Dr. Leah Melber on the Adventure Science Center
Dr. Leah Melber is the President & CEO of Adventure Science Center in Nashville, where she leads efforts to advance equity, foster innovation, and expand community engagement through immersive STEM learning experiences that inspire curiosity across all ages.
About Dr. Leah Melber
Dr. Leah Melber, Ph.D., is the President & CEO of Adventure Science Center in Nashville, Tennessee, a role she began in May 2023. With more than three decades of experience in education and informal learning, Leah has devoted her career to sparking curiosity and expanding access to science for learners of all ages.
At Adventure Science Center, she has focused on advancing equity, fostering innovation, and deepening community engagement—ensuring the museum continues to be a place where discovery feels personal, playful, and accessible to everyone. Her leadership is grounded in a belief that science is for all, reflected in both new exhibits and expanded outreach efforts across Tennessee.
About the Adventure Science Center
Adventure Science Center is one of Nashville’s most beloved cultural destinations, welcoming more than 400,000 visitors annually—including over 30,000 through free or subsidized admissions. With 90 staff and a fiscal year 2024 budget of $7.4 million, the center serves all 95 counties in Tennessee and visitors from 21 countries. Its mission is to open doors to lifelong STEM learning through immersive exhibits, hands-on exploration, and innovative educational programming. The center continues to expand cultural connections, from hosting Blippi Days (one of only three U.S. cities selected) to unveiling exhibits like Fossil Frontiers and SoundBox, which explore paleontology and music through interactive, Tennessee-inspired lenses. Looking ahead, a major healthcare-focused exhibit is planned for 2027.
Resources
Adventure Science Center
Blippi at the Adventure Science Center
Calendar
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Spencer: Dr. Leah, Melber. Yes, president and CEO of the Adventure Science Center. Welcome to Signature Required.
Leah: Thank you. Thank you for having me.
Spencer: So this podcast is going to be 20% about learning what you do here.
Spencer: Mm-hmm. And 80% making sure that you're doing a good job here because I've been coming to the Adventure Science Center for 39 years. I love [00:01:00] this place. It's one of my very favorite places. Our kids come here all the time, and from what I see here, it's looking pretty amazing.
Leah: Yes, so I joined the team just over two years ago, and we have such an incredible passion for making sure we're relevant for the community of Nashville and all of Tennessee.
Leah: So we've actually switched over 30% of our square footage in the last couple years with new exhibitions. Exhibit all codes and experiences.
Carli: I know that's right because every time we come, something is moved, something has changed. It makes it really fun for the kids. Absolutely. You know, science
Leah: is all about change and what's next and what's new, and making you think be curious.
Leah: And so when we change experiences here, that just prompts that additional curiosity.
Spencer: So you've been here a couple years, if we roll back the clock to where this all started. You studied and majored in zoology at the University of New Hampshire, right? That's where it began.
Leah: I did. It actually began when I was about five years old, taking a [00:02:00] bugs to batteries class at the science center in Los Angeles.
Leah: And you know, it just went from there. And when I was 21 and I started my first summer job at a natural history museum, I realized this was the career that I wanted. I, I did take some time off to be a teacher and a professor, but it was really museums, science center, zoos, aquarium. That was my passion and I like every day being different.
Leah: There's, there's never two days alike here, and that's what feeds me and makes me excited. Mm-hmm.
Spencer: It's so interesting to meet somebody that. Majors in zoology because like Carli and I, we have chaperoned a lot of field trips over the years, and when you have all these young kids that are running through the zoo, you kind of have some different types of kids.
Spencer: You have some kids that they go into an exhibit and they're curious, but they don't wanna touch anything, right? Like they don't wanna hold the snake, they're not gonna hold the spider. There's others that you can't get their focus for a single second. Like they could be just wild and crazy. What type of kid were you at the zoo in [00:03:00] order to become and say, this is what I wanna do with my life?
Leah: So it, it's funny because I always wanted to be in the mix of things. I was digging up things in the backyard, I was mixing things in my classroom, in my, even as a teacher trying to push the envelope, um, my major zoology. Was not what I expected. It was a lot of looking at a microscope and I was too far down the road to realize I liked big picture experiences.
Leah: I wanted to see how everything fit together. So that's why museums really spoke to me, is I took those little sound bites of information and I could see them in person, and it helped me make sense of what I was learning in school, in the real world. Hmm.
Spencer: So walk through your evolution from there. So you graduate, but then you have a lot of education still ahead.
Leah: Yes, yes. I knew I wanted to share science with young people like myself, and at first I thought that was being a classroom teacher and while I really enjoyed that, I missed being out. In the real world doing this. Mm-hmm. So I went back and I got my PhD while working at the museum and that [00:04:00] was such an incredible opportunity.
Leah: Um, I did have an opportunity to teach teachers and help them see how museums and outdoor spaces and science centers could make their classroom learning and just their own personal learning be more exciting and more relevant. And I realized I just wanna do this full time. Mm-hmm. And so I came back to the field full time and from there I've been in a variety of different places in different parts of the state.
