The right chemistry to make history with new Museum of Nature and Science.
Though her name isn’t yet a household word, Nicole Small is one of today’s most positive influences on children’s lives. As Director/CEO of the new Museum of Nature and
Science, the exhibits she plans to bring to Dallas will have a phenomenal impact on helping children do well in math and science. Think some of the most exciting educational attractions ever to hit Big D.
You see, the Science Place and the Dallas Museum of Natural History have just merged to become the Museum of Nature and Science. Explains Ms. Small, who has been with the DMNH since 2001, “We’ve brought together two organizations with very similar missions: getting kids in the community—especially those at risk—interested in math and science. Now we can leverage the strengths of both museums to offer truly great traveling exhibits and even more after-school and other special programs.”
Case in point: The Einstein exhibit, which opened Memorial Day Weekend, exemplified the merger at work. The DMNH had secured the exhibition and the funding, and the Science Place had the extra space needed to display it. The amazing Magic School Bus exhibit about weather, which debuts in Dallas this fall, is another example of a great exhibit focused on science. Visitors can board a re-creation of the bus, take a seat in Ms. Frizzle’s classroom and help meteorologists predict Walkerville’s weather. “This merger will open up possibilities that we might not have considered until we were able to leverage the joint resources of each separate museum,” notes Ms. Small.
(Photo courtesy of the Archives: California Institute of Technology)
“Dallas deserves a best-in-class, nationally prominent museum and the merger will help us get there,” Ms. Small believes. “There is a desperate need in the U.S. to improve math and science education, particularly in disadvantaged areas. Our new tagline is ‘Inspiring Minds through Nature and Science’ which underscores the major, FUN role the museum will play in this.”
Ms. Small cares deeply about the future of all children, especially now that she and her husband, Justin, are the parents of 8-month-old Julia Ava. “I have a real passion for kids and education,” she explains. “It’s a rare opportunity to be involved with such an institution as this. While I couldn’t have anticipated this career path—I had worked in consulting and other areas—many parts of my life and personal/professional interests have pointed me in this direction.
Einstein is first part of winning equation.
Things are already off to a brilliant start. The Museum of Nature and Science debuted with the aforementioned Einstein, the most comprehensive exhibition ever presented on the life and theories of one of the greatest scientists of all time. The landmark presentation, which runs through August 20, includes Einstein’s original manuscripts and plenty of interactive stations that are revolutionary in themselves.
When Nicole Small sets her sights on making a difference in the community, she usually nails it. “The Museum of Nature and Science will succeed because we can’t afford to fail our children and the future of this country.”
Visit the museum’s website at www.natureandscience.org.
