Good Neighbor Podcast: Youngstown

E6: Exploring the OH WOW! Children's Museum

• Stacey Willis • Episode 6

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Ever wondered where you can find the "happiest place in Youngstown"? Look no further than the OH WOW! Children's Center for Science and Technology, a hidden gem in downtown Youngstown that's celebrating 14 years of inspiring young minds through hands-on STEM education.

Executive Director Katie DeToro joins us to dispel the common misconception that OH WOW! is just for toddlers. While the museum certainly welcomes the little ones, its interactive exhibits engage children from birth through age 14. Even more exciting, OH WOW! is expanding its reach with a brand-new floor opening April 16th specifically designed for middle and high school students featuring advanced technology experiences including a state-of-the-art 3D printing lab housing nearly 20 printers.

Many families travel to children's museums in Pittsburgh or Cleveland without realizing the caliber of educational experiences available right in their backyard. OH WOW! delivers programming through field trips, public visits, Girl Scout activities, and community outreach at summer camps. Their partnership with America Makes connects fun learning with workforce development in advanced manufacturing, preparing young people for future careers. Katie also shares how she balances her role as executive director with being a mom to a two-and-a-half-year-old, a challenge many working parents understand. Whether you're looking for rainy day activities, educational summer programming, or simply a fun family outing, discover why OH WOW! deserves recognition as one of the Mahoning Valley's most valuable educational resources. Visit them Wednesday through Saturday (10am-5pm) or Sundays (noon-5pm) at 15 Central Square, or learn more at ohwowkids.org.

Speaker 1:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Stacey Willis.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Are you looking for something extremely fun to do with your kiddos? Because I have the place just for you. Today. I have the pleasure of welcoming your good neighbor, katie DeToro. I apologize, katie, from the oh Wow Museum. Katie, welcome to the show.

Speaker 3:

Hello everyone, thanks for having me.

Speaker 2:

We are so excited to learn more about the oh Wow Museum, so can you tell our listeners a little bit about the company organization?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, of course. So we are the oh Wow Children's Center for Science and Technology, located right downtown Youngstown, ohio, and we are a children's museum with all hands-on interactive exhibits and programming based in STEM education and how did you get involved with the oh Wow Museum?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so I am the new-ish executive director. I would say I joined the team back in August of last year, but I do have some history with the organization. I was actually an employee in the very early days when the museum opened. So we'll be turning 14 this year in May.

Speaker 2:

That is awesome, and what are some myths or misconceptions that our listeners might have about the museum?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I think sometimes people think we are strictly for, like the very young ages, you know, like pre-K, toddler, pre-k age range. However, I would say that's probably one of our biggest misconceptions that we hear but we service on the main exhibit floor in our lower level ages really zero to 14, and families who just love to explore. And then next week, on April 16 16th, we're actually opening our brand new floor of the museum and that is going to allow us to hit into even a higher age range, really middle school and high school, with a um more advanced technology. Feel up on that floor well, that's awesome.

Speaker 2:

You sort of answered my next question, because it was going to be who are your target? High schoolers, um, but how do you attract them?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so I mean we're fortunate here in the community. The schools have always been really supportive of the museum, so we do a ton of field trips. We're in heavy field trip season right now, so if you're still looking for somewhere to go we could probably squeeze you in the calendar. In addition to that, you know we're open to the public every day that we're open here downtown. So we see a lot of just grandparents who have grandkids during the week who come down as something to do, especially on those rainy days, A lot of Girl Scout troops we do programming for, and then we also go outside of our four walls here as well and get out into the community. So for the summer especially, we'll hit up a lot of summer camps. You'll see us out providing programming, and then we also have our own summer camp as well with the YWCA of Youngstown.

Speaker 2:

Well, outside of work and being the executive director, what do you do for fun?

Speaker 3:

Oh man, my family. We are very fortunate we live right on Mill Creek Park so we spend a lot of time in Mill Creek Park. We're big kayakers and just hikers. So any looking forward to the nice weather, for sure, and then, just you know, supporting all of our other neighboring business right here in Youngstown nicer. So hopefully folks will get downtown and support all the wonderful restaurants. Head up to the Butler for a day, maybe go see the planetariums back open up on campus so catch a show at the planetarium. Yeah, so much to do right here in the Mahoning Valley. So anytime I'm not at a wow, you probably find me at somebody else's organization.

Speaker 2:

Let's switch gears just a little bit. Can you describe a hardship you have overcame and how it made you stronger? Does anything come to mind?

Speaker 3:

oh, wow, that's a really great question. Um, you know, I think of being a. You know, you probably heard this a lot from women who are, you know, working in any type of role but also supporting, you know, a at home. I just have a two and a half year old and I think some days, you know, the balance is always the struggle when it comes to life and work balance. So, yeah, I would just say always it's a continual progression of trying to find that perfect balance and I don't know that we'll ever find it. But I think, as long as we're still striving for it day in and day out, we're doing okay, katie tell our listeners one thing they should know and remember about oh wow.

Speaker 3:

Oh wow, is truly a gem in our city, not only in our city but because we serve, you know, the greater Mahoney Valley and the Western PA and and elsewhere. But I don't think people realize the caliber of what we have here and the caliber of what we do. You know, a lot of people look to larger cities when they're looking for these kind of activities for their family and children. You know Pittsburgh, cleveland. You'll hear folks say, oh well, we go to the Pittsburgh Children's Museum. Larger cities when they're looking for these kind of activities for their family and children. You know Pittsburgh, cleveland. You'll hear folks say, oh well, we go to the Pittsburgh Children's Museum. Well, did you know that we exist right here?

Speaker 3:

So I think you know, at the end of the day, we would just like people to know that we have a state-of-the-art facility. Our programs are phenomenal. Our new space, you know, features a brand new 3D printing lab housing close to 20 printers. You know that people probably can't afford in their own homes and some of the schools, you know they might have one or two printers, not the scale of what we're doing down here, and that we have tremendous partners in our community. That 3D printing lab was really driven by America Makes, which is right down the street from us, promoting the wonderful additive manufacturing opportunities in terms of future workforce development. So, yeah, I think Youngstown sometimes people don't realize all of the really unique and awesome things that we have right here in our own backyard. So what I would love people to know is we're the happiest place in Youngstown and you won't be disappointed when you visit people to know is we're the happiest place in Youngstown and you won't be disappointed when you visit.

Speaker 3:

Well, now you have to tell our listeners how they can find out and learn more about oh Wow, definitely so. We're right downtown, as I said, our address is 15 Central Square. We're right in the heart of everything. Our website is ohwowkidsorg and our hours? We are changing those. Actually, next week, april, april 16th, our new hours go into effect, so we're Wednesday through Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and then Sundays noon to 5 pm.

Speaker 2:

Well, Katie, I really appreciate you being on the show. We wish you and your business the very best moving forward.

Speaker 3:

Thank you so much for having us and we look forward to seeing many families right here in Youngstown at OL.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for listening to the Good Neighbor podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPYoungstowncom. That's GNPYoungstowncom, that's gnpyungstowncom, or call 330-355-3122.