Spencer: Hmm. What was the immediately proceeding thing that you did before you came to the Adventure Science Center?
Leah: I was living on Catalina Island working for a land conservancy there, and it was a, uh, beautiful space where we balanced learning and conserving native and threatened species. I oversaw our botanical garden, our nature center, our volunteer program, as well as multiple campsites, which our volunteers used to do their service projects.
Leah: Out in the, in the wilds, if you will, of coastal sage, scrub of Catalina,
Spencer: and then to Nashville. So what was that phone call like? Like how did it come [00:05:00] about that you got considered here, that it come on your radar and that you would come from the Catalina Islands to Nashville, Tennessee?
Leah: Well, I've always lived in urban centers, so living on an island.
Leah: Was a change and I was approaching my five years and I, I did miss being able to go shopping Trader Joe's, all the things that we take for granted. And as I was looking about, a recruiter contacted me about this opportunity. I really liked the dossier they provided and the vision that this institution had, and no one can complain.
Leah: Nashville's a wonderful place to be, uh, by the time I came for the interview. The last few steps and I saw the community and I walked around the community. I knew this was a slam dunk for me personally. So I sat at home just waiting for the phone to ring, and I was so excited to be able to join the team.
Carli: I love that. So you've been urban, you've been out in the wild, as my kids would say. Everything off the above. I have to ask. And it's kinda like picking your favorite child. Mm-hmm. But if you had one experience that you were talking to someone that. Is listening to your [00:06:00] career path. Yeah. And like my daughter would eat this up, right?
Carli: Uhhuh, my daughter Daphne. Would love every experience you've talked about. What do you think was the most formative in preparing you to run something as big and special as this center? Two things.
Leah: First, uh, anytime you're pushed outta your comfort zone mm-hmm. That's a learning experience and that's actually a big part of STEM learning.
Leah: Uh. When I was at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, that's when I first learned about the importance of being a part of a, of a community. You know, the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago is so beloved by that community and understanding that you represent something that will be there long after you're there. You're just a caretaker at the time.
Leah: And I had a wonderful CEO there that really taught me about those relationships. Secondly, living on an island, the calvary is not coming. If your washing machine breaks, you kind of have to figure it out yourself. And that taught me a lot of resilience and taught me to figure things out and not immediately pick up the phone and call someone else.
Leah: So that filled with the other [00:07:00] side of what I needed to be successful here is, you know, how do you lead with a problem solving mindset and learn to connect with other folks on getting to the end goal.
Carli: So what I hear you saying is you learned community purpose Yes. And grit. Correct. Which I think are just, that's a great way to say it.
Carli: Two of the best words to describe what it means to be a Tennesseean is, thank you. This community focus and grit. And I think what you're doing here is really special. When people think of Music City, when they think of Nashville or Middle Tennessee, they're thinking about country music. Yes. Right. They're thinking about maybe some barbecue or googo clusters.
Carli: You guys are really making a stand that this is also a place for people to visit with families, for learning and for STEM development. Yes. Can you tell me a little bit about your passion for our city? And trying to do that.
Leah: Yes. It's hard act to follow because people have been coming here we are 80 years old this year in a couple of different iterations.
Leah: People have been coming here so long that they know more than I do about this place. [00:08:00] So I think first and foremost, recognizing that everybody has their own memory of this place and that memory is important and needs to be honored. And secondly, how do we continue to create experiences where someone sees themselves?
Leah: In the content, sees the personal relevancy, but is also encouraged to slip outside the bounds of what they already know as well. And, and I think that's what our purpose is here, is to build stem literacy, build stem excitement, and also prepare the next generation for the workforce, which is all gonna require STEM literacy.
Leah: There isn't a job out there including all of this surrounding us that isn't based in in STEM science, technology, and math.
Spencer: So Dr. Melber, there's a lot of people that listen to our podcast and they live in Tennessee. Um, part of our goal of Signature Required is to help. Educate people that have lived their whole life in Tennessee or are moving to Tennessee.
Spencer: Yeah. What [00:09:00] makes this state so special? And we just love to have the chance to interview people that are really contributing to, uh, answering that question, whether you've lived here your whole life or you're brand new, but there's a number of people that have never set foot inside of the Adventure Science Center here.
Spencer: And so why don't you take a minute to just describe to those that haven't had. All of those memories. What is this place? Where are we sitting with dinosaurs in the backdrop? For those that are not watching visually, you need to take a look at where we're sitting right now.
Leah: Yeah, so we are one of the largest science centers in the entire state.
Leah: We serve all 95 counties, so we are really Tennessee's Science Center. Um, we're here for everyone. Our content focuses specifically on unique attributes to the state. So while we address science concepts from all different topics that are interesting to people from healthcare, to physics, to fossils, uh, and also pollinators, we always try and find the Tennessee angle.
Leah: We feel when we do that. Not only do people [00:10:00] learn the new content, they also see the relevance and the pride of their own home state represented. So within this exhibition particularly, we have a wall with fossils native to the Tennessee area. In addition to the dinosaurs you see behind us, we have a pollinator exhibit on the third floor that focuses on Native Tennessee pollinators as a partnership with TDOT and looking at the plants you should plant in order to support those local pollinators.
