Mother of three, caretaker of her grandchildren, and an educator, Lilian Polanco has always been surrounded by the curious minds of young people who often are no taller than her hips. As a paraprofessional, Lilian knows firsthand the impact of hands-on learning outside of a classroom setting and how experiential learning is vital to a child’s connection to the world.
As a single parent, she found it difficult and sometimes impossible to provide the experience she knew her children and grandchildren needed. It’s not a good feeling when a parent has to tell their kids, “No, we can’t” because you can’t afford it. This is why I was so excited to learn about the Access Membership program,” said Lilian. “My grandson Brandon enjoys every floor of the Connecticut Science Center because he can touch everything and explore. I have a great time, myself.”
The Connecticut Science Center’s mission to inspire life-long learning through the lens of science is a goal that needs to cast a wider net beyond the traditional audience. This is when Advancement Program Manager, Amy Sailor, had the idea for what is now the Access Membership Program. Access Membership had its humble beginnings in 2016, as the Connecticut Science Center partnered with various schools and organizations to offer the program to their families. The goal was to create equity of access and parity of experience by engaging and connecting families of diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds in their learning and enjoyment of science. For two years, this pilot initiative provides Connecticut residents who are Husky A and electronic benefit transfer (EBT) recipients an affordable way to visit the Connecticut Science Center all-year.
Fast forward a little bit to May 2018, when I joined the team as the Access Membership Coordinator to help with this mission-based initiative. Along with previous partnerships, I continued to cultivate a working relationship with schools, organizations, and agencies beyond the Greater Hartford area who work and serve disadvantaged families. Access Membership has grown from roughly 600 to over 1,000 families in the last year.
“This (Access Membership) program is a great way to include many, many families in need who would not be able to visit or only visit every once-in-awhile,” Lilian said. “When I tell people about the program they can’t believe it. We’re just so very thankful a program like this exists.”
Lilian and grandson Brandon are now gearing up to participate in a 10-week program at the Connecticut Science Center to learn about artificial intelligence through the Technovation AI Family Challenge, a free global competition to get families involved in STEM learning. It is one of several developing programs that are helping our families bring science home. More so it’s an opportunity that Lilian agrees she would have not been unaware of had it not been for the Connecticut Science Center.
Access Membership is not simply a “pass” to visit an attraction. It is an opportunity to truly engage families, who may have felt this was not a place for them, or was simply too expensive to visit often, to a changing world that needs them. “There is no doubt education and exploration is key,” Lilian said. “We see and experience a lot of society’s problems and I want my children to be a part of the solution to issues that impact us.”
Through the Access Membership program, a diverse group of Connecticut residents are becoming more involved in STEM learning and exploration. The hope is that visits to the Connecticut Science Center will foster a generation of learners who will not only seek more education but also pursue STEM careers. Without broad participation, science will lose its economic power and legitimacy. The Connecticut Science Center’s foresight is echoed by a U.S. National Academy of Sciences report that described America’s minority populations as “a vastly underused resource and a lost opportunity for meeting our nation’s technology needs.”
To learn more about Access Membership or to have a sign-up event at your school, agency or organization please contact Lisette Velasquez, Access Membership Coordinator at lvelasquez@ctsciencecenter.org or call 860-520-2198.
Lisette Velasquez is a native of Hartford and mother of three. She graduated from Hartford Public High School and Greater Hartford Academy of the Performing Arts where she studied dance and theater. Then she graduated from Hartford College for Women and Hartt School at the University of Hartford with a degree in Performing Arts Management. Although a journalist for several years, most of her career has been in education, the arts, community and family issues with integrations of STEM.
