Welcome, Debbie Williams!

A dynamic educator, Williams is working part-time until December 1st when the Sarkeys Foundation-funded position will become a full-time commitment. At the museum, Williams will focus on Museum Without Walls (MWW), the museum’s successful outreach programming that has reached over 11,400 Payne County children in its first three years of existence. In addition, she will coordinate and build additional program offerings as the museum continues to build its reputation as a leader and innovator in educational programming for young children and families.

“We are very happy to have Debbie on our team. Debbie’s educational qualifications, her preschool and first grade teaching experience and her sixteen-year tenure as Director of The First United Methodist Church’s Early Childhood Program, qualify her as the perfect fit to conduct and expand Museum Without Walls and propel us into high-quality programming offerings when we open our permanent facility,” said Ruth Cavins, Executive Director of Oklahoma WONDERtorium.

“Debbie innately understands our mission – that a children’s museum is a caretaker of the community’s future,” continued Cavins. “It is an informal learning place for families to come together. In essence, it is a ‘life lab’ for children – a safe place for them to experiment and learn, pretend and gain confidence, experience and grow. It is a place a community can be proud of because they helped shape it and have envisioned the best for their children.”

“I’m excited to be joining the Oklahoma WONDERtorium and feel like I’ve been a part of it from its inception in 2001 when I sat at a dining table discussing the need for a children’s museum with the founders, Kandi Speer and Dena Cornforth,” said Williams. “When this opening became available earlier this year, I knew it was just the perfect fit for me – it’s everything I love to do!”

On the Personal Side

Debbie Schaefer Williams grew up in Enid, Oklahoma and completed all her pre-college education in Enid public schools. She attended Oklahoma State University and received a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and a master's in Elementary Counseling.

She married Jeff Williams, who majored in architecture, while both were attending OSU. The early years of their marriage were spent in employment positions in Minnesota and Alaska. They also enjoyed seven months of traveling and working in Europe. Jeff was then offered a position in the School of Architecture at OSU and the Williams returned to Stillwater.

They started their family in 1983 and today have one recently-married son, Colin (Boston), one recently-engaged daughter, Lauren (Tulsa), and one OSU freshman, Sara, intending to major in architecture. In their free time, Debbie and Jeff enjoy working on their "project" — their home and backyard — the latter Debbie described as "our version of paradise." And, at the conclusion of the interview she said, "I've also recently discovered that I do actually enjoy exercising!"

The main body of this page synopsizes Debbie’s work experience which is directly related to her new position with Oklahoma WONDERtorium Debbie is well-known to our organization – her knowledge, experience and ideas greatly influenced the early development of the Stillwater Children’s Museum (the former name of the Oklahoma WONDERtorium).