When Diane Miller accepted her honors as the 2009 Stellar Performer at the St. Louis American Foundation Salute to Excellence in Education last Friday at America’s Center downtown, she made a few brief, but memorable points.
“We understand that we cannot let ZIP codes determine the success of young persons,” said Miller, senior vice president of school and community programs and partnerships at the Saint Louis Science Center.
She thanked Donald M. Suggs, publisher of The St. Louis American and president of the St. Louis American Foundation, for recognizing educators; she vowed to do more for children; and she asked others to do more as well.
“I see so many possibilities on what we can do … I can do more,” Miller said.
“And if I can do more, believe me, I’m going to knock on your door and I think I want more from you. We can do more.”
She reminded the audience of 1,300 that partnerships are of essential importance – with the schools and with the community.
“You can’t do this work without the support of other people,” she said. “You cannot do it in unfertile ground. You just can’t make the progress.”
Since moving to St. Louis in 1996 and joining the Science Center team, Miller, a Pittsburg native, increased youth participation, earned grants to fund programs and earned numerous awards along the way. She gives credit to others and to St. Louis, because of the generosity and openness she found here. It made her decide to make St. Louis her home.
Under Miller’s leadership, the Youth Exploring Science (YES) program at the Science Center has become a national model. It is a four-year exploratory program that hires teens to learn about science through inquiry-based experiences.
“When I hire kids to work at the Science Center, I put together a really rigorous job for them,” Miller said. “I made sure that the young kids who worked for me worked with a very diverse group. I figured if they were going to be in the workplace, they need to work with diversity.”
Miller said the program is “where they can discover that energy you can’t catch in a textbook.” The teens also teach younger children concepts they have learned.
“I believe equal access to a quality science education is our responsibility,” Miller said. “We can all do something – because we have to. It’s just not optional.”