Some amazing minds took on the challenge to create a science center in Homewood. Their work was celebrated May 28 at a Founders Day program at the Homewood Science Center marking a dream of 10 years ago that has come true.
HSC board members, both past and present, gathered with supporters to remember how the village of Homewood initiated the idea and helped bring it to fruition with the hard work of Executive Director Edie Dobrez, a dedicated staff and many volunteers.
Jim Marino, former Homewood village manager, said the discussion started in 2010 when the village tried to encourage a children’s museum to move to town. When that effort failed, the village staff began imagining creating a science center, something more than a play area for kids. It solicited help from the San Francisco Exploratorium and borrowed some ideas but decided the best solution was to create something unique to Homewood.
Marino said the village held workshops with stakeholders in the community from schools, staff, council members, business owners. Teachers said a science center would help fill a gap, “so we knew we had a good opportunity.”
The village purchased the former Ryan Funeral Home, 18022 Dixie Highway. The location, Marino said, served its purpose as a draw not just for education but a downtown destination.
Dobrez said initial discussions called for a multi-million-dollar fundraising effort, but she knew that outreach was really what would generate interest in HSC.
“It’s really the mission that matters, not necessarily the building,” she said. “This is a place where we can try it, and that’s what I like to do. If it doesn’t work, you go in another direction. It’s experimenting!”
Initially, the plan was to get people in the door, remembers Megan Tipton, an early volunteer. She recalled several early draws, such as a junior astronauts program marking the anniversary of the moon landing, and an “Anatomy of an Emergency” display that had hands-on activities.
As time went on, Dobrez developed an active board of directors who help raise funds to purchase equipment, pay for part-time staff and make necessary building updates. Staff has tapped in to grants, corporate and government funding. A donation by the Wexler Family gave the science center an audio/visual system, and Meany Electric with IBEW Local 134 installed a sprinkler system.
Jeff McClain, a past president of the board, said it was a project manager at Schneider Electric who brought the idea for Girls STEAM Ahead to Dobrez and staff. The program, one of the first hosted by HSC, brings girls together to hear from speakers and interact with women working in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) each February, a month dedicated to Women in Engineering. HSC statistics show 81% of girls who attend STEAM developed new education and career interests.
Another major draw has been school field trips. There’s a half-hour program focused on science, and a half-hour of play time giving students a chance to do their own science exploration with the hands-on exhibits. In 2025, schools brought 5,422 students to HSC.
“There’s really nothing better than seeing the kids walk in here and their eyes light up,” said staff member Dominique Barksdale. “It’s like Christmas morning. There’s something for everyone here.”
The HSC is open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for free STEM Saturdays when children can walk in and discover all that’s available. Nearly 4,000 visits were recorded in 2025.
Dobrez said it makes her happy to see families returning to HSC after their first visit, and to know that what HSC has is being shared with kids from throughout the South Suburbs and Northwest Indiana. Whether it’s for Family Friends, STEM Saturdays, HSC summer camps, H-F Robotics Club, the Conservation Ecology Group or its Dungeons & Dragons Club, students are learning and being inspired by science.
“We were excited by what we thought (HSC) might be and it has taken on a natural life of its own,” said Jay Heiferman, Homewood trustee and HSC board member. “It has become different from what we originally imagined but fits perfectly in the community.”
