On Thursday, May 15th, EKBPA members gathered at Muse Knoxville, located in the heart of East Knoxville at 516 N. Beaman Street, for a morning of networking, inspiration, and updates from one of our neighborhood’s most impactful organizations.
🎤 Featured Speaker: Allison Comer, Executive Director of Muse Knoxville
Allison Comer delivered a passionate and insightful presentation about Muse Knoxville’s expanding reach, emphasizing both local impact and national recognition. Key highlights from her talk included:
- Massive Educational Reach: Muse Knoxville reached over 50,000 students through STEM outreach—the largest of any such program in Tennessee. Another 92,000 visitors engaged the museum onsite over the past fiscal year, with representation from all 50 U.S. states and 12 countries.
- Community Accessibility: Programs like Free Family Nights drew nearly 900 guests from five states, showcasing the museum’s commitment to accessibility. They’ve also served 184 schools, traveling as far as Kentucky and Virginia to provide science programming.
- Innovative Learning Environments: Muse is known for creating joyful, multigenerational learning experiences. Upcoming exhibits include:
- “Stellar Playground” – a space-themed interactive area near the planetarium.
- Mini Food City – a hands-on grocery exhibit focused on financial literacy, in partnership with First Horizon.
- Energy Corner – focusing on electrical and nuclear energy education.
- Workforce & Early Childhood Initiatives: With 333 work-based learning experiences this year, and full-day camps on every Knox County Schools closure, Muse Knoxville is becoming a vital hub for family support and workforce development.
- Space & Capacity Needs: The museum has outgrown its current space, operating four times beyond industry standards for square footage per visitor. Allison shared their strategic efforts to remain in East Knoxville while expanding to better serve the community.
🥐 Breakfast Sponsor
We extend a warm thanks to ASM Global and Chilhowee Park for providing breakfast for this month’s meeting.
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