Leah: Hmm. Our sound box exhibition talks about music, and you can't mention Tennessee without mentioning music. This exhibition focuses on all the different careers within music, not just as a famous country singer, but everything from sound technician to instrument repair. So they learn content that has real world applicability, but where is their unique state represented in this science content?
Leah: Hmm.
Spencer: As the CEO and President. Of the Adventure Science Center. I could imagine if I [00:11:00] put myself in your shoes, that there's part of me that wants to be very collaborative with every other museum in the state and to highlight what they do well and highlight what you do well. Mm-hmm. And then I also could imagine, you know, there's a competitive side of me which wants to dominate attendance and say, you could go to those other experiences, but really like.
Spencer: You should come here. So what's your relationship like with the other leaders across the state that, you know, we've been on site at the Chattanooga Aquarium. Yes. And they have an incredible exhibit there and just all sorts of stuff. So what's that dynamic like?
Leah: So here in Tennessee specifically, we are part of the Science Alliance, which is six larger science centers across the state.
Leah: We work together, we collaborate on how we connect with, again, all 95 counties. We also receive support from the state. To make sure we're working together to advance stem literacy. So we have some formal relationships. We also have informal relationships, and especially in this local area. Upon my arrival, everyone was so kind.
Leah: [00:12:00] I called all the CEOs at the different institutions we have here, and each one of them got back to me, welcomed me, and we still keep in contact about things that we have in common. You know, how do we advance cultural appreciation in our, in our city and in our state? I think. The competitiveness comes from, there's room for us all.
Leah: When we all do a good job, people find time to visit us all. So a rising tide lifts all ships is, it isn't just lip service, it really does benefit us. So being our best is what I hope will bring people through the door.
Carli: I wanna ask a little bit more and dig into stem literacy. Yes. If you'll so. People that listen to our podcast know we talk a lot about literacy.
Carli: We are even gonna highlight literacy for a whole month on this podcast. It's something near and dear to our hearts with four kids. I don't know that I've ever heard the distinction between literacy and stem literacy. Mm-hmm. can you educate, maybe I'm the only one, but can you educate me on [00:13:00] the difference there?
Carli: It literacy
Leah: is just kind of a fancy title when used with science literacy for feeling comfortable. In talking about science for understanding enough that you can know, what's the next question you wanna ask? I'm very easily stumped. There's no way I know everything, science-based in the entire world.
Leah: That's impossible. But I know enough to feel confident in asking questions. I know enough to, uh, enjoy science and to find its connection to my real. Life. That's what we consider science literacy. Now, some people will take that science literacy further and make science a part of a hobby, rather it be gardening, raising orchids, caring for exotic pets, caring for a horse.
Leah: Um, you know, that's stem literacy in your day-to-day life then some people will use science literacy in an actual career path, and more of us do than you might realize. I've mentioned the technology that surrounds us right now as part of a podcast, um, that's a part of STEM literacy, feeling [00:14:00] comfortable with that.
Leah: Some people seek careers in healthcare that stem literacy, and then also big decisions. Being science literate means if you have to make a big decision, you take a loved one to the hospital and you're being faced with a decision to seek treatment or not. You wanna understand. What your choices are. If you feel comfortable, then you're more comfortable asking questions.
Leah: So being comfortable with the concept of science, science literacy is a way to enrich our world, but also allow us to live successfully in today's highly technical and science based, um, format. Hmm.
Carli: I love that. Especially as a mom of three girls, I think there's a natural pull of girls outside of STEM type activities and there's been a lot of research and a lot of work to push them back in.
Carli: We have a little baby engineer in our house. She loves to tinker. Mm-hmm. And to play and to build. I mean, she's 11 and she still wants to pull out magnet tiles. That's my kid. So I would love any tips or. Thoughts you might [00:15:00] have as I'm trying to raise these kids. This would not be my first language, right?
Carli: Science has not always been mine. I love the arts and I love reading. Help me understand if it's not my first language, how to serve my kids that just love it.
Leah: Yeah. Uh, the best way to encourage our children. Around STEM concepts is just to see what they're interested in. Some of them, as you mentioned, are gonna be interested in tinkering.
Leah: Some of them are gonna love animals. Some of them are gonna love the ocean. Some of them are gonna like math. And so when you build on their natural inclination, that's the first and foremost thing a parent can do. And I think that comes naturally when you're a parent. And then seeking out these experiences.
Leah: Is the next step. And it sounds like you already do, by bringing them to a space like this. Um, I think that that exposure is one part of it. The second part of it is, is encouraging that curiosity. So rather than allowing them to kind of give up if that first, uh, try at getting to a solution doesn't work, but demonstrating an iterative process, showing [00:16:00] them when you go through an iterative process, if you're tinkering with, um.
Leah: The washing machine to go back to that theme and, you know, demonstrating, well, I try this and it's not gonna work, I'm gonna try this. That demonstrates to our young people that science is something that you don't solve right away, but it's the discovery that's the part of it. Not always the actual, um, end point, but the process of discovery.
