New York City’s only hands-on science and technology museum in Corona was selected to receive two new STEM grants totaling close to $4 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The New York Hall of Science, (NYSCI) will use the new funding to foster positive relationships with learners from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM fields and institutions. One major aspect of the initiative is the Scientists in the Family Project, which received a $3.2 million grant.
The initiative will result in a feature-length documentary film, “My Mom, The Scientist,” which will be shown theatrically, broadcast on PBS and streamed online. In partnership with Family Pictures Institute for Inclusive Storytelling Inc., it explores Black women scientists based on the filmmaker’s family journey.
It is part personal documentary and part social media project about Rudean Leinaeng, a chemistry professor, activist and novelist who taught and researched at Bronx Community College for 30 years. She is also the filmmaker’s mother and inspiration for the project.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for us to bring our PBS documentary, My Mom The Scientist and the stories of Black scientists that are not well-known to a wider audience,” said filmmaker and Yale University professor Thomas Allen Harris.
The project will also include a unique community engagement process with events nationwide when the Scientists in the Family Project launches in 2025.
The team hopes to discover more hidden science stories at these outreach events and connect with their target audience. Scheduled stops include The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Fleet Science Center in San Diego, Discovery Place in Charlotte and Michigan Science Center in Detroit. The tour will also add four additional science centers in smaller cities.
“Together, we hope to show underrepresented communities that there is a place for them in STEM and that science has always been an integral part of their lives,” added filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris.
The project hopes to engage the public in exploring the persistent underrepresentation of Black Americans in STEM while showcasing the existing scientific knowledge being spread in families nationwide.
The second project, made possible by the smaller grant of $630,000, will be spent researching family engagement in informal STEM learning institutions such as NYSCI. It will build on existing research on early STEM learning, family participation and culturally responsive evaluation practices.
The research project will begin in September 2024 in collaboration with community stakeholders, educators and local caregivers. The recommendations gathered at NYSCI will guide program improvements at other science centers and children’s museums.
“These smart investments will help us further the mission of the Hall of Science – celebrating and inspiring the next generation of scientists and STEM leaders,” said Minerva Tantoco, interim CEO and President of NYSCI. “Not only will they help us improve how we engage and educate, but they are going to deepen our connections both to underrepresented families and science centers across the country. It’s a win-win.”
Tantoco also thanked U.S. Rep. Grace Meng for helping secure the investments from the NSF, which furthers non-medical fields of science and engineering as an independent federal agency.
NYSCI welcomes 400,000 visitors annually and connects with a million learners worldwide through online educational products.
