Organization: CHILDREN'S MUSEