Celebrating a Year of Visiting Scientists with IDEXX

Visitors learn about veterinary medicine from visiting scientist Dr. Lisa Benson.

Here at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine (CMTM), we believe that curiosity inspires children to explore, build empathy, and connect with others. Learning fueled by curiosity leads to a deeper understanding of self and the world around us, and what better way to spark curiosity in young minds than by introducing them to professionals who are passionate about sharing their love of their field of study? 

That’s what CMTM’s Visiting Scientists program is all about: giving children the opportunity to experience science firsthand, challenging them to ask questions, make observations, and connect with the scientific community.

Our Visiting Scientists program has had a banner year, thanks to the incredible support of our partner, IDEXX. We couldn’t be more excited to share the story of our year in science with you!

Year in Numbers

Over the past year, 22 visiting scientists have walked through our doors (with three more scheduled before the end of June!), bringing interactive science experiences to approximately 675 visitors. These scientists came from 10 different organizations and fields, ranging from veterinary medicine and seaweed biology to chemistry, geology, and beyond.

New Faces at CMTM

This year brought some exciting new friends to our program. For the first time, we welcomed college students as visiting scientists, an addition that showed children a real-life example of young people actively pursuing their passions. The University of Southern Maine (USM) Chemistry and Biology Clubs led programs, and the response was electric.

"We are excited to do it again!" said Audrey Crews of the USM Chemistry Club.

A child explores seaweed during a program with visiting scientist Dr. Gretchen Grebe.

We also deepened our ties to Maine's broader science and education community, welcoming fellow non-profits Maine Mineral and Gem Museum and Maine Audubon as partners. It has been a joy to see organizations that share our mission come together in service of Maine's young learners.

Celebrating Science

Some of our most memorable visits this year happened in connection with special event weekends. Founder of Maine Big Night Dr. Greg LeClair returned to CMTM to share the story of the annual mass migration of certain amphibians from their underground winter homes to vernal pools to begin the next phase of amphibious life cycles. "This is my favorite Big Night program to lead every year,” he said. Visitors celebrated the natural phenomenon by acting out the life of a frog, making homes for pretend salamanders, and meeting real frogs with the Center for Wildlife.

The Maine Mineral and Gem Museum left young paleontologists’ minds sparkling during Dino Weekend, and our very first Be a Scientist Day saw visitors inspired by scientists from fields across the board, including veterinarian Dr. Lisa Benson, environmental scientist Dr. Gretchen Grebe, and the USM Chemistry and Biology Clubs. Visitors spent the day exploring seaweed, creating lava lamps, participating in mock vet visits, and more—the building was abuzz with curiosity and creativity. 

Special Thank You to Dr. Lisa Benson

If one scientist embodies the spirit of this program, it's Dr. Lisa Benson. A veterinarian and perennial favorite, Dr. Benson has been coming to CMTM since we first opened our doors on Thompson’s Point. We are deeply grateful to her for sharing her love of animals and veterinary medicine with our community, and look forward to many more years of collaboration.

Why This Matters

"Watching a child carefully use an otoscope with a toy dog with a real veterinarian or gasp in awe at a chemistry student's color-changing explosion, we watch dreams form,” CMTM’s STEM & Live Program Manager Brittany Liscord shared. “Children get the chance to discover more about themselves and who they want to be."

We believe every child deserves to see themself as a scientist. Thanks to IDEXX's partnership and the generosity of everyone who has given their time, expertise, and enthusiasm to this program, more Maine children are doing exactly that.

Thank you to IDEXX for another fabulous year of wonder, curiosity, and color-changing explosions at CMTM!