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The Exploratorium

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The Exploratorium is an eye-opening, playful place, in San Francisco and online, to explore how the world works. For 40-plus years, they have offered creative, thought-provoking exhibits, experiences, tools, and projects that ignite curiosity, encourage exploration, and lead to profound learning.

We will learn more about the Exploratorium from our featured guest Mike Petrich, Director of the Making Collaborative at the Exploratorium.

Episode Segments

Educviii: Mike Petrich of the Exploratorium


Creativity is the type of learning process where teacher and pupil are located in the same individual. This is one of the philosophies that the Exploratorium was built on. Mike Petrich, Director of their Making Collaborative joins us to talk about their other principles, the Makers Movement, and the importance of tinkering.

Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Mike Petrich

Mike in his own words: I am curious about how people develop personal and unique understandings of the world for themselves. More specifically, my interest in how environments can be designed to foster learning and encourage deep thinking led to a graduate degree in education design and technology, and ultimately to a leadership role within the Learning Studio. With a background in fine arts, filmmaking, and photography, I apply the act of careful observation to much of my work as a facilitator. I have been working at this for 20 years, with audiences as diverse as museum visitors, primary school students, Tibetan monks, prison inmates, and graduate school researchers

More about Tinkering at the Exploratorium