Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Bakken Museum Stem Legacy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bakken Museum seeks $150,000 per year for STEM exhibits, outreach
Summary
Senate File 453 asks for $150,000 in each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to support the Bakken Museum’s interactive exhibits and statewide outreach focused on STEM and the history of innovation.
Sen. Scott Dibble introduced Senate File 453 to the Environment, Climate, and Legacy Committee on Feb. 11, requesting $150,000 in both fiscal year 2026 and fiscal year 2027 to support a grant to the Bakken Museum for interactive exhibits and outreach programs connecting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with Minnesota history.
Why it matters: The Bakken Museum presents STEM education in museums, schools and community sites across the state; committee members cited the museum’s role in reaching students and communities that otherwise lack direct access to hands-on STEM experiences.
Sen. Dibble summarized the museum’s work and its 50th anniversary, noting the Bakken’s emphasis on the intersection of science, technology and the humanities and the museum’s statewide outreach. Bakken staff described programs that reach about 40,000 people per year; Bakken vice president of advancement Stu Silberman said roughly 20,000 of those are young people reached through outreach, and that approximately 47% of outreach participants come from low-income families.
Annika Taylor, vice president of programs for the Bakken Museum, described the Week of Wonder residency, which brought grade-specific, weeklong STEM residencies to eight communities in the last funded year and engaged nearly 4,000 students. Taylor said the program expanded to offer distinct experiences for each grade K–5 during the last Legacy appropriation but that the expansion has slowed “without dedicated funding.”
The museum emphasized partnerships with schools and teachers, teacher professional development, leave-behind curricula and in-school follow-up activities. Stu Silberman framed the museum’s work as supporting career readiness by fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Committee members expressed support in remarks; Sen. Kunish recounted taking students to the Bakken as a teacher and praised its growth. The committee laid over Senate File 453 for possible inclusion in the Legacy omnibus bill.
Ending: Witnesses asked the committee to consider the appropriation and said they stand ready to answer questions and host members who wish to visit the museum.
