“The Science of ‘Good Enough’ Relationships,” with Junlei Li, free virtual speaker series event May 22

ACTON, MA – Discovery Museum will host its fourth free speaker event of 2024, “The Science of ‘Good Enough’ Relationships: Trusting and Developing our Capacity for Simple and Authentic Human Interactions,” with Junlei Li of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education on Wednesday, May 22, 7-8PM ET via live Zoom webinar.

The event is free with advance registration at http://bit.ly/DMSpeakerSeries. 

What makes any of us “enough”? Whether we teach children directly, or support families and educators, we invest ourselves in building authentic relationships with human beings. This presentation is intended as a reflection and a reminder that the simple, ordinary things we do with other human beings matter in ways that can be seen and felt in moments when we really show up for others, and in ways that can be measured over the long run.

Junlei Li is the Faculty Co-Chair of the Human Development and Education Program and Saul Zaentz Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research and practice focuses on understanding and supporting the work of helpers—those who serve children and families on the frontlines of education and social services. He developed the “Simple Interactions” approach to help identify what ordinary people do extraordinarily well with children in everyday moments and made that the basis for promoting positive system change.

The 2024 Discovery Museum Speaker Series remains free thanks to the support of Enterprise Bank and the Greater Lowell Community Foundation. Additional support is provided by Sutherland Realty Group/Keller Williams Realty Boston NW. 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 giant 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 Massachusetts Commonwealth Award, the only winner in the Access category, and a LEAD® Community Asset Award from The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Discovery Museum was also recognized in 2023 and 2024 as a Finalist for the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Medal, the highest honor in the museum field. 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.

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