Leah: So making them feel comfortable with that is another thing that parents can do. I love that. One thing, I
Spencer: think the Adventure Science Center does a great job, is keeping fun, a real center point of what you do here, because this center has catered to kids a long time, first and foremost. And I think the center over time has broadened to say, Hey, we have something for all age groups.
Leah: Yes.
Spencer: Yes. And I think that's. So fantastic because this can be fun and is fun for all age groups to come and experience the types of [00:17:00] things that you have here. Um, and I think back at like some of the legends of science and fun, and I think of people like Steve Irwin.
Carli: Oh, of course. Was Steve
Spencer: Irwin as big of a hero to you as he was?
Spencer: To me, I mean, amazing. As a zoologist, I have to figure out, that's like one of the pinnacle of the industry. Was Steve for you?
Leah: Um, I was an adult by the time to date myself. I was an adult by the time he became super popular, and so I had some of my earlier experiences. There was a, a zookeeper from the Los Angeles Zoo that used to be on the late night TV shows.
Leah: Growing up and watching her was probably my biggest inspiration. Um, I then came to learn that. I like all kinds of science and it's a lot easier for many of us to have access to tinkering components and topics like engineering and physics that we can explore at home without having a pet. We're probably notes not supposed to have.
Leah: Um, I think that my biggest inspiration was [00:18:00] the confidence I felt when I figured something out.
Carli: Mm-hmm.
Leah: And, and also getting lost in a process is, is really exciting. Um. I like waking up every day and knowing that I'm not sure what's gonna happen. I'm not sure what I'm gonna learn. I'm not sure what I'm gonna discover, and I think that's the life of somebody that works within stem.
Leah: Mm-hmm. There's always many discoveries every single day. You mentioned the importance of having fun while you're learning. We know research shows if you enjoy what you're doing in a surprise to no one, you spend more time doing it. Mm-hmm. I also like to read. Mm-hmm. And. So when we create experiences here that are fun, where someone wants to spend more time doing it, more time on task regularly results in greater learning gains.
Leah: Mm-hmm. So we do ourselves a benefit by making it fun and the learner has a benefit from making it fun.
Carli: Hmm.
Leah: That also includes, we have to create experiences that are fun for all ages. As you [00:19:00] mentioned, we have a lot for young people and families here. We also have events and programs for adults because a lot of this content is new for adults as well.
Carli: Yeah. We've been to one. You actually had a Harry Potter night one night, and I am an unapologetic Harry Potter nerd. Have been. Since the books first came out, but it was really neat how interactive it was. They did potions, right? Yes, but it was all adults. There were no kids. I think you guys had beer carts, right?
Carli: Yes, there was potions. We went into the, and saw the stars, and then they found stars based on the different characters names, or the characters were based on these stars. I still have my t-shirt from that night at the Adventure Science Center, and that was our date night that week as we came and did that.
Carli: So. I think it's fun to stay playful. I think as you become an adult and you're in the pickup line, I have a color coded calendar with school starting where I'm trying to make sure everyone's everywhere. The last time we went and played and just played in a center, maybe without our [00:20:00] kids in tow and learned something new, you're inspiring me to wanna do it again.
Leah: You're talking about way late. Play date? Yeah, way late. Play date is an event we have about three times a year for adults. It is 21 plus we do have food trucks and a pay bar for people to enjoy, but that's not really the focus of the event. The focus is to have fun. Um, we do have one coming up in October.
Leah: That one will focus on, uh, science through the decades in honor of our 80th birthday. So, oh, how fun. We love a good costume at these events. Hmm. It will be a great opportunity to dress in costume. Are you saying I can wear a poodle skirt at the Adventure Science Center? A hundred percent. Okay, Simon? A hundred percent.
Leah: That 80 years is a long, long time of costume rate. Um, but to your point, our focus is for people to come and fall in love with science again when they realize it is fun. I can do it. I am successful. I'm capable of asking these questions and wow, all of these things have relevance to my own life. Rather, it's a favorite book series or a favorite [00:21:00] movie, or just something that I see every day.
Spencer: One of the probably challenging things that I could imagine for you is just figuring out amongst all the things that you could feature here. What do I say yes to? Because there's a lot of things to pick and choose from. And I'll continue to peel back the onion a little bit on my story and. You know, Carli knows this too, is, uh, at Vanderbilt where Carli and I met in my senior year.
Spencer: I was in neuroscience and a full semester of my senior year we partnered with the Adventure Science Center, and at that time they were redoing part of the exhibit hall featured on the body. And so I got to be a part of three other students that designed an exhibit that was then placed on the floor.
Spencer: And it was a. Big, full-size brain and it was to teach kids and really anybody about some of the basic things that's [00:22:00] happening inside of our skulls. And when I tell you I have been so proud for years and years and years as I have just found a reason to come to the Adventure Science Center, it's like, check out that like, you know, 20 foot size brain and you could walk into the middle of the brain and there were screens all around you.
