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Museums and science centers are capable of challenging traditional and hierarchical pedagogies (Kratz & Merritt, 2011) by integrating STEM content learning with the knowledge and cultural wealth available within local communities. The current study took place within the context of a long-term partnership between a science center and a local public preschool in a culturally and linguistically diverse, urban community in the northeastern US. This study brought together preschool educators, caregivers, and museum staff to co-design new STEAM enrichment possibilities for young children and their families. 

Young children are capable of engaging in scientific and mathematical thinking, but often have few opportunities to use math as a tool for understanding the world. This article describes the development and implementation of a museum‐based after‐school workshop that introduced young children and their families to data science, an applied field that involves real‐world observations. Through three iterations of the workshop, the museum developed strategies for engaging families in interest‐driven cycles of data collection, organization, and interpretation. The workshop used design and making to motivate exploration of data and highlight the utility of mathematics for answering questions and guiding decisions. Children (ages 5–8) gathered data about museum exhibits (including size, features, visitors’ preferences, etc.) and applied what they learned to create models of their own exhibit ideas. We discuss the theoretical basis for the program, the process by which it was iteratively developed, and the final structure of the workshop activities and curriculum.