Science Museum of Virginia

The Science Museum of Virginia will create a new, maker-inspired gallery experience called "The Forge," where participants will be provided access to a diverse array of maker tools and a range of opportunities for engagement in STEM education. The goal of The Forge is to create an environment that nurtures an inter-generational, diverse community of users who are able to understand how STEM principles can be applied to the creative process, develop basic skills to use high- and low-technology tools, connect these skills to new career interests or hobbies, and engage in the process of design to make something that is important to them. The museum will design, implement, and test the first phase of its Forge gallery experience to determine the success that various strategies have in engaging guests of different skill levels, ages, genders, and interests in the process of maker experiences.