Spencer: Uh, that exhibit has been retired. It did a, good job and good service, but, um, it's part of what I love about the Adventure Science Center, integrating with the community, but to get to the root of it, when you're having to choose exhibits, how much do you have as part of that process versus your team?
Spencer: Because I would imagine is. President and CEOI would have a hard time being like, okay, I really want to have this and I know that sounds great, but this is what I want to have in feature.
Leah: I think you had asked earlier what aspects of other jobs prepared me for this. Uh, Chicago was where I learned that I don't always have to be in control and to [00:23:00] let other very talented team members to also have their time in the spotlight.
Leah: And with regards to our exhibit tree. I have a really dynamic team within our exhibitions program and, and I usually have a general idea of where we might wanna head and then we work together to, to flesh that out. There are times where I have one little thing that I absolutely want, and it may not make sense to everyone else, but it's just one little element I want, and so there, there are hills I will die on, but very few I, I think.
Leah: When you step back and, and you let someone that sees people on the floor every day engaging what with what you have to offer, and they have something to bring to the table, that's, that's data that you need to be incorporating and that's data you need to use. So to answer your question shortly, we all work as a team on large general themes, but when it comes down to the specific components, I leave it to the experts in my exhibition department to [00:24:00] bring me their thoughts and ideas,
Spencer: just because I'm.
Spencer: Super interested as a business person. Yeah. Is there data that you collect about monitoring how people are interacting with exhibits when you're trying to retire an exhibit or decide whether you want to allocate capital towards something? How do you measure and manage that? 'cause we've had the opportunity to interview a lot of people that.
Spencer: Have the opportunity to run museums and they all measure it and manage it in different ways. Yeah.
Leah: Uh, before I came here years ago, I used to do a lot of evaluation and research for other types of facilities. So there's a whole field on very technical ways to measure the vi visitor experience. When I arrived here a couple years ago, we had some low hanging fruits that we needed to refresh exhibitions that we didn't even need data to know that.
Leah: This exhibition needs to be the
Carli: brain fresh. Just kidding. Thankfully it was already gone. Sorry. Just kidding. Just kidding.
Leah: I'm not [00:25:00] responsible for that. Just kidding. You know, if you have something that regularly breaks, it doesn't take data to let you know that this probably isn't a great visitor experience.
Leah: Um, now that we're approaching the end of that refreshment, with the exception of a few large exhibitions, uh. Now is the time for us to start bringing in, uh, evaluation of visitor experiences. We do observe how long people spend in our spaces. We do observe what components they seem to be really interested in.
Leah: And I have a a really specific example of that. We are, you get a little bit of a scoop here. Uh, in 2027, we are opening a brand new health exhibition called Peak Performance, the Science of Health. Don't ask me if it's in the beginning or the end of 27. We're still working on that. Um, but. As, lovely as the exhibition is upstairs, it's 20 plus years old.
Leah: And health science and healthcare science has changed a lot since then. As we're making these final decisions of the components that go into the new exhibition, we're watching people up in the existing exhibition [00:26:00] and identifying things that seem very beloved. Uh, things that perhaps are less popular, things that are sturdier.
Leah: So we're using that data to inform the next generation of our health exhibition.
Carli: Hmm.
Leah: I don't have a brain
Carli: in there.
Spencer: No
Carli: brains.
Spencer: Would you like a brain in there?
Carli: I know someone that can design one for you. You know, everything's possible at this point, so That's so funny.
Spencer: One of the things that we like to ask people is if you could wave a magic wand mm-hmm.
Spencer: And budget wasn't an issue, and time wasn't an issue. What are things that. You might bolt onto this facility or feature mm-hmm. That just suspending disbelief for a second. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Aspirationally, what are some of those things?
Leah: I think there's two sides to that. One is this building is 53 years old.
Leah: Mm-hmm. And I, I can't not worry about the HVAC every single day. Okay. Right. So we have some, some very significant building things. So, so in this pie in the sky world. You know, [00:27:00] how would I work behind the scenes to make sure that this building was ready for the next 80 years? Um, from, from the side of things that are more exciting for people, such as what do they see and do, there is no end to the science topics we could talk about.
Leah: My only limit is square footage, so I think it would be exciting to round out a lot of the different topics that we just don't have the square footage for. That would be exciting. I think bringing in more. Partnership spaces, bringing in more opportunities for internships and partnerships with our universities around this content, ensuring that every single day had exhibitions that were as equal.
Leah: Interesting to a 3-year-old as a 33 or 53-year-old. Um. I think that we are well on our way to achieving that. Mm-hmm. I think there are still some places to update the content in a way that makes people question and want to learn more, rather than bringing a period to the end of the [00:28:00] conversation. Some historic exhibitions and labels will give you a fact.
Leah: You read the fact, you look at each other and you go, oh, okay. And you go to the next. With unlimited budget. I would be excited to bring in the technology and the exhibition design and, and all the things that go with making sure that every exhibit experience ended with a dot, dot, dot ellipses, semicolon.
