Celebrating Year One at the Cal Academy of Sciences!

Twelve months ago, I started working at the world's only "natural history museum, planetarium and aquarium — all under one living room," the California Academy of Sciences.

It's been an incredible first year, literally a dream come true. Some highlights from my work so far as the Programs Manager in the Digital Learning Department:

• Worked with a team of high schoolers to design and program an iPad game on earthquake safety that is featured in one of our major exhibits at the Academy
• Led a science documentary program resulting in three youth-produced videos that were broadcast on the Academy's website, YouTube channel and podcasts.
• Facilitating a group of teens who are creating their own digital dome astronomy shows
• Led dozen middle schoolers to design their own mobile scavenger hunts at Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County

Of course, the biggest perk is the kids I get to work with. (That's a sentence I wouldn't have been able to write five years ago.)  

Our teens bring a raw enthusiasm for science, a curiousity about the world, and a williness to try new things that makes them a pleasure to work with.  Our challenge is often keeping up with them as they investigate, question, debate, and create in our programs.  It's a great problem to have.

Beyond the specific projects I get to be involved in, the Cal Academy is a stimulating and fun place to work.  I get to collaborate with professional science educators, exhibit designers, video producers, and scientists of every stripe each day.  My digital learning team — Elizabeth, Puja, Christine, and Matt — are fantastic partners and teammates and just generally awesome people.

And I get the satisfaction of knowing that I work for a major science institution that is trying to make a difference in the world by "exploring, explaining and protecting" the earth.

In short, I feel very blessed and excited about year two at the Cal Academy!