Children's Discovery Museum Creates Early Child Education Fund
Judy Garland Children's Museum is a space that provides hands-on educational exhibits for children that promote early education through play and exploration. Prior to the COVID 19 pandemic, they operated a successful, program-based field trip scholarship that granted access to thousands of students to the museum that they may not have otherwise been able to attend. Many arts and culture organizations were closed for business during the pandemic due to social distance restrictions. These facilities are now open, students and teachers are eager to get out of the classroom and explore alternative learning opportunities. Most school districts do not have additional funding in their budgets to provide these for students and the financial burden of admission and transportation is placed on the families. Prior to the pandemic, Judy Garland Children's Museum utilized state grants to provide the field trip scholarships and transportation aid. Funding in recent years has shifted; they have not been able to provide these program-based field trips for free or aid with transportation since 2020. They are working to find new funding sources so they can continue this successful program. Field trip scholarships take down the monetary and transportation barrier to come to the museum.
On top of access to the museum, the field trip can include valuable teacher-lead curriculum to students. Curriculum was developed by local teachers; the topics correlate with the inter-active exhibits that exist in the museum and relate to our Minnesota culture. A typical field trip breaks kids up into groups with stations where each student receives a 20-minute lesson, correlated art project, and free exploration. School teachers have filled out surveys with positive feedback and ratings on the curriculum content and validity as well as overall museum experience. Some of the most popular topics for programming include, Dino Dig, Keva Planks, Lake Life, Trees Leaves and Me, Wonderful Water and Wizard of Oz anti-bullying.
The museum serves up to 25,000 visitors each year with the busy tourist season happening from mid-May through September. During fall through late spring, they utilize this time to serve the surrounding area with school field trips. In their 20+ year history, their field trip program has served up to 4,000 students yearly, reaching a 10-county area (Aitkin, Beltrami, Carlton, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, St. Louis, and Koochiching) that includes 40 school districts. They have enrolled over 76,000 students, teachers, and chaperones. The primary ages they serve with this program are children pre-school to 2nd grade, but people of all ages are welcome.
"We are excited to get back to our program-based field trips, and we can, thanks to a small scholarship grant from the Minnesota Department of Education. However, additional funding is necessary to support transportation, curriculum supplies, and operations. We are looking for business field trip sponsors and donor support in the communities we serve to keep this program going. We want area kids to have access to this fun space we have to offer," states Janie Heitz, Judy Garland Museum Executive Director.
Those who would like to support Children's Discovery Museum School Enhancement Fund, may donate online at www.gracf.org/donate and search for Children's Discovery Museum School Enhancement Fund. You can also send or drop off donations to the Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation.