Ask any parent in Northwest Ohio where to take a kid on a Saturday and Imagination Station will come up fast. The hands-on science center on Toledo’s downtown riverfront welcomes more than 200,000 visitors a year, filling 80,000 square feet with over 300 interactive exhibits, live demonstrations and a giant-screen theater.

But a fun day out is only the beginning of the story. Behind the water tables and the high wire bicycle is a deeply intentional approach to education, one that reaches into classrooms and community centers across the Toledo area.

Few people know that work better than Sloan Eberly Mann, Chief Education Officer at Imagination Station. Sloan has spent more than two decades with the organization, going back to its earliest days as COSI Toledo, and she was part of the small team that helped reopen the science center in 2009 after funding challenges forced its temporary closure. She has seen firsthand how hands-on science can shape a young person’s relationship with learning.

A Place Built for Doing

Walk through Imagination Station and one thing becomes clear right away: this is a place designed around curiosity. Exhibits invite visitors to touch, build and experiment, and that design choice is no accident.

“If you’ve ever spent time with a young child, you know they are naturally curious,” Sloan has said of the center’s approach. “They like to investigate everything and ask questions about what they observe.”

That philosophy shapes everything at the science center, including learning worlds like Water Works, IDEA Lab, Energy Factory and Little KIDSPACE, where even the youngest visitors can explore science through play.

More Than a Field Trip

For most students and teachers, the traditional field trip is how they first experience Imagination Station. What many people don’t realize is how much deeper the education team’s work goes.

“A lot of our work, I think most folks don’t know about, is really meaningful partnerships with districts,” Sloan says. Those partnerships, typically supported by grant funds or sponsorships, are built around targeted and identified learning goals rather than a single visit.

“We give them a curriculum that they have to implement,” she explains. The Imagination Station team then connects with students at multiple points throughout the program, tying classroom learning to real life.

“We want to be more than just the one and done,” Sloan says. “Kids are going to come here to have a fun day and learn a little. But those meaningful touchpoints are really the basis of the work that we do in the education department.”

The education team’s reach keeps growing. Imagination Station recently became the first hub of the Ohio Invention League, part of the global Invention Convention movement powered by The Henry Ford, giving students across the region new opportunities to design real solutions to everyday problems. The center also hosts monthly homeschool workshops that pair standards-based curriculum with hands-on discovery for learners in grades K through 8.

Meetings Kids in Their Own Neighborhoods

Some of the work Sloan is proudest of happens outside the science center’s walls. Through Toledo Tinkers, an outreach initiative launched in 2021 with a mobile Tinkering Van, the team brings 3D printers, circuits, coding and creative challenges directly into Toledo neighborhoods, including free community Tinkering Takeover events.

“We believe that everyone is a maker,” Sloan has said of the initiative, “and that by empowering young people to create, rather than consume, we are preparing them to be the future leaders and problem solvers of tomorrow.”

Part of that work is Maker Club, a program that brings the Imagination Station team to local Boys & Girls Clubs for 12 hands-on sessions designed to empower kids to use tools creatively. It’s the source of one of Sloan’s favorite memories.

“During one of our visits, the program manager said, ‘I have to show you something,'” Sloan recalls. “The kids had made a photo board of all the different activities they’d done with us. One of them pointed and said, ‘I made that.'”

Small moments like that one are the whole point.

A Place to Connect and Learn

The science center’s reach extends to adults too. Through its Community Conversations series, Imagination Station brings people together for engaging dialogue on topics that matter to the region. Each gathering offers a chance to connect with neighbors and learn from one another, guided by the same curiosity that drives everything else at the science center.

Sloan’s enthusiasm shows when she talks about this fall’s topic, the native plants and habitats of Northwest Ohio.

“You can think of any green space that you have, in your backyard or whatever the size of it, as being part of the habitat of our region,” she explains, “and how we can effectively create a healthier ecosystem.”

How the Community Can Get Involved

There are plenty of ways to experience and support the work happening at Imagination Station:

Plan a Visit: Located at 1 Discovery Way on Toledo’s downtown riverfront, Imagination Station is open to explorers of all ages, with new experiences every time you come.

Become a Member: Membership offers unlimited admission all year, plus invitations to special events and discounts throughout the science center. It’s an affordable way for families to stay curious together.

Attend a Community Conversation: The next event takes place September 24, 2026 at 7 PM, free and open to the public, exploring how your own backyard can support a healthier regional ecosystem.

Give or Volunteer: As a nonprofit, Imagination Station relies on community support to keep science accessible across the region. Donation and volunteer opportunities are available through its website.

To learn more, visit www.imaginationstationtoledo.org.