One Lawndale Children’s Discovery Center is proud to announce the appointment of education leader Valerie Coffman as its new Executive Director. Coffman brings more than a decade of experience in early childhood education, community engagement, and leadership development to the role. She will lead efforts to launch the Discovery Center, a children’s museum offering educational, health, recreational, cultural, and arts programming, set to open in 2027 and attract 75,000 visitors annually from across North Lawndale, Little Village, and the broader Chicagoland area. A bilingual education leader and strategic thinker, Coffman most recently served as Director of Education at Enlace Chicago, where she led a diverse portfolio of public and private investments supporting early childhood access, leadership cultivation, and educational equity across nine public schools. The Center will feature 15,000 square feet of indoor exhibits and 10,000 square feet of outdoor recreation and greenspace. Exhibits and resources will be dedicated to social-emotional learning (SEL), STEAM education, culturally representative programming, and healthcare promotion. The project is a community-driven response to decades of underinvestment in Lawndale’s youngest learners. For more information or to get involved, visit 1lcdc.org

Photo Credit: One Lawndale Children’s Discovery Center