Celebrating 25 Years of JMZ Science Outreach in East Palo Alto

January 16, 2024

Hello Friends,

This month marks 25 years since the Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo first began funding the JMZ’s exceptional Science Outreach program for students in East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park. In celebration of this milestone, the Friends are hosting a breakfast fundraiser for JMZ Science Outreach on May 3rd. Funds raised during the event will support science lessons for elementary school students in the Ravenswood City School District, East Palo Alto Charter School, the Primary School, and the Redwood City School District. For more information, please contact Marie Ivich, Friends Development Manager, at marie@friendsjmz.org. In addition, donations can be made via the Friends website at friendsjmz.org/donate.

In this newsletter, board member Aletha Coleman, who served as president of the Friends board from 2004 to 2021, shares how funding Science Outreach in underserved schools became a key priority for our organization, and how the initiative has expanded over the years. You can learn more about the program in our August 2022 Newsletter and in our JMZ Science Outreach video. 

I hope you will join us for our next community event on February 9 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. where JMZ guests can celebrate Lunar New Year. Friends’ visitor events are free with admission; please remember to purchase tickets to the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo in advance.

I hope to see you at the JMZ soon!

Lauren Angelo

President, Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo

History and Expansion of JMZ Science Outreach in Underserved Schools

Questions for Aletha Coleman

How did funding the JMZ’s Science Outreach program in underserved schools become a core initiative for the Friends?

The JMZ’s Science Outreach lessons had been offered in Palo Alto schools since the 1970s. The lessons were popular amongst children, teachers, and families. Hearing about the positive benefit Palo Alto children received, the Friends was inspired to bring the program to East Palo Alto in 1999 to address inequalities in STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) between East Palo Alto schools and more affluent, neighboring public school districts. 

At the time, the Friends funded one exhibit project a year for the JMZ, usually raising about $10,000. Making a commitment to fund $25,000 worth of Science Outreach lessons in East Palo Alto was a large undertaking, but aligned well with our values to expand access to science education. In 2006, Carmen Christensen gave a generous donation of one million dollars to the Friends, $200,000 of which was dedicated to Science Outreach lessons in East Palo Alto. As a result, we were able to fund lessons for eight years while beginning to fundraise for the JMZ Initiative Capital Campaign to rebuild the JMZ.

A group of students look through microscopes during a JMZ Science Outreach lesson (1990s).

How has this program evolved?

Over the years, Science Outreach in East Palo Alto evolved into Science Outreach in the Ravenswood City School District, serving both East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park. Since the completion of our capital campaign in 2021, we have dedicated more resources to the expansion of this program. In 2023 we began to fund lessons in two underserved schools in the Redwood City School District. It is amazing to see how much this program has grown over the past 25 years. The Friends currently funds over 400 lessons a year and reaches 2,000 students.

JMZ educators ensure that science lessons align with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which were released in 2013. These guidelines better prepare students for STEM classes as they continue their education. The JMZ incorporates these standards into activities that are engaging and fun for students, which then inspires them to ask questions and think critically.

JMZ Director of Education Alex Hamilton explains a science lesson to two young students.

How does the Friends evaluate the program’s impact? 

Students who receive JMZ Science Outreach lessons become more engaged in science and feel better prepared for STEM classes in middle school and high school. JMZ educators create memorable experiences for students, introducing them to concepts like electricity with a Van de Graaf generator or animal adaptations with hissing cockroaches. Alumni of the program have shared that science lessons inspired them to explore their curiosity outside of the classroom, even conducting their own experiments at home. 

Every year, JMZ educators connect with teachers in participating schools to evaluate how their needs are being met. We receive overwhelmingly positive feedback, citing the engaging JMZ educators and the high-quality lessons provided. Satisfaction with the program is well known, and schools in the area often approach the JMZ and the Friends about bringing lessons to their classrooms. JMZ Science Outreach lessons have become a staple in Ravenswood classrooms, giving children the opportunity to learn about science through hands-on experiences.

A JMZ Educator introduces a rabbit to a classroom. Photo courtesy of Scott Nakajima (2015).

Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo

info@friendsjmz.org | www.friendsjmz.org

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