Imagination Station
Why Failure in Making?
I became interested in participating in the Failure in Making project after attending a Pre-conference Intensive session around it at the ASTC conference in 2023. During this session, I was inspired to think critically about the important work we do as informal educators, and passionate to share these practices with my team. When I saw the opportunity arise, I knew that it aligned perfectly with what I had already begun to implement and how our organization views the process of learning through failure.
What is Failure
Through the workshops, our understanding of failure evolved into a more nuanced definition. Counselors began to see failure less as a fixed event and more as a temporary feeling—an emotional response that can lead to learning and growth. Educators described failure as not achieving a desired outcome but emphasized that this, too, can be reframed as a temporary state that offers opportunities for reflection, iteration, and deeper learning. Together, these perspectives positioned failure as an essential, temporary, part of the learning process rather than a final judgment.
failure-based activity
We conducted Failure in Making PD cycles with two different sets of educators during this process, one being our temporary summer camp counselors and the other being our year-round education team. Both groups received 2-3 PD sessions with opportunities for reflection between all sessions. We tried a number of failure-based activities with our team throughout these sessions but one that became a focus was the Pipe Cleaner Tower Challenge.
One Failure Moment or Challenge
One failure moment that I experienced was trying to promote self-reflection without the ability to record our educators. In our setting, we were not able to record educators and I saw this as a very valuable piece of the PD cycle. To overcome this, I created “Failure Journals” with a set of 4 prompts that educators were encouraged to fill out after each program that they did. Then, I hosted monthly reflection sessions for our team to share their reflections and talk with others. This set up worked well when people were willing to share, other times it was difficult to get people to open up. However, the journals proved to be more sustainable for our organization and more comfortable for some so I consider them a success.
What did We learn?
Through this process, we learned the value of structured reflection and collaborative discussion for both logistical planning and addressing failure. Working with educators allowed more time to reflect on common challenges, recognize patterns in their own practices, and distinguish between mistakes and productive failures. Conversations highlighted the impact of adult presence—whether teachers, parents, or staff—on children’s experiences, and encouraged strategies to avoid overly hovering while supporting learning. We also focused on language, practicing rephrasing and guiding questions such as “What can you try now?” or “How can I help?” to foster iteration, resilience, and a sense of community among participants.
one insight or practice We Continue
We have carried forward two insights from this experience that have proven to enhance the quality of the experiences that we provide. First, we prioritize constructive reflection with ourselves and with our team. We have intentionally found ways to encourage reflection between educators including monthly and weekly reflection questions and annual program reflection sessions. Adding on to that, when team members begin to debrief a program that presented failure moments, the tone has turned from complaining to constructive. Instead of thinking about what went wrong, we are continually thinking about how to improve for next time. I like to attribute this mindset shift to the intentional work that we have done around Failure in Making.
Additionally, we no longer shy away from introducing Failure to students and making it known that they may experience it while they are with us. We have embedded a brief discussion around failure into the introduction of many of our making workshops and experiences. We introduce Failure and Perseverance and let students know that not everything works right the first time, and that’s okay! This introduction has helped kids prepare for the challenges ahead and be more willing to persevere through the failure moments.
About us
Located in downtown Toledo, Imagination Station is the region’s hands-on STEM education hub, offering hundreds of interactive exhibits and demonstrations. We bring science to life, inspiring future innovators and helping families explore essential concepts in fun, memorable ways.
Imagination Station is a nonprofit science center on a mission to empower everyone to explore the sciences. As Toledo’s hub for STEAM learning, we spark curiosity, fuel innovation and create inclusive spaces where science connects with community. Guided by values like collaboration, responsibility, creativity and joy, we work together to inspire lifelong learning and shape a better, brighter future for all.
