When Ryn Young, a 2025 Human Development and Family Science graduate, walked into the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center for their HDFS internship, they weren’t just stepping into a summer project, they were helping reshape how and where people learn science. By contributing to a proposed certificate program for Carolina undergraduates, which continues to be developed and expanded, Young (’25 B.A.Ed., ’26 M.A.T.) worked to create space for aspiring informal educators in museums, libraries, and gardens to gain visibility and training for the important role they play in education.
“Throughout life, most of what we learn, and how we learn it, happens outside the classroom, making those who foster that [informal] learning especially important,” Young said.
Young, who aspires to become a science teacher and is now enrolled in the School’s Master of Arts in Teaching program, first discovered their interest in teaching and saw a teacher’s impact while in high school, when a teacher made them feel included and excited about learning.
While Young could not officially enroll in an AP chemistry course, that teacher welcomed them as an assistant, involving them in labs, activities, and feedback. That support, Young said, made learning exciting and cemented their interest in STEM education.
“One of the things I look forward to most in teaching is seeing the excitement on students’ faces, that lightbulb moment, especially in STEM,” Young said. “That joy and curiosity are contagious, and my chemistry teacher was the first big catalyst for me. She believed in me, encouraged me, and made me feel welcome and like I belonged.”
Those experiences led Young to Carolina and the HDFS program. As an undergraduate, they tutored English as a Second Language students at a Chapel Hill elementary school and worked as an after-school counselor at the YMCA, responsible for a group of kindergarteners.
Building on those experiences and their time in the HDFS program, Young’s work on the proposed certificate program focuses on preparing future informal educators for roles and interactions beyond traditional classrooms by creating pathways for undergraduates interested in contributing to education through community-based learning environments.
Young’s internship supervisor, Todd Boyette, Ph.D., director of Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and an adjunct instructor in the School of Education, taught the informal learning course that introduced them to the importance of education beyond the classroom and ultimately led to their internship. In their final semester, Young took a course with Boyette which highlighted how classroom teaching methods can be supported by spaces like Morehead.
Young’s internship built on this foundation, enabling them to research courses related to informal learning, explore Makerspaces and library science opportunities, and identify ways to build bridges across departments to strengthen the proposed certificate program.
“The certificate program work has allowed me to look beyond the classroom,” Young said “It has created opportunities to talk with unconventional educators and made me realize how teachers in and outside of the classroom collaborate. As a teacher candidate, I can see this coming into action by incorporating techniques that these educators use on a daily basis into my own pedagogy.”
Young shared that much of their HDFS curriculum directly informed creating the proposed certificate program for informal educators and deepened their understanding that teachers hold multiple roles with lasting impacts on development, from socialization and brain growth to the acquisition of lifelong skills.
“This project ties closely to what I’ve learned in HDFS, being that education is not limited to school settings,” Young said. “The certificate program is designed to create pathways for people who may not want to become classroom teachers but who still play an important role in how others learn.”
“All of my experiences have shown me that teaching is also about excitement, belonging, and relationships,” Young said. “That’s what ultimately drew me to teaching — having the chance to help others learn, to make school a place where students want to be, and to give them the kind of support my teachers gave me.”
Their internship at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center gave Young new opportunities to connect science education with hands-on experience. Under the guidance of Michele Kloda, director of innovation and design, they created informational and interactive note cards for student staff working at Morehead, helping to simplify complex information and guide staff interactions with visitors — and creating opportunities for staff and guests to learn from one another.
Young also supported the development of the upcoming “Hidden Lives of Stars” exhibit, which will feature four sections focused on the life cycle and study of stars, with special emphasis on the research of Carolina scientists and staff. Each section will include interactive elements inviting guests to step into the role of scientists themselves. Through this work, collaborating with faculty, graduate students, and contractors, Young gained valuable insight into the varied career paths that support public education.
“Ryn dove right in to developing hands-on resources for part-time student staff, prepping for and contributing to initial concept design and exhibit development for an upcoming installation, and furthering institutional research aims by surveying our team on the various backgrounds they bring to informal science learning and what additional degree programs or certificates might be useful in their professional development.
“Their range of projects reflected a thoughtful understanding of the many roles played by science centers and similar museums in meeting the needs of diverse visitors, student staff, and employees alike,” Kloda said.
“One of the biggest things I’ve learned is seeing the visitor as a whole person — not just someone who’s there to gather information,” Young said. “They’re there for an experience, to learn, and to have a good time.”
At the close of their internship, Young handed off their work on the certificate program to Boyette, who will continue to develop and expand it. Young expressed interest in staying connected with the initiative and possibly contributing to other projects in the future. Now, fully engaged in the MAT program, Young shared that the experience has already brought new opportunities for growth and has proven to be an important part of their preparation for teaching.
“I know student teaching will expose me to groups I haven’t worked with as much before, especially families,” Young said. “Schools interact with entire communities — families, local organizations, even government structures. Understanding different family systems and dynamics is essential to being an effective teacher.”