Madison Children's Museum Secures $2.5 Million, Five-year Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
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(Madison, Wis.) — Madison Children’s Museum has received a grant of $2.5 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. for a suite of intertwined projects focused on character development that will drive new exhibit planning, community outreach, research, and more.
There are five areas of work funded by MCM’s five-year grant:
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$1.5 million toward development of a major new exhibit and expansion on the museum’s third floor, including community listening sessions, research, design, fabrication, and programming
- $676,000 in support of MCM staff work to research, plan, design, and implement project deliverables
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$140,000 to expand MCM outreach, including purchase of a new electric van and installation of an EV charging station, to serve tens of thousands of children and families each year
- $125,000 to support continuation of the museum’s on-site research partnerships with UW–Madison, including the Center for Healthy Minds, Departments of Psychology and Neuropsychology, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, and the Social Kids Lab
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Curiosity will be an overarching theme of the work. MCM’s exploratory research showed that, while many institutions talk about valuing curiosity, there’s little scientific grounding to understand how it functions in a children’s museum, and how it operates as a precursor for so many things like empathy and general learning. Other concepts at the core of this work are children's humor, empathy, bravery, and kinship.
The projects are being funded through Fostering Character Through Children’s Museums, a Lilly Endowment initiative designed to help children’s museums develop new or expand existing efforts that explore and encourage the development of positive character traits among children and youth. Madison Children’s Museum is one of 15 children’s museums around the nation being funded through the initiative.
“We are so honored to receive this grant award. The list of awardees includes some of the best children’s museums in the country,” said Tom Linfield, MCM’s president & CEO. “This funding will allow us to expand on what we do best, serving more children in and out of the museum, extending the reach and impact of our new Nice Age Trail exhibit and the concepts of kindness and empathy that it instills, and doing it all in evidence-based, sustainable ways that contribute to broader understanding in our field.”
“Children’s museums are places where children of all ages can learn informally, discovering new ideas through play, multi-sensory experiences and self-expression,” said Ted Maple, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education and youth programs. “We are excited to see how the museums funded through this initiative will help children and their families to explore various character traits and reflect together on ways these traits can be practiced and strengthened.”
Brenda Baker, MCM’s Vice President of Exhibits, Facilities & Strategic Initiatives, expressed appreciation for assistance provided by the Association of Children’s Museums. “We are grateful to ACM for their stewardship and review of our proposal, as we know their keen insights strengthened our narrative."
The grant and its projects dovetail with MCM’s other major, concurrent grant-funded initiatives. A grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for strategic planning will shape the course of the museum for many years. The purchase of an electric van and charging station align with work propelled by the museum’s NEH Climate Smart grant.
Read the press release from Lilly Endowment Inc.
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About Lilly Endowment Inc: |
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although gifts of stock remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. The Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion.
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Madison Children's Museum: |
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Connects children with their families, their community and the world beyond through creative learning and discovery play
- Strives to make all families feel welcome, valued, and included by living the ideals of Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
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Is a community hub for children and families from every corner of Madison, and serves more than 200,000 visitors per year
- Is a community partner and gateway for families to access and participate in other cultural institutions and community programs
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Founded in 1980, the museum’s hands-on exhibits and programs celebrate and encourage children’s imaginations and the power of play as cornerstones of learning. The museum is a proud recipient of the 2011 National Medal for Museum Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. To learn more, visit MadisonChildrensMuseum.org, call (608) 256-6445, and follow on Facebook and Instagram.
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