DuPage Children’s Museum receives grants for new programs
DuPage Children’s Museum in Naperville has been awarded two grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for new programs. Both grants are part of the IMLS’s Museums for America program and include challenge amounts to help encourage strong community support for the programs.
The first grant, for $149,200 with a matching challenge in the amount of $218,248, will provide funding for a new exhibit experience at the museum called Awesome Air. The second grant, for $54,000 with a matching challenge in the amount of $71,864, will fund the fourth year of a program that teaches child care providers the skills needed to deliver Science, Technology, Engineering and Math learning activities to young children. The challenge amounts represent the amount the museum will raise through in-kind donations and other contributions to complete the grant projects.
With the first award and challenge funds, DCM will fabricate 10 new air exhibits for Awesome Air, one component of a larger new exhibition: Awesome Energy (Air, Water, and Electricity). The museum will direct special attention to ages 7 to 10 by aligning these new exhibits with school curriculum and next generation science standards through independent and complex experiences. Through a partnership with the Illinois Math and Science Academy, the project will develop a software application, with tablet computers on-site along with a mobile application to allow remote access, to expand and deepen children’s and adults’ science learning. Awesome Air is designed to ignite children’s interest in science and encourage STEM careers, building a stronger future workforce.
“Awesome Air is the exciting next step in a larger exhibit experience that will transform and improve the current offerings at the museum,” said Peter Crabbe, DCM director of exhibits and museum experiences. “Focusing on STEM concepts and the importance of all types of energy through exhibit experiences is yet another way the museum is defining itself as a true force for early learning.”
The second grant and its matching challenge funds will allow DCM to fund “Train the Trainer: STEM Right from the Start,” the fourth year of a professional development program for child care providers. The program is designed to allow child care providers to gain the content knowledge and skills to deliver high-quality STEM learning activities for young children in their care. Providers also will partner with parents to provide STEM learning activities in their homes and support other providers by presenting workshops, coaching and mentoring.
The STEM training project will help young children from low-income families who do not have access to Preschool for All and Head Start programs. Young children who spend their early learning years in child-care settings will be able to enter kindergarten prepared for successful STEM learning in kindergarten through fifth grade. The program has successfully progressed for three years with funding from the PNC Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The initial project, which served 15 family day-care providers, has grown to serve 45 professionals annually. This year’s funding will provide an in-depth STEM “Train the Trainer” program for 16 past participants who will be selected through an application process.
“This new program builds on a strong history and the important recent impact the museum’s professional development programs have had in the area,” said Margaret Hanly, DCM director of programs. “By ensuring that children are exposed to these concepts as early as possible, we can give them the best chance for success in school and beyond.”