The Franklin Institute

#ICYMI: Our Senior Vice President of Science, Education, and Human Resources, Darryl N. Williams., recently appeared on the STEM EVERYDAY podcast to discuss the role of local museums in promoting #STEM education. “Ben Franklin was really about invention; he liked the idea of solving problems and the idea that whatever was created was for everybody. Ben Franklin didn’t believe in patents and didn’t like the idea of keeping things from people – he liked to share ideas, and I think that spirit of his is really also part of the fabric of what we try to do and what we try to create here at The Franklin Institute.” 🎧 Listen to Darryl’s full conversation with host Chris Woods today: https://lnkd.in/ezRgzFDe

The celebration continues! 🎉 On February 5, marking our 200th anniversary, we launched a 200-piece series on our Facebook and Instagram channels. The series shares captivating facts about our rich history and the incredible individuals who have shaped our journey. Check out some of our recent top posts ⬇ 🔭 The Observatory at The Franklin Institute, now known as The Holt & Miller Observatory, was one of the first public observatories in the United States. 🚀 At the special request of Commander Chris Ferguson, a stainless steel star cut from the original panel of the Fels Planetarium dome was flown into space aboard STS-135 on its final mission in 2011. The star returned with Commander Ferguson and is now permanently displayed in the planetarium hallway. 🧪 Starting in 1936, visitors at TFI marveled at the effects of extreme cold in a captivating exhibit called the Liquid Air Show. Join us as we celebrate our bicentennial and explore these incredible stories from our past! . . . #thefranklininstitute #franklininstitute #museum #thingstodoinphilly #visitphilly #phlvisitorcenter #discoverPHL

It's Graduation Day for our incredible STEM Scholars! 🎓🎉 We had the pleasure of chatting with a few of them to hear about their amazing experiences and exciting future plans. The STEM Scholars program proudly supports a select group of Philadelphia-area students in grades 9-12 who have a deep passion for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Join us in celebrating their achievements and cheering them on as they embark on the next chapter of their journey! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eDstHJUv

Led by The Franklin Institute, GSK Science in the Summer™ is back for its 38th year! In a remarkable year for astronomical exploration and discovery, GSK Science in the Summer™, a free summer STEM program for students in grades 2 through 6, returns in 2024 with a new theme: "Be a Space Scientist!" The theme invites students to investigate the challenges of exploring and traveling in space. Supported by GSK, the national program aims to reach 23,400 students across 290 organizations while providing TFI professional training to approximately 500 educators to help them develop skills to provide high-quality informal STEM experiences for youth nationwide. An estimated 7,000 students across Greater Philadelphia alone will experience being a space scientist this summer through strategic partnerships with 40 youth-serving organizations dedicated to providing high-quality programming to children from groups traditionally under-represented in STEM careers or from under-resourced communities. Some include Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia, Free Library of Philadelphia, Project HOME, Sunrise of Philadelphia, Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey, and more. Explore the free available GSK Science in the Summer™ curriculum at scienceinthesummer.fi.edu, developed by The Franklin Institute.

Today we celebrated the achievements of the Partnerships for Achieving Careers in Technology and Science (PACTS) program! At the PACTS Student Showcase, our middle school students had the opportunity to present their projects to families and guests. Our STEM Scholars Ambassadors were also present to discuss the impact of peer-to-peer mentorship. This event was also a time to recognize the dedication of our volunteer coordinators and congratulate our 8th-grade students graduating from the program. A heartfelt thank you to our PACTS donors and workshop partners for their contributions to student learning this year.

Honored to be the host location for the unveiling of the first wave of events and activities celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026, including the partnership with TED on the launch of TED Democracy. Congratulations to all involved!

Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by acknowledging the incredible contributions of AAPI individuals shaping U.S. culture and history! 🌟 Today, we spotlight some inspiring names in the science community: 🐋 Shayle Matsude 🧬 Junhyong Kim 🛰️ Josephine Santiago-Bond 🌍 Kimberly Lau 🧫 Janis Louie 🥼 Jonny Kim 🧠 Jayatri Das . . . #thefranklininstitute #franklininstitute #museum #thingstodoinphilly #visitphilly #phlvisitorcenter #discoverPHL #AAPI #aapimonth #AAPIHeritageMonth #ScienceLeaders #DiverseVoices

Happy International Museum Day! 🎉🏛️✨ As we continue to celebrate our 200th year, we're proud to share that our museum is not only steeped in history but also adorned with numerous accolades. And there's more excitement with our newest addition, Wondrous Space, which has already earned prestigious recognition: 🏆 Best New Attraction by USA TODAY 10Best 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards 🏆 Awarded Gold at the Muse Awards Creative Awards 🏆 Shortlisted for the International Exhibition Of The Year by Museums + Heritage Awards Join us in commemorating this special day and explore the wonders of Wondrous Space and our entire museum! 🚀🌌 . . . #thefranklininstitute #franklininstitute #museum #thingstodoinphilly #visitphilly #phlvisitorcenter #discoverPHL #InternationalMuseumDay #WondrousSpace

#ThenAndNow: Meet Justice Passé, a shining example of the impact of our programs! From graduating our intensive 4-year STEM Scholars after-school program in 2020 to becoming the first STEM Scholar Student Speaker for The Franklin Institute Awards. 🌟 Now, Justice is pursuing a degree at the Fox School of Business at Temple University, studying Business Administration in Management Information Systems and is set to graduate in 2025. And the journey doesn't stop there! Justice is already making waves as a Cloud Security Engineer at Merck. 🚀 Thank you, Justice, for your inspiring journey and for being a part of our 200th year of the awards program! 🎓🙌 . . . #thefranklininstitute #franklininstitute #museum #thingstodoinphilly #visitphilly #phlvisitorcenter #discoverPHL #STEM #FIAwards

Congratulations to Jayatri Das, our Chief Bioscientist, on your well-deserved recognition as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) fellow! 🎉 Fellows have included Thomas Edison, W.E.B DuBois, Maria Mitchell, Steven Chu, Ellen Ochoa and Irwin M. Jacobs. Election as an AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor and all Fellows are expected to meet the commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.