Discovery Museum Announces Fall Speaker Series Lineup
The upcoming events feature discussions on youth and climate, talking to kids about indigenous stereotypes, empowering children with disabilities.
What: Youth Voices in Climate Change: A Conversation with Varshini Prakash moderated by WBUR's Miriam Wasser
Who: Varshini Prakash, Founder of the Sunrise Movement
When: Thursday, September 23, 7:00pm to 8:30pm EDT
Varshini Prakash is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Sunrise, a movement of young people working to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process through the Green New Deal. Varshini has been a leading voice for young Americans, including when she helped lead a mass demonstration for the Green New Deal with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that went viral and put the climate crisis at the top of the political agenda for the 2020 elections. Varshini's work has been featured in The New York Times, MSNBC, The New Yorker, BBC, The Washington Post and more. In 2019, she was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list for law and policy, and TIME 100 Next, a new list of rising stars who are shaping politics, popular culture, science, and more. Varshini currently lives in Boston, MA.
Miriam Wasser is a reporter for WBUR's environmental desk. Before coming to WBUR, she was a staff writer for the Phoenix New Times in Arizona. Her work has also appeared in Boston magazine, The Atlantic, Narratively, DigBoston and The Big Roundtable. Miriam holds a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and a BA in government and international relations from Connecticut College.
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What: Talking to Kids About Stereotypes and Invisibility of Indigenous “Native Americans”
Who: Claudia Fox Tree, M.Ed., Professional Educator and Social Justice Activist
When: Wednesday, October 6, 7:00pm to 8:30pm EDT
Claudia Fox Tree, M.Ed. (Arawak) facilitates courses and workshops on decolonizing teaching practices, including “un-erasing” Native American First Nations People (FNP). She gives voice to Indigenous experiences (past and present) and asks allies and co-conspirators to come on the journey with her. Her presentations feature discussions on identity, culture, contributions, stereotypes, and historical inaccuracies.
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What: An Empowered Life for Children with Disabilities
Who: Sara Minkara, Founder of Empowerment Through Integration
When: Thursday, October 21, 7:00pm to 8:30pm EDT
Sara Minkara is an internationally recognized champion for inclusion, leadership, individual empowerment, and social enterprise. Sara speaks to diverse audiences around the world and facilitates transformative, interactive workshops that employ adaptive approaches to social and workplace challenges. As an undergraduate and dedicated to promoting inclusion as a value and guiding others on their own journeys, Sara founded a nonprofit organization, Empowerment Through Integration (ETI), Sara is part of the Board of Directors for ETI and continues to create new programs and opportunities for the children and families it serves. Sara currently is the Founder and CEO of Sara Minkara LLC, an organization that offers courses, workshops, executive coaching and engages in public speaking opportunities to continue to bring her leading voice in the fields of disability, inclusion, empowerment, and authentic leadership to society.
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More information and registration links for each event can be found at http://bit.ly/DMSpeakerSeries; a $5 suggested donation is appreciated.
These free and open-to-the-public events are made possible by Lead sponsor Foundation for MetroWest, and Investor sponsor Enterprise Bank. Thank you.
About Discovery Museum
Discovery Museum is a hands-on museum that blends science, nature, and play, inspiring families to explore and learn together. The museum and its Discovery Woods accessible outdoor nature playscape and 550sf treehouse blend the best of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) learning on a beautiful 4.5-acre campus abutting 180 acres of conservation land in Acton, MA, about 20 miles west of Boston. Originally founded in 1982 and expanded to two museums in 1987, the museum reopened in a single, 16,000sf accessible building after a complete renovation and expansion in early 2018. Hands-on, open-ended exhibits developed by professional educators inspire curiosity and exploration, providing a fun and engaging experience for children and adults to discover their world together. Serving families and schools from towns throughout the region, the museum is devoted to informal education that enhances classroom learning. Discovery Museum is committed to accessibility, and is a proud recipient of the 2017 Massachusetts Commonwealth Award, the only winner in the Access category, and a 2018 LEAD® Community Asset Award from The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information please visit www.discoveryacton.org. Discovery Museum is a community-supported non-profit organization. Discovery Museum programming is supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.