Started in 2010, and generously supported by the Friends of the Junior Museum & Zoo over the years, Super Family Sundays have been enjoyed by 2,700 kids and their grown ups. Parents have shared that they value Super Family Sunday events because their children learn about science and the natural world in a friendly, uncrowded environment. They appreciate that they can spend time together as a family and their children are allowed more independence to explore. One parent disclosed that the event led their neurotypical kids to better understand their sibling on the spectrum. Some adults appreciate meeting other families and feel that the event is “low stress.” “I love the safe and welcoming space,” shared one parent.
Over the years, Super Family Sunday families have helped to make the new facility dramatically more inclusive. During the JMZ’s Access From the Ground Up project, which aimed to build an accessible new facility, parents and children provided input to inform the development of Access Resources and innovative, permanent science exhibits. As a result, the new Museum and Zoo is more accessible to all visitors and more engaged with the disability community. The Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo is proud to be a partner in this inclusion work by funding Super Family Sundays.