skills and confidence - strengths that help them grow to become resilient, innovative, life-long learners.