#CamelsDo big things! This past July, Melissa Higgins, a Connecticut College alum, was named President and CEO of Boston Children’s Museum.
Higgins, who graduated from Conn in 2003, has worked at the Museum for eight years and previously served as Vice President of Programs and Exhibits. She has also worked for WGBH and was the Director of Curriculum Development for an elementary school engineering program at Boston’s Museum of Science.
“I think the world of the children’s museum, and it’s just so much fun to be able to have a positive impact on kids and families,” Higgins told The College Voice.
Before her foray into the nonprofit education world, she was a camel. She earned her degree in Architectural Studies from Conn, and then her Master’s in Museum Studies from Harvard Extension School.
Before she came to Conn, Higgins knew she wanted to pursue Architectural Studies. She loved the combination of arts, science, and math, she said.
At Conn, she volunteered at what is now the Niantic Children’s Museum. She also took several Museum Studies courses, which she said were foundational to her career.
Higgins said that some of her favorite memories of her time at Conn are the mundane, everyday moments. She said she remembers spending many hours in the architecture studio and enjoying weekend brunch with friends in the dining hall.
Play and Exploration
Boston Children’s Museum, founded in 1913, is the second-oldest children’s museum in the world, after Brooklyn, Higgins said.
In the 1960s, former Museum director Michael Spock decided the museum should take a more hands-on approach to teaching kids by taking items out of their cases and into visitors’ hands, according to the Museum’s website.
This strategy would influence other children’s museums and science centers to do the same, Higgins said.
The Museum’s “Dream It! Build It!” exhibit is an example of this hands-on creativity. Kids can use paint rollers with built-in sensors to paint the walls any color they choose, harnessing technology and interactive strategies.
“Play and exploration are the core to everything that we do here,” said Higgins.
According to the Museum’s website, “experiences at Boston Children’s Museum are designed to help children develop and practice skills and attitudes that foster lifelong learning.” These skills are called Habits of Mind at the Museum.
Higgins said she sees a connection between the Habits of Mind strategy and a liberal arts education.
“[A liberal arts education] is not so much about learning this very specific thing in an English class. It’s more like how do you read a text and think critically about what your feelings are about this,” she said.
“I think that museums are really special places, and I would encourage folks to explore either around Conn or wherever they’re from or wherever they land after college,” Higgins said. Please go explore your local museums because they’re amazing places,” she added.
