Thursday, May. 29, 2025
In classrooms and cafeterias across Washington County, the energy is electric. You’ll hear the swoosh of scarves flying through a wind tunnel, the satisfying clatter of magnetic tiles snapping into place, and bursts of laughter as children build train tracks, topple foam towers, and pretend to run their own food cart. This is the joyful noise of learning in action - a signature sound of a new partnership between United Way of the Columbia-Willamette and Washington County Health and Human Services, and the FLIP Museum.
From Pop-Up Exhibits to Big Learning Moments
This collaboration brings FLIP’s hands-on mobile exhibits to family engagement nights hosted by school districts and community-based organizations across the county. Each event blends play-based STEM activities with a curated selection of bilingual children’s books, reinforcing literacy and language development alongside curiosity, collaboration, and creativity.
The setup is simple but powerful. While parents fill out enrollment paperwork or learn about preschool and kindergarten opportunities, their children engage in what FLIP Museum Co-Executive Director Melissa Hong calls “child-led play.” That could mean launching scarves through a wind tunnel, engineering elaborate cities with giant magnet tiles, or roleplaying a busy day at a food cart. The result? “A positive experience that helps attract families into early learning programs,” Hong says.
Meeting Families Where They Are - Literally
Founded in 2021 by Jack Graham after the unexpected closure of the Portland Children’s Museum, the FLIP Museum was created to keep the spirit of play and discovery alive. Initially a fully mobile effort, the museum brought pop-up exhibits to schools, libraries, and shelters - anywhere families were.
“We want every child in our region to have the opportunity to thrive - and that starts with making learning accessible, relevant, and fun. By combining STEM-based play with culturally responsive literacy tools and trusted community partnerships, we're working alongside families to ensure every child has a strong start.”
Sabrina Kochprapha, Senior Director of Education Initiatives at United Way of the Columbia-Willamette.
With early childhood professional Melissa Hong at the helm, FLIP quickly became known for its inclusive and intentionally designed exhibits. “Our materials are sized for kids, designed to promote agency and open-ended exploration,” she says. “The adults are there to model behaviors when needed, but mostly we step back so kids can lead.”
That child-led philosophy resonates deeply with ELWC’s mission to increase equitable access to high-quality early learning. ELWC helped connect FLIP with school districts and culturally specific partners like Adelante Mujeres, APANO, and the Oregon Association of Relief Nurseries. The result has been a series of vibrant, bilingual family events where children and parents alike can explore, learn, and grow together.
Supporting Educators - and Each Other
While the spotlight is on the children, the partnership also brings unexpected joy to educators. “Teachers are busy. They don’t always get the time or space to play,” Melissa notes. “When we set up, we see teachers laughing, playing, engaging. It strengthens the teacher-child bond - and it just reminds us all that joy matters.”
For parents, too, the events offer something special. Whether they’re reconnecting with other families after years of isolation or watching their child light up while building their first block tower, these moments build community in powerful ways. And for families with language or transportation barriers, FLIP’s intentionally inclusive approach makes participation possible. “Play transcends language,” Melissa says. “Even when we don’t share words, we share joy.”
A United Vision for Early Learning
This partnership represents the very best of what United Way of the Columbia-Willamette stands for: cross-sector collaboration, equity in action, and joyful, hands-on support for the whole family.
“We want every child in our region to have the opportunity to thrive - and that starts with making learning accessible, relevant, and fun,” says Sabrina Kochprapha, Senior Director of Education Initiatives at United Way of the Columbia-Willamette. “By combining STEM-based play with culturally responsive literacy tools and trusted community partnerships, we're working alongside families to ensure every child has a strong start.”
More family nights are scheduled across Washington County in the months ahead - and thanks to support from Washington County Health and Human Services, the momentum is growing.
So whether it's a preschooler discovering the laws of gravity through a wind tunnel or a parent discovering a book they can read in their home language, this partnership is about more than play - it’s about possibility.
The FLIP Museum now has a space open in Downtown Hillsboro at 136 SE 3rd Ave. Suite 200, Hillsboro, OR 97123.
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