Deputy Assistant Secretary Michael Yudin speaks to students at MLK Jr. Elementary School.
A few weeks ago, on October 22, our Deputy Assistant Secretary Michael Yudin had the opportunity to address a group of students from the Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary school as part of a special Moveable Museum Event, sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City. AMNH brought down a dinosaur “museum exhibit” to DC for the weekend, to encourage students to pursue and deepen their knowledge and passion for math and science. The MLK Jr. students had the opportunity to check out the exhibit, all by themselves, and Michael was really excited to be at a school, and talk to students!
After the event, Michael shared with me a really nice email from the event organizer at AMNH, who wrote:
“The children listened to you, rapt, as you told them that you work for President Obama and how important the President thinks it is that they pursue their interests in science and math. We could see on the children’s faces how you inspired them, and for all of us, your participation was a highlight of our day at the school with our Moveable Museum. Thank you so much for being with us and for helping to make the day a great success.”
Getting our students to be excited about math and science is so important – for their own future, and for our country’s future. Hearing about this event, and reading about its success from the email, really reminded me how important partnerships between educators and institutions like museums are, in bringing subjects like dinosaurs and space travel to life.
I would encourage all educators out there to explore such partnerships, and to make use of these resources to help get students excited about math and science!
