Dr. Megan Pratt, founder of the Pensacola MESS (Math, Engineering, Science, and Stuff) Hall, is dedicated to inspiring curiosity and learning in both youth and adults through hands-on STEM education. A passionate supporter of Gulf Coast Diplomacy’s international exchanges, she regularly welcomes visitors as both a professional host and in a personal setting with her family.
The MESS Hall provides exchange participants with a “casual forum to interact with each other and learn,” while sharing mutual best practices. Her interactions with International Visitor Leadership Program and Open World groups have been mutually beneficial, giving both Dr. Pratt and exchange professionals ideas and helping her team continually improve their programs to better serve Northwest Florida. “It gets us to think about things in a different context. It’s almost like having a professional reviewer giving us different ways we can serve our local community.” Her hope for each group is that time at the MESS Hall may help visitors approach STEM in a more accessible manner, leading to increased interest in science programs worldwide.
When international visitors join her family for dinners or spend time in their home as part of the family, Dr. Pratt appreciates how it gives her new insight into current events happening around the world because “it helps you picture real people living real lives behind the lines on paper.” She has also found that these interactions allow her to become more aware of different aspects of American culture, such as what truly constitutes an American meal.
To learn more about how the MESS Hall utilizes interactive exhibits to foster interest in STEM, visit its website at www.pensacolamesshall.org. It is not hard to imagine why international visitors love to spend time with Dr. Pratt & this engaging museum.
Dr. Pratt speaks to IVLP alumnae attending the 2020 Hidden No More reunion.