Journal of Science Policy & Governance
Volume 21, Issue 01 | October 17, 2022

Policy Memo: Improving STEM Museum Accessibility in Pennsylvania for Diverse Communities

Amanda N. Weiss (1,2)*, Sophia M. Villiere (1,2)*
  1. University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
  2. Penn Science Policy and Diplomacy Group, Philadelphia, PA
*Authors contributed equally

​Corresponding author: amaweiss@pennmedicine.upenn.edu​
Keywords: museums; informal learning; STEM; diversity; accessibility; Pennsylvania
https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG210109

Executive Summary

A baseline of scientific literacy among the general population is crucial for laypersons to be able to understand and evaluate data-driven recommendations for addressing public health and environmental crises. While updated formal education standards can help improve knowledge gaps for upcoming generations, they do not reach beyond K-12 students. Informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) public learning spaces, including museums, can potentially have broader impacts; however, the benefits are limited by accessibility. Notably, there is a lack of policy regarding sociocultural barriers that may exclude underrepresented communities from science museums. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) has demonstrated a willingness to support museum research and resource development throughout Pennsylvania (PA). However, resource availability alone does not guarantee the capability to meet the needs of disadvantaged groups in STEM learning spaces. Thus, there is a need for policy to establish standards to make science museums both more accessible and culturally aware to effectively serve their purposes of public learning and engagement. We recommend that the PHMC requires museums to form diversity and inclusion committees to collect and implement community input about museum content and establishes a requirement for exhibit information to be available in multiple languages to increase visitor diversity and improve public learning outcomes.

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Background header image courtesy of World's Direction Museum
Amanda N. Weiss is a PhD student in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is working under Dr. Peter Choi at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, studying the roles of RNA-binding proteins and alternative RNA splicing in development of neurons. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology and Molecular Bioscience from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Amanda is also the Science Communication Chair for the Penn Science Policy and Diplomacy Group.

Sophia M. Villiere is a Ph.D. trainee in the Neuroscience Graduate Group at the University of Pennsylvania in Michael Hart’s laboratory. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Biology at CUNY Medgar Evers College. In Michael Hart’s laboratory she is studying how autism associated gene mutations affect neuron morphology and behavior. She is also the co-Communication chair for Ernest E. Just Biomedical Society which provides support for Black biomedical graduate students on campus.

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