Bell Museum STEM Kits

The Challenge

The Bell Museum is Minnesota’s official natural history museum and planetarium. Since 2020, it has been distributing free STEM kits to K-5 students across the state, with a focus on reaching under-resourced and BIPOC communities that may not have regular access to museum programming. The initiative has reached more than 100,000 children and caregivers to date.

For the 2025 edition, the museum needed a kit that could deliver four hands-on science experiments with cohesive, kid-friendly design and functional promotional items – all on a donation-funded budget. No activities could be cut.

The museum’s merch agency, its sourcing, kitting and distribution partner since the program’s launch in 2020, took on the challenge of keeping all four experiments intact while staying within budget.

The Solution

The merch agency sourced and assembled 15,000 kits across four activities: Groovy Gills, Growbox Greenhouse, Salty Science and Sew a Constellation. Every component – from the branded box and colored pencil set to the basil seed packets and printed guides – followed a cohesive color story designed to build excitement while keeping instructions clear for young learners.

The box itself was designed to serve double duty. Once contents were removed, custom dividers transformed the interior into six compartments for planting basil seeds as part of the Growbox Greenhouse activity. Packaging became part of the experiment, reducing waste in the process.

Strategic sourcing kept the program on budget without cutting any of the four planned activities. Kits were distributed free of charge through schools, libraries and community centers across Minnesota.

Packaging as Activity

The branded box converts into a six-compartment greenhouse for planting basil seeds. What starts as packaging ends as a hands-on experiment, reducing waste while extending the learning.

Cohesive Design

A unified color story across the box, pencil set, seed packets and printed materials made the kit feel polished and intentional. Kid-friendly visuals balanced excitement with clarity.

Strategic Sourcing

A donation-funded budget left no room for waste. Cost-efficient sourcing across multiple suppliers kept all four experiments intact without compromising quality or visual appeal.

Results

The merch agency delivered all 15,000 kits on budget with all four STEM activities intact. Distribution reached families across Minnesota through schools, libraries, community centers and organizations including the YMCA, Kids In Need Foundation and multiple county library systems.

The kits worked because every component served a purpose. The branded box became a greenhouse. The pencil set doubled as a keepsake. The seed packets tied directly into one of the four experiments. Nothing was there for decoration alone – each promotional item either supported an activity or reinforced the kit’s visual identity.

Since launching in 2020, the program has reached more than 100,000 children and caregivers. Teachers and families have praised the kits for making science exploration both accessible and fun to use.

“The results of our STEM Kit initiative have been extraordinary, expanding the Bell Museum’s reach and impact far beyond our walls. An essential element of this success has been the creation of unique, cohesive, and functional promotional products that not only carried our theme visually but also directly supported the hands-on experiments inside each kit.”

Adrienne Wiseman, Director of Marketing and Business Development, Bell Museum