Leah: Or a question that left you saying, wow, I think we should, there's a book on that, I think on mom's shelf or, I had no idea. Get out your phone and look that up. I would like that seismic shift that would be. A pie in the sky dream for me on every single alcove in every single corner.
Carli: I'm curious to ask, 'cause you've seen so many museums and so many opportunities.
Carli: When you travel, do you have to go see the science center, the museum, everywhere you go?
Carli: Uh, yes and
Leah: no. It depends. Um, [00:29:00] sometimes I'm most interested in genres that I don't work in. Okay. Meaning sometimes it's the art museum that's more interesting because I spend so much of my time in science museums.
Leah: So, you know, I usually look for what is the best and brightest of where I am, and that's what I'm excited to see. So if I'm in a space that has an okay science center, I'll pop in, but an amazing natural history museum, that's where I might budget the majority of my time.
Leah: And then the flip. I have had a lot of conferences and other work travel that is focused specifically on visiting museums. And what I look for most are how do I feel walking in? Do I feel welcome? This is a cross genre. Any museum, any science center, any zoo, any aquarium. Do I walk in and feel excited, um, as I walk around?
Leah: Do I leave wanting to know more? And how do people make me feel when I'm in that space? Do I feel welcome? Do I feel part of what's happening? Or do I feel like I'm a burden when I ask a question? So sometimes I focus more on the overarching experience rather than a particular exhibit. [00:30:00] Wow.
Carli: What's the gold standard like talking about Spence?
Carli: Who do you find yourself, I, I see that you're very collaborative and that all rising tides lift all ships, right? But if there was something that you're like, I wanna compete with that. Experience or that exhibit or that museum who, what is the gold standard?
Leah: I think that's hard because it's almost like comparing your own self to someone else.
Leah: Okay. And saying, I'm not gonna be my mess self unless I look like that person. That's right. We wouldn't encourage a, a child to think that way. Um, so what I try and do is take the best from each element. Um. When I worked at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, which is where I spent my formative years, what was exciting about that space to me was the sheer volume of offerings.
Leah: Mm-hmm. Um. When I was at Lincoln Park Zoo, what was most exciting for me was customer service was such a big part of what we did. Nobody stepped foot on that campus without having [00:31:00] somebody be welcoming, making them feel comfortable, engaging them in what was happening. And that was something that made you leave feeling like you were a part of that zoo.
Leah: So I think for me, it's looking at the best of what each institution brings to the table and how do I learn from that? Hmm. That's great. Hmm.
Spencer: Some of the things that we have remembered most around the Adventure Science Center are the special events Yes. That you do. And I happen to know about a special event that is coming up that is going to feature one individual named blip.
Spencer: Yes. Can you talk for a minute about that? Oh, because, oh my gosh. Oh, when I tell you you are about to have, it's a huge deal. It's like the Beatles
Carli: are coming to town.
Spencer: You are about to have a mad house here on your hands that if you had building problems or challenges before, wait till you get on the other side of that.
Spencer: So why don't you talk to us maybe a little bit about that, but just in general about [00:32:00] how you choose these special events, because it does just. Drive so much interest, uh, to, uh, your site here.
Leah: Yeah. That is actually a prime example of when you trust your team because I don't have littles. So when my team came to me and shared this amazing opportunity that we had, they had to explain to me the importance of, of blippy and children a huge deal, excited about science.
Leah: Um, and now I'm a huge fan, but working with them on this is something we need to do and bring this to the community. Uh. I think that we always look at access, so it flippy is here for a single day. That's part of our arrangement with them, but our partnership with them allows us to keep these large decor set designs up throughout the week.
Leah: So while there were limited tickets for that Wednesday, being able to keep this B ified experience up from Thursday through Monday is really where we had that broader access. So. [00:33:00] Even when we do a really special activity that maybe has a limited number of participants, it's about thinking about how we can expand that.
Leah: Uh, I will, this is where I will look at things that I've seen at other institutions that I've been a part of and suggest those to my team, and they will either look at me like I'm crazy or, or look into it. I think this is a great lesson for all leaders is there have been times where every fiber in my being has wanted to scream, no, I don't think that's gonna work, and I've had to force the word.
Leah: Sure, let's give it a try, and then watching it. Explode. So yes, flipping is coming up and then that whole Labor Day weekend you can come and while he won't be here, you'll be able to see these large set designs and pretend you're actually in an episode. Obviously we have that way late coming up in October.
Leah: We have every Monday at 9:30 AM a STEM story time for our tiniest learners while the big kids are away at school. Um. And these are things that people have responded to us [00:34:00] and let us know that this is what we like to do and so we're gonna do more of it. Hmm.
Spencer: Some of the leaders in the museum space that we've had the chance to sit across from.
Spencer: Have talked about their effort to take the experience that is here on site mm-hmm. To the community and to go to schools. We've had some really fascinating conversations with, uh, those in the symphony and the orchestra, just all sorts of ways to. Take it on site. Take it on the road. Yeah. Are there any efforts that either are happening now or that you'd like to be able to do to take the Adventure Science Center more out into the community?
