Healther Sellgren of The Children's Museum of Wilmington helps spark children's imagination

"I want to help give every child a strong early childhood learning experience,” she says. “Being involved in children’s education means being involved in the future of our community.”

Although not an educator herself, she equally values the importance of a solid educational foundation for all young children.

“I recognize there are many barriers that prevent children in our community from having equal access to resources that are the building blocks for that foundation,” Sellgren says.

The Children’s Museum is providing that answer. It offers educational programming and interactive exhibits that help lay the groundwork for children to be successful in school, according to Sellgren.

“We are one of just a few places in downtown Wilmington offering programs specifically designed for children under the age of ten,” she says.

The museum’s layout is created right from a young child’s wish list. Does your child like water? There is a new Wonder of Waters hands-on exhibit. Would your child like to be doctor for the day? There is a cool science station called The Science of You.

Sellgren is still navigating her new role.

“Like so many nonprofits, everyone in the organization wears many different hats, including myself,” she says. “Every day is different for us and, especially in these past few months, the staff and I are constantly thinking of ways to tweak our operations to accommodate the demands of the pandemic.”

Speaking of the pandemic, Sellgren says it affected “just about every aspect of our day-to-day operations.” But for an institution that has been around for more than 25 years, she was not going to let a pandemic stop her vision for children’s education.

“From the day we closed to the public, the staff immediately went to work developing ways we could continue to connect with our families,” Sellgren says. “Educators delivered virtual programming for storytime, STEM experiments, and at-home art activities.”

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