Most people are familiar with the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery here in Dayton, Ohio. This establishment has been benefitting the Dayton area for a substantial amount of time now. The Dayton Museum of Natural History began in 1893 in associations with the Dayton Public Library and Museum.
I spoke to Stephanie Hylinski, who is the curator of live animals at the Boonshoft. Not only has Stephanie trained me with animals when I used to volunteer at the museum, but she was also my advisor for a community service project. Stephanie has extensive experience in her field and at the museum.
The Dayton Society of Natural History, including the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery and Sunwatch Indian Village, are interactive educational centers for all ages. The mission of the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery is to be the premier regional provider of interactive science learning experiences that enrich the lives of children and adults, enhance the quality of life in our community and promote a broad understanding of the world.
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To preserve, protect, and enhance the museum’s anthropology, geology, paleontology and biology collections and to make these collections available for exhibition, education and research purposes.
Education at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery is implemented through interactive exhibits, live animal habitats and experiences, daily educational programs for museum visitors and printed materials and signs. The museum also offers different educational camps and classes, private animal encounters and planetarium programs.
In addition, the museum offers educational outreach programs to local schools, libraries, senior centers, and other community centers. Boonshoft is currently developing an exciting STEM-based curriculum that teachers can use in the classroom. The museum is heavily involved in remote distance learning. These programs allow the museum’s amazing team of educators to bring the Boonshoft to classrooms across North America.
Most of the visitors who frequent the Boonshoft Museum are young parents with their children, but the Boonshoft has something for everyone. Sunwatch Indian Village tends to attract older visitors but is a location that can be appreciated by every demographic.
The Boonshoft Museum effects the Miami Valley in countless ways, through visitors coming to the museum, to outreach programs in local schools. Most children living in the Dayton area have fond memories of the Boonshoft Museum through field trips and many of these children are now adults themselves and can share the Boonshoft with their own kids.
Overall, we should be very thankful for the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery and its role in the Dayton community and beyond. If you have the chance, it would be a great experience to stop by and check it out.
Anwen Harris
Reporter