ScienceWorks

children's Museum of Winston-Salem will support the development, prototyping, fabrication, installation, and evaluation of a theater-themed makerspace and associated programming. "The Prop Shop," a space reminiscent of a theater's back-stage, will support learner-driven experiences to engage children, families, and school groups in open-ended, problem-solving processes using experimentation, creativity, and STEAM learning opportunities. Museum staff will use storytelling - one of the museum's core missions - as a departure point for individual invention, linking the makerspace's learning goals with the museum's mission to provide children with experiences in literature, storytelling, and the arts, while strengthening the museum's ability to meet the community's commitment to the educational development of all children. The exhibit will reinforce the museum's status as a recognized provider of learning experiences for families and students. An external evaluator will facilitate formative and summative evaluations for the makerspace activities and programs.