Leah: So outreach is always an age old, uh, pendulum swing if you, mm-hmm. If you will, because. Being out in the community is so important and letting them know about all these incredible things we do. But if you look around you, no matter what we do out there in the community, it doesn't rival walking in and looking at some of the things we [00:35:00] have here.
Leah: Mm-hmm. The ultimate magic is really in this building. So we focus our outreach efforts. And we saw about 3000, over 3000 folks through outreach last year on larger scale events where we can have a station with, uh, representations of things that we do, but most importantly, let people know how they can get here.
Leah: We do have, um, a variety of things to reduce any admission barriers. We do partnerships with service nonprofits to provide them with free passes for their constituents. We have discounted admission for families that receive, um, government benefits. So we focus our outreach on, here's just a teaser. Most importantly, this is how you can get here, and these are the resources that make that possible for you no matter what your resources are at home.
Spencer: We are positioned here on set for those that are not watching between the planetarium and an enormous dinosaur. I don't know how tall that thing is, but it feels like you know, four. I knew you're, ask me something I didn't know so. Uh, talk [00:36:00] to me some about what's going on here, where we're sitting between this planetarium and massive dinosaur behind me.
Leah: So, earlier when we were talking about learners of all ages, uh, the planetarium, PSE planetarium, uh, is probably one of the, the offerings we have here that really genuinely connects with learners of all ages. It's one of the jewels we have in our experiences here. It's one of my favorites and we're right across from the Judith Paint Turner Theater, which is how you enter and entering it is almost like entering another world.
Leah: Mm-hmm. Because it's dark as you go across and out and, and you sit and it's just, we have a, a range of shows. We even have adult only shows on our adult only night. We have, uh, special traveling things that happen in that space. So there's always something new happening in that space. It's just really exciting.
Leah: It's transformative. Um, and then speaking of new, on the other side of the, of the room that we're in, you asked how big the long neck was when we were installing it, a little came up and, and he said [00:37:00] It is as big as the moon. Aw. So to answer your question, it is as big as the moon. Um, and then right behind that.
Leah: The end of summer, we were opening our dinosaur dig pit, which is a place for, for all ages to sit in a substrate and use brushes to uncover a dinosaur discovery. And we anticipate it'll be a big hit at the end of summer.
Spencer: That's great. Um, for those that haven't been here, I want to give you the opportunity to give a couple statistics just to help put this into perspective.
Spencer: So, uh, now that you. Totally have your sea legs here. Been here a couple years now. Why don't you give us a couple of the statistics when you're trying to bring it to life for those that are mathematically inclined. Uh, what, uh, what would you highlight?
Leah: I, I think the reach, uh, last year we just got our statistics in from last fiscal year and 264,000 visitors, give or take, walked through our doors, and, that includes, as we mentioned.
Leah: A [00:38:00] variety of visitors. 26,000 school children came through, which is up from, from the year before, from 200 unique schools, which is a testament to the range of folks that we have coming in. And we also had over 8,000 adults that were in this space, either through those special programs we talked about, or we have program rentals people use this space for, for their own events when we're closed.
Leah: Um. One of the things I'm most proud of is we have a sensory room sponsored by EY for our visitors that might be easily overstimulated. We had 500 different families move through that space during their visitation to provide an opportunity for quick breath relaxation before coming out to what can be a bit of a stimulating experience.
Leah: So we're excited that that's receiving so much use as well. Mm-hmm.
Spencer: The way that we like to wrap up each of our podcasts is I have three short fill in the blank sentences for you. Oh boy. Okay. Uh, you haven't seen these ahead of time? No, I have not. Uh, so the way to, to do [00:39:00] this is you can finish it with a word or a short phrase.
Spencer: Mm-hmm. That comes to mind. Alright, here we go. The feedback that I hear most often from parents is blank.
Leah: The feedback that I hear most often from parents is, thank you for having this space for us to come.
Leah: We had so much fun. We can't wait to come back. Mm-hmm. That's, and that's genuine. That's just not a soundbite. Yeah, that's, they don't stop us often in the hall, but when they do, it's usually for something like that. Yeah.
Carli: No, I get that. I mean, trying to find screen free. Accessible entertainment where your kids can leave giggling or asking you questions or, yes.
Carli: When we sit at the dinner table, we always play a game called Rose Bud and Thorn. What was the best part of your day? What was the pokey part of your day and what are you looking forward to? These types of experiences always make it in the rose category and it's becoming harder and harder as a parent to find [00:40:00] those roses, so I agree.
Carli: That's likely.
Leah: You mentioned screen free. Our under five space that we just opened a few weeks ago, we deliberately made screen free.
Carli: Oh, that's awesome. Even
Leah: though we have limited screens around to provide some advanced content for folks that are looking for it in that space, we made that commitment.
Leah: Zero screens. So thank you.
Spencer: Number two. If I could design one dream exhibit with unlimited resources, it would be blank.
Leah: If I could design a dream exhibition with unlimited resources for our institution, I would love to dive into the natural environment and topography of Tennessee. It is an extremely unique state.
