A young woman, brown-skinned with long straight black hair, smiles in front of a white background.

Student Spotlight: Kearsten Coleman, BA ‘26

Kearsten Coleman ‘26 is a Community Education & Social Change undergraduate whose work focuses on creating engaging, hands-on learning experiences for students. Through an internship at the Springfield Science Museum’s Spark!Lab, Kearsten is helping make science learning more creative, interactive, and meaningful.

Can you tell us about your work with the Springfield Science Museum’s Spark!Lab and what it involves?

During my internship with the Springfield Science Museum’s Spark!Lab, I have been helping design activities that encourage students to think like inventors. These activities follow the invention process, where students imagine an idea, build a prototype, test it, and then improve or redesign their work. The goal is to create hands-on learning experiences where students are not just learning science concepts, but actively building, experimenting, and problem solving—and that can extend beyond the museum into classrooms.

Why is this work important to you personally or professionally?

This work is important to me because it reflects my belief that students learn best when they are actively involved and encouraged to explore their ideas. Working with a diverse group of students, families, and educators has shown me how important it is to create learning spaces that are welcoming and accessible.

This experience is helping me see how informal learning spaces like museums can complement classroom education. Designing activities, facilitating discussions, and working with different communities are all preparing me for a future in education.

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to continue working in education and eventually take on a leadership role. I would like to help bridge the gap between classroom learning and community-based experiences, such as museums and other informal learning spaces. In the long term, I hope to contribute to changes in education that encourage innovation, collaboration, and student-centered learning. My goal is to help students build confidence, stay curious, and develop the skills they need to succeed.