KID Museum is our region’s pioneering experiential museum and educational makerspace. We foster the “Mind of a Maker” in kids and youth, empowering the next generation with the skills to invent the future.
Every kid a maker
MISSION
VISION
We see the world as full of promise, potential, and possibility. We envision a bold future where there are pathways for every young person to engage in the hands-on, transformational learning and exploration that unlocks new opportunities. We work everyday to make this vision a reality.
VALUES
CURIOSITY
We recognize that knowing how to ask the right questions is even more important than knowing the right answer.
COLLABORATION
We know that to go far, we must go together, and we help foster a spirit of community and collaboration in the young people we serve.
CREATIVITY
We believe in the power of creativity and innovation to make a positive impact on society.
COMPASSION
We activate young people as difference makers who care about their world, their environment, and their neighbors.
APPROACH
At KID Museum, we see the world with the “mind of a maker”— a worldview that is guided by our values, curiosity, creativity, collaboration, and compassion. We foster this mindset in the kids and youth we serve, working with them to become empathetic and persistent problem-solvers, teammates, and changemakers.
PROGRAM DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Designed to empower kids and youth with the skills to invent the future, our programs…
are always grounded in making.
encourage exploration and iteration.
go deeper than skill building.
foster agency.
are collaborative and interactive.
include everyone.
View the MCPS Data Brief, published by the Office of Shared Accountability, to review demographic data, participation rates, and classroom implementation rates for KID Museum’s invention programs.
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SIGNATURE PROGRAMS
INVENT THE FUTURE CHALLENGE
The Invent the Future Challenge is one of the region’s largest maker challenges integrating science, technology, engineering, and design.
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FIELD TRIPS
Our on-site programs for school groups give students hands-on, maker experiences designed to support and enhance traditional classroom learning.
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MAKER PLAYGROUND
Our virtual home for free DIY activities for the whole family. This rotating collection of hands-on projects is sure to inspire every maker in your household or classroom.
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OPEN EXPLORE
Did you know KID Museum is open on Sundays? Spark curiosity with our hands-on activities. Explore coding, robotics, engineering, and more in our maker learning studios.
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PARTNERSHIPS
Collaboration is one of our guiding values. We work with partners across the full continuum and we catalyze the power of school, community, and corporate investment to make a difference for kids, families, and educators. Explore our partnership opportunities.
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PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Discover the different ways that we are partnering with our community.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Since 2017, KID Museum has operated under a competitively-bid contract with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to expand STEM learning opportunities to students, with a focus on engaging youth from high-poverty schools. Since this district-wide program was announced, KID Museum has served thousands of MCPS students, producing measurable results. In 2023, MCPS reissued the contract under a competitive bidding process, and KID Museum secured another contract through this process.
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BOEING
Boeing’s multi-year investment has enabled KID Museum to develop curriculum for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders—considered critical years for the building of foundational skills in STEM. This investment means that KID Museum can now offer a K-12 continuum of learning, and bring high-impact programming to more elementary students in under-resourced schools within the DC/MD/VA area.
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HISPANIC HERITAGE FOUNDATION & INFOSYS FOUNDATION USA
Teachers want and need resources, training, and support to foster inclusion and build students’ foundational skills. Leveraging the power of maker learning, KID Museum teamed up with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and InfoSys Foundation USA to create the Latinx Educator Maker Lab – and design a replicable model to address inequities in STEM and computer science education.
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Meet the committed people behind the movement to remake education and empower the next generation with the skills to invent the future.
MEET THE TEAM
