KALAMAZOO (MICH.)- The Merze Tate Explorers continued their tradition of meeting amazing women in unique careers during a visit to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. The Explorers’ Saturday Academy hosted by Kalamazoo Valley Community College, has provided programming that has introduced girls to careers in the floral industry and museum curation.

Explorers began their day at Anna Whitten Hall (downtown KVCC campus) with geography competitions. Those games about the amazing landmarks around the world were a great segway into our host for the day, Lexie Schroeder Kobb, Assistant Director of Museum Program Services. The Explorers interviewed Lexie about her career and world travels. They discovered she had hopscotched across the globe with Iceland being one of her favorite places.

After the interview, Lexie opened up the world of creative art through hands-on pattern art. Students created animals and sea creatures from shapes and used adjectives to describe one another creations. The art was an example of the use of art as expression and led to their tour of the museum’s featured exhibit, “Expanding Scott’s World: A Journey of Autism Through Art.” Artist Scott Yukio Fergus shares his personal journey with autism through visual arts. The exhibit ends on January 2, 2022.

Explorers ended the day by giving newscasts at the media desk on the museum’s second floor. Students had the opportunity to report individually or as a group on something they remember most about their visit to the museum that day. This exercise provides confidence through communication and keeps with our mission to Explore Possibilities Through Media!

Look for the story on Lexie in our Winter 2022 edition of Girls Can! Magazine!