The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and Project LEDO are proud to announce a multi-year project partnership to reimagine and update OMSI’s six hands-on museum labs! The project will continue to evolve OMSI’s public programming to promote culturally relevant program design and transformed physical spaces that celebrate and cultivate diverse science identities.
“Sometimes it only takes one person to believe in you to change the fate of your journey.” —Fidel Ferrer, President & Founder of Project LEDO
Portland, Oregon, faces glaring disparities in STEM education and career opportunities for Black and underrepresented communities. Only 2% of STEM professionals in Portland identify as Black, highlighting a significant gap in representation. These disparities begin early, with Black students reporting as 30% less likely to pursue STEM fields in higher education compared to their peers. This gap exists outside of schools as well, with research indicating that museums and science centers continue to underserved Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other people of color.
This collaboration between Project LEDO and OMSI aims to address these challenges by creating accessible culturally relevant STEM programming that showcases Black excellence in science and inspires the next generation of innovators in Portland and beyond. Through the project, Project LEDO will help inform OMSI’s 5-year plan to refresh all six museum labs as well as support OMSI staff in creating culturally relevant programming to take place in the updated labs. The project is funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
“OMSI welcomes 750,000 visitors to the museum each year, and a majority of these visitors spend time in at least one of OMSI’s labs. These hands-on experiences are vital in creating opportunities for learners to see themselves in STEM fields, especially those who have not felt a sense of belonging in science before.” —Akiko Minaga, Vice President of Learning Experiences at OMSI
The partnership kicks off in February in celebration of Black History Month. Project LEDO will present four learning activities in OMSI’s Physics Lab where visitors will be able to connect STEM principles with real-world challenges while honoring the achievements of trailblazing Black women in science.
Physics Lab Takeover with Project LEDO
Illustrations by Andy Orrego
Breaking Barriers in Space Physics
Learn about Dr. Francisca Nneka Okeke, who researched the ionosphere and the equatorial electrojet and was the first female physics professor at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Activity: Simulate radio waves in the ionosphere with bouncy balls and acrylic sheets.
Revolutionizing Cataract Surgery
Learn about Dr. Patricia Bath, who invented the Laserphaco Probe, restored vision for millions, and was the first African American woman with a medical patent.
Activity: Explore optics and the effects of cataracts with lenses.
Transforming Communications with Physics
Learn about Dr. Marian R. Croak, the inventor of VoIP with over 200 patents in telecommunications and leadership in tech.
Activity: Encode and decode messages using light pulses and fiber optics.
Unraveling the Mysteries of Blazars
Learn about Dr. Jedidah Isler, who researched supermassive black holes, advocated for diversity in STEAM, and was the first Black woman PhD in Astrophysics from Yale.
Activity: Design spinning discs to explore black hole accretion disks.
The partnership will continue throughout the rest of the year with multiple showcase events with OMSI providing programming support at Project LEDO events at KairosPDX and Lents Elementary School, with future activities led by Project LEDO at OMSI community science nights, and more. The first of the revamped labs, the physics lab, will open to the public at the end of 2025.