Collaborative Inquiry at a Children's Museum: Benefits for Student Learning, Museum Outcomes, and Faculty Scholarship

This case study recounts a collaborative service-learning project involving a children's museum, a university faculty member, and undergraduate students.  Students worked with the museum to conduct a visitor study examining community reactions to a new exhibit designed to promote children's health and nutrition.  At the same time, students learned about family life education in the field.  Benefits of working together on a program evaluation project for the faculty member, students, and the museum are examined.  From a faculty perspective, service-learning in the community presents valuable opportunities for collaborative inquiry and public scholarship, benefiting faculty members, institutions of higher education, students, and community agencies.  By understanding the needs and challenges for museums and for students involved in field experiences, service-learning experiences can be developed that capitalize on the scholarly interests of the faculty member.