KU Natural History Museum’s VENOMventure wins Leading Edge Award at ASTC conference

Teresa MacDonald accepts the ASTC award while smiling for a photo with Lisa White.

From left, Lisa White, assistant director for education and outreach at UCMP, Anna Thanukos, principal editor at UCMP, and Teresa MacDonald, associate director of informal science education, accept the Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Award at the ASTC conference in San Francisco on Sept. 8.

Tue, 09/30/2025

Natalie Vondrak

LAWRENCE — VENOMventure, a bilingual STEM-themed experience developed by the University of Kansas Natural History Museum, was honored with a 2025 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Award at the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) conference in San Francisco.

Teresa MacDonald, associate director of informal science education at the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, accepted the award on behalf of the museum.

This year, the KU Natural History Museum was one of six organizations recognized for extraordinary achievements in advancing informal science learning, community engagement and organizational innovation.

VENOMventure/aVENENOtura is an escape-style room that teaches English- and Spanish-speaking families key concepts in evolutionary biology through an engaging story, fun puzzles and delightful surprises. The game is designed to pop up at natural history museums and libraries in rural and urban communities, and it was hosted by the KU Natural History Museum in 2023. Its evidence-based design and broad adaptability make it a model for equity-focused informal learning across museum and libraries in diverse settings.

The Weintraub family celebrating after successfully exiting the escape room at the Berkeley Public Library. Jeremy and Miranda Ritterman Weintraub with their children, (left to right) Lev, Amiela and Chana. Credit: Anna Thanukos

The escape-room adventure was developed by educators at the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, in collaboration with the lead institution, the University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) at the University of California, Berkeley.

Game development and its initial tour was funded by a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health through its Science Education Partnership Award. The project also assessed the potential of STEM-based immersive experiences to convey complex biological and scientific concepts to families. Institutions can learn more and express interest in hosting this unique and fun experience for their audiences.

The Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards celebrate excellence that reflects ASTC’s strategic priorities: supporting lifelong science learning, engaging diverse audiences, connecting science and society, and strengthening organizations as community leaders.

For more information about ASTC’s awards program, visit the organization's webpage.