This summer, we set out to better understand how Neighborhood North’s programs are meeting the needs of our community, and what children and families need as we grow.

Led by Estella Shi, our Summer Research Intern and a graduate student in Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University, we conducted more than 40 in-depth interviews and gathered more than 100 stakeholder evaluations and 300 program evaluations from parents, educators, artists, business owners, and community leaders.

As we work to transform the historic Tribune Building into Neighborhood North’s permanent home, this input matters. We want what we build, both our programs and our spaces, to reflect the community it is intended to serve.

We’re still analyzing everything we gathered, but some themes are already clear. People love this community. We heard about deep roots, neighbors who look out for one another, and a downtown that has changed dramatically over the past decade. We also heard about barriers, especially transportation and cost, that can keep families from opportunities for their children.

When we asked what Neighborhood North means to families, they talked about much more than exhibits. They talked about staff who know their children by name, friendships that begin at Crafternoons, and a place that feels, in one parent’s words, “community and fun and inclusive.”

We see those connections enduring over time. Children who first came to the museum as toddlers are now participating in our afterschool programs, sometimes alongside friends they met here years ago. Families celebrate birthdays and milestones here. Neighborhood North is not simply a place families visit, but it is becoming part of how they connect with one another and their community.

We’re also preparing for a new research study in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh. Geneva College students will support the work by facilitating focus groups. The study will explore the role of “third spaces, welcoming places outside of home and school where people gather, connect, learn, and belong, in post-industrial communities like Beaver Falls.

The research will examine ideas of belonging, placemaking, and placekeeping- how community spaces foster connection to people and place, and what helps those connections endure over time.

The study can help inform Neighborhood North and our future home in the Tribune Building, but its potential value extends beyond our walls. By examining the experiences of children and families in Beaver Falls, the research could add an important community-based perspective to a growing body of work on placemaking, placekeeping, and the role of informal community spaces in fostering lasting connection, belonging, and a sense of place.

Thank you to everyone who shared their time, experiences, and stories with us, and to Estella for leading this important work over the summer. We look forward to continuing to listen, learn, and share what we discover.