nurturing future innovators as a path to prosperity
a national children’s museum president’s circle event
event details
join the circlefebruary 3
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
national children's museum
washington, dc
this event is invite only
join the President's Circle for invitations to future thought leadership events
about
Nurturing Future Innovators as a Path to Prosperity
How can we nurture the next generation to become future innovators and leaders? This event brought together leaders in early childhood learning, industry, and policy to explore the pivotal role of play-based early childhood learning as the earliest part of the science and technology pipeline.
The Vision for American Science and Technology (VAST) framework was developed by science and technology leaders to create a roadmap for American science and technology investments needed to ensure our nation is strong and competitive in the 21st century. One of the key pillars of the plan is a focus on how high-quality education prepares and inspires students—from K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, colleges, and universities—to be globally competitive, equipped with the skills needed to reach their potential, meet the country’s most pressing challenges, and fill critical STEM workforce needs.
But what about our littlest learners? We will discuss evidence-based practices and methods for supporting PreK through early elementary students and their teachers and families and discuss why this is crucial for our collective future.
congressional speakers
congresswoman suzanne bonamici (OR-1)
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici represents the First Congressional District of Oregon, which includes large portions of Washington and Multnomah Counties, and Tillamook, Clatsop, and Columbia counties. Strengthening public education is one of Suzanne's top priorities and one of the reasons she got involved in public service. In Congress, she is a leader on the Education and the Workforce Committee and Ranking Member of the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee. She is the founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional STEAM Caucus.
congressman mike carey (OH-15)
distinguished speakers
sudip parikh
Sudip Parikh is the CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and executive publisher of the Science family of journals in January 2020. He was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship while earning his Ph.D. in macromolecular structure and chemistry from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California and earned his BS in Applied Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
kiryn hoffman
Kiryn Hoffman is President and CEO of National Children’s Museum in Washington, DC. With 20 years of leadership experience in nonprofit organizations focused on scientific research and education, Kiryn has developed educational programs, led fundraising campaigns, and built community partnerships. Before coming to DC to lead the Museum, she spent a decade at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) as Chief Advancement Officer. Kiryn is trained as a physical chemist and holds a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College and a master’s from New York University.
ruthie ousley
Ruthie Ousley is a science educator, teacher educator, and product strategist dedicated to the design and implementation of learning experiences that build confidence and creativity. As Head of Product, Science for LEGO® Education, Ruthie leads development of the company’s global product portfolio for K-8 science educational solutions. Her current work follows more than 15 years of experience designing and delivering programs and products for PK-12 in-school science and STEAM education, pre-service, and in-service teacher education, specifically with a lens to educational equity.
arthur affleck III
Arthur G. Affleck, III, M.Ed., JD, is President and CEO of the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM). Under his leadership, the organization has developed a new compelling strategic plan, increased funding, expanded programs, established new partnerships, and facilitated improved outcomes for member museums through enhanced engagement and new resources. Prior to the ACM appointment, Mr. Affleck served as VP for Development and then Executive Vice President at the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). He is also an author and serves on several nonprofit boards. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Tuskegee University, a master’s degree in administration & supervision of higher education from Auburn University, a Juris Doctor degree from the American University-Washington College of Law, and a certificate from the Institute for Educational Management at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.
michelle kang
Michelle Kang serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), leading a dynamic community of nearly 55,000 members dedicated to advancing high-quality early learning for all children. Before her tenure as CEO, Michelle was NAEYC’s first Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, overseeing operations across Membership, Early Learning Program Accreditation, Publications, Conferences, Market Solutions, and Global Engagement. Her experience at NAEYC was preceded by leadership roles at Bright Horizons, an international provider of early education. Michelle earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary, a Master of Education in Leadership and Policy from the University of Virginia, and a Master of Science in Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management from Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.
dominic benford
Dominic Benford is the Chief Technologist for Astrophysics at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
event image gallery
president's circle
This conversations serves as one of many exclusive and engaging events for President's Circle members. These events delve into the intersections of children's education, science, technology, and culture, fostering collaboration and innovative solutions to enhance STEAM learning experiences for children.
The President’s Circle is a group of visionary leaders and dedicated advocates committed to the museum’s mission of inspiring children to care about and change the world. Fostering collaboration and promoting impactful thought leadership, membership in the President’s Circle provides access to exclusive events designed to lead the national conversation around early education through innovation and solution-oriented synergy.
event goals
convene experts
Unite leaders in early childhood education, science policy, industry, and museums.
raise awareness
Emphasize the urgency of investing in our youngest learners to ensure economic prosperity, equity, and a strong STEM pipeline.
foster collaboration
Build partnerships across sectors to support inclusive, scalable solutions.
inform programming
Use insights to guide advocacy efforts, programming, and strategies that expand hands-on learning opportunities.