omsi: Early childhood education program
Disclaimer: Everything written on this website are my own thoughts, opinions, and experiences, and are not shared with OMSI
For the Official OMSI Website Visit:
For the Official OMSI Website Visit:
https://omsi.edu/https://omsi.edu/
About Omsi
History
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry was established in 1896 with the opening of Oregon's Natural Resources Exhibit that took place at Oregon's City Hall, but it wasn't till the Forties when OMSI began to really grow. In 1955, with the annual museum attendance reaching around 25,000, Portland City Council initiated the construction of a hands-on science museum in Washington Park, that was officially opened in 1958. Around the mid-1980s, the Washington Park location was deemed too small for the popular OMSI museum, and a campaign to raise funds for a new state of the art museum was kick-started. On October 24, 1992, the new museum was opened, providing state-of-the-art facilities to around 1 million visitors a year.
Mission
"Inspire curiosity through engaging science learning experiences, foster experimentation and the exchange of ideas , stimulate informed action."
Vision
"OMSI collaborating with partners, will ignite en education transformation at the intersection of science, technology and design, and weave a thriving innovation district into the fabric of Portland, that spreads opportunities across the Northwest."
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry was established in 1896 with the opening of Oregon's Natural Resources Exhibit that took place at Oregon's City Hall, but it wasn't till the Forties when OMSI began to really grow. In 1955, with the annual museum attendance reaching around 25,000, Portland City Council initiated the construction of a hands-on science museum in Washington Park, that was officially opened in 1958. Around the mid-1980s, the Washington Park location was deemed too small for the popular OMSI museum, and a campaign to raise funds for a new state of the art museum was kick-started. On October 24, 1992, the new museum was opened, providing state-of-the-art facilities to around 1 million visitors a year.
Mission
"Inspire curiosity through engaging science learning experiences, foster experimentation and the exchange of ideas , stimulate informed action."
Vision
"OMSI collaborating with partners, will ignite en education transformation at the intersection of science, technology and design, and weave a thriving innovation district into the fabric of Portland, that spreads opportunities across the Northwest."
Early Childhood education programOMSI is dedicated to creating hands-on science experiences, and encourage visitors to utilize the space to explore their curiosities. In the Science Playground and Discovery Lab at OMSI, children ages infant to six are free to explore in fun, and developmentally appropriate activities. These activities range from interacting in our naturalist exhibit, finding your inner architect in our rig-a-ma-jig area, playing in our sand pit, and conducting experiments in our discovery lab. The Science Playground and Discovery Lab are areas for young children to explore their interests, and make discoveries that spark curiosity in the world around them.
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My role at omsi |
As an intern in the Early Childhood Education Program at OMSI, I am facilitating in hands-on learning experiences with museum guests from all ages. These experiences consist of conducting science experiments such as "What's That Smell?" which is an experiment where children use their five senses and background knowledge. I work in the Discovery Lab in activities such as "Dark Days" where we teach children the concept of light and dark, and things that glow in the dark. As an intern I also interact in a collaborative environment with staff of a variety of ages, backgrounds, and experiences. In these work settings, my coworkers and I come up with new ways improve Science Playground and the Discovery Lab. Making sure that children's interests are being acknowledged and actively incorporated in our curriculum is important to us. Another role as an intern is to assist in the development, presentation, and resetting of daily activities. Activities such as flubber, rig-a-ma-jig, light tables, and art activities. Finally, I learn and practice informal education methods such as leading activities or improvising with children in the Science Playground area. Obtaining these skill are not only beneficial for my own experiences as an early childhood educator, but also improving my critical thinking skills and museum education experience.
Reflection
When applying for the internship at OMSI I believe I went in to the program with selfish reasons, being that I am motivated to add to my resume, and gain more experience for a potential career in the museum industry. Very soon after working at OMSI, I realized how I was a part of something much bigger than myself. I was part of a community, where I interacted and was influenced by people from an array of backgrounds. It was exciting to actively play a role in giving the museum guests an experience that they don't have everyday, and to be able to create a space for children to explore their interests instilled a sense of hope in me. I was excited about giving back, as well as see that I was really making an impact on these young individuals.