Mercer University senior Maegan Ennis began volunteering at the Museum of Arts and Sciences as a way to spend her free time during the summer after her sophomore year. She was in Macon working part time at her local church and wanted to find ways to get involved in her community.
That volunteer opportunity turned into an internship, and she now works to develop a curriculum that makes education on the earth sciences fun and accessible for museumgoers through digital learning tools and enrichment activities.
Ennis, a biology major and Mercer Honors student, began at the museum doing odd jobs and assisting with projects on the nature trail. She developed a strong appreciation for the work being done there.
“The more time I spent there, I really enjoyed the staff and what they were doing. I think combining art and science is a really important thing to do,” she said. “Lots of people like one or the other, but recognizing there is an overlap is important.”
Eventually, Ennis was recommended for a new position, where she began working on a digital field guide for the Sweet Gum Nature Trail. The self-guided tour includes information about some of the plants museumgoers will see on the trail. There are 10 stops along the trail with QR codes that link to information pages in the field guide. Ennis’ work helped the nature trail achieve Level 1 Accreditation through the Arboretum Accreditation Program.
“When I got there, the nature trail was a part of the museum, but it wasn’t super integrated. You could go out there, and there was not really any type of information that makes you realize you’re still in a science museum,” she said. “I created a digital field guide so that as you go along the trail, you can scan QR codes and learn about different ecosystem communities.”
While working on her honors thesis for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Ennis was searching for another research project to add to her portfolio. After talking to her professor, she decided to use her job at the museum to develop an engaging learning curriculum for the large groups that visit the museum for field trips.
The activities Ennis created are in line with the Georgia Department of Education’s science standards and are typically hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) activities that help students learn about science through art. Some examples of the activities include learning about plant identification by making leaf bookmarks, identifying venomous and nonvenomous snakes by making bracelets that resemble their color patterns, and learning about pond water health through studying macroinvertebrates.
Ennis said her work to create accessible education for young museumgoers is especially important in the digital age.
“I think, as a whole, engaging with the world in multiple different ways is something that we should all be doing, especially in environmental education,” she said. “Kids now are on their phones more often than they ever have been, and we’re consistently surrounded by technology. While those things aren’t inherently bad, it is scientifically shown that connecting children with nature is better for their mental health and learning in general. Having different activities to connect them to the outdoors can make them realize learning about the outside can be fun.”
Ennis hopes the time spent during the activities inspires students to seek education beyond the classroom.
“I think field trips in general are really important in terms of making students realize that learning is not just something that we do in school, but it’s also something that we will be doing for the rest of our lives,” she said.
Mallory Stone, curator of earth sciences for the Museum of Arts and Sciences, said Ennis’ two-year internship has greatly contributed to the museum’s environmental science education for the public.
“Maegan’s subject expertise, collaboration and communication skills have been integral for many tasks and projects during her time at the museum,” she said. “Her skills continue to serve us as she now works part -time as an education guide.”
