Introduction

As popular, public-facing institutions that are often perceived to be authoritative and trustworthy, science museums play an important role in public science education (National Research Council [NRC], 2009; Falk et al, 2012; National Science Foundation [NSF], 2012; Falk and Dierking, 2018; American Alliance of Museums [AAM], 2021). Through engaging with visitors and local communities, science museums contribute to longterm impacts on the public's scientific literacy and understanding (Falk and Needham, 2011) and provide resources for schools and teachers to support students’ learning and motivation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) (NRC, 2009).

At the same time, girls, African Americans, Latinx, and Indigenous students of all genders are often marginalised in formal STEM educational settings starting from an early age, are chronically underrepresented in STEM career pathways, and have been consistently shut out of high-quality STEM education and opportunities (Committee on Underrepresented Groups, 2011; McGee, 2020). This is a critical issue because, as has been evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, science literacy and thinking skills are essential to the quality of our decision-making. As science museums, it is our mission to ensure that all children and students have equal access and opportunity to engage with STEM tools and methods to be active participants who create their own world and future and to contribute to the future of STEM professions.

Recently, researchers, educators, leaders, and policy makers in informal science education have raised their voices, demanding inclusiveness, diversity, and equity in the broad ecosystem of STEM education (Dawson, 2014; Feinstein and Meshoulam, 2014; AAM, 2021; Ba et al, 2021; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [NASEM], 2021).