Leah: And such diversity in wildlife, plant life, the geology. Uh, I think [00:41:00] that alone would be a complete museum. Uh, it would be fun to do something that could fully encompass all of it. I don't even know if that's possible, but we mentioned a dream exhibition.
Spencer: Yeah, that
Leah: would be neat.
Spencer: It's not common that people know, speaking of the geology, that Tennessee has the second largest fault line in the United States out west.
Spencer: Like a lot of people think that fault lines just belong out in California. Right. But just all the little nuggets and pieces that, you know, Tennessee is such a big state. Mm-hmm. So wide that there's just a lot to be able to learn about the state and what a fun place to be able to be able to teach that.
Spencer: Number three, for a science center to stay relevant in the future, it must blank.
Leah: For a science center to stay relevant in the future, it has to focus on where STEM connects with [00:42:00] careers. Mm-hmm. We all have different priorities. You can ask 10 people what they think is a top priority for them, and it will always be different, but we all want to have.
Leah: A career or a work pathway that provides us with an optimistic future. And with the presence of STEM and every single thing people do from the trades up through PhD researchers, there isn't a single place that doesn't rely on stem. So we all need to be preparing that next generation workforce, and that's something we have to do to be relevant for the years to come.
Spencer: Dr. Melber, this has been really fun to get to, uh, talk to you, learn about your vision for the Adventure Science Center.
Spencer: As I kind of started it off at the beginning, uh, this place is really important mm-hmm. To those that have been born and raised here in Tennessee, and for those that get to discover it for the first time. Um, and I really appreciate your stewardship of [00:43:00] this place. Uh, thank you. To be able to broaden it out to, uh, not forget.
Spencer: The core of what this place was, which was tailored towards kids. Mm-hmm. And fun and experience. And I think you have taken that and with the credit sometimes of your team along the way, pulling you into some spots that, uh, like any good leader, you've listened to your team that way. Uh, it's gonna be fun to see, uh, the types of things that the Adventure Science Center.
Spencer: Features and becomes in the years ahead. Thank you. So, uh, you can count on us to continue to pad those attendance statistics. Uh, and, uh, we will, uh, look forward to seeing, uh, the exhibits as they're finished. Uh, and the, uh, refreshing. Uh, and if you ever need a really good brain, a brain exhibit,
Leah: there will be no more brains.
Spencer: You know where to find me. All right.
Leah: Alright. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you for having me. This was super fun.
Carli: This was so fun.
Leah: Awesome.[00:44:00]
Spencer: Dr. Leah Melber, the president and CEO of the Adventure Science Center. I've been looking forward to this episode a long time. Just 'cause. It reminds me of all the things that I look forward to most as a kid, which is field trips, right? I mean, this is where we got to go and I got to do an adult field trip today.
Carli: It was so fun. I remember chaperoning this field trip when I was pregnant with Solomon, chasing the kids all around. And the thing I remember most was how excited they were. You know, you go on some field trips and I've been on my fair share where the kids are like, uh, do I have to? And there was. None of that.
Carli: When those kids came here, it was evolved.
Spencer: I like hearing the vision for the Adventure Science Center and how it's broadening itself to focus on a lot more than just kids, but it's not [00:45:00] abandoning that original root. Mm-hmm. To say. We are going to make this fun. We're gonna make it interactive. We're gonna make it to where you can touch and experience and manipulate all kinds of things in pretty much every room.
Spencer: But we also are wanting to make science accessible for people of all age groups. Mm-hmm. And you and I have done some date nights here for adult events and it was, you know, my counsel to say, keep doing those things. Mm-hmm. I think a lot of adults looking for something to do, um, can rediscover something that has this part of nostalgia, but still something new.
Spencer: Mm-hmm. You know, it's not tired. There's new things, but it also still feels comfortable and it's also super affordable. Yeah.
Carli: Well, and I think too, we're entering that stage of like teen. Parenting [00:46:00] and sometimes you feel like such a drag because you're always like, no, that's not appropriate. No, we're not doing that.
Carli: The idea to get out and laugh and have fun and be playful and remember like, Hey, I'm fun, people like me, this is great. I, I crave that in this stage of life more than I think I have in a long time, and I would love to come back and do something like that. One thing I really enjoyed is I came in here.
Carli: Self-conscious isn't the right word, but probably not feeling confident that I was gonna know how to talk about STEM related things. You know, I was a little bit more artsy as a kid. Athleticism wasn't my top skillset, and I even articulated that to her. But as she broke down what it means to be in stem, to have STEM literacy, to have a career.
Carli: In stem, I started to think, oh my gosh, science and tech, it does touch so many more areas of my life than I gave credit to. And maybe if there's somebody out there that's thinking I'm not really that sciencey [00:47:00] or doesn't feel like this is where their strengths lie, I'm encouraged that. I think I know a lot more.
Carli: Then I thought I did and that I want to continue to grow and to give access to my kids. So maybe when they're sitting here pushing 40, they're not like, I don't know if that's for me, like it's for everyone, and I think I just forgot that.
