SHEBOYGAN, Wisc. — More than a year of hard work has earned Flinn Opel a front-row display at the Above and Beyond Children’s Museum in Sheboygan.
"Every time I come here, there are people playing with the exhibit. Which is the whole purpose why I created this project,” the 17-year-old said. "It's really inspiring to see it pay off and do all that good work in the community."
Opel is a senior at North High School. He was one of five students selected for the Innovator Fellowship Program, an opportunity for participants to work on passion projects that educate beyond the traditional classroom.
"When I learned about that, I saw my opportunity to make an impact on younger generations through STEAM education,” — science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.
After installing this year’s Readers Roundup Garden at Bookworm Gardens for part one of his project, he then chose to create new exhibits for the Children’s Museum.
They debuted over the weekend.
Opel took peg boards and designed interactive activities, using gears for one side and tubes and balls for the other.
The intention is to combine creative problem-solving and the scientific process while improving fine motor skills.
"So seeing the cause and effect…can really spin gears in their head — figuratively and literally,” Opel explained.
Trial and error is a necessary part of the learning process, he added. But it teaches kids not to get discouraged and instead keep trying until they reach a solution.
Watch: Teen develops new exhibits at Sheboygan Children's Museum.
Flinn’s second contribution to the museum is what he calls “curiosity questions,” posted around all three floors. Each question pertains to the theme of the area it’s in.
"A parent that can read, reads that question and then they can have a conversation with their child,” noted Museum Executive Director Cate Tinker.”So it's another layer of engagement."
The museum caters to kids aged 1 to 8 years old.
But Tinker said children aren’t the only ones playing. Dads have taken a special liking to Opel’s exhibits, some spending 25 minutes at a time solving a puzzle.
Tinker has known Opel since before his kindergarten years.
"I've gotten to see him grow and change and mature and to see him come into his own. His passion for STEAM-based education and his passion for volunteering in the local community is incredible."
Local spots like the museum inspired Opel as a child, but now he's passing it on as he enters adulthood.
"I'm super excited for the community to enjoy it,” he said. “And I hope it'll impact scientists and young minds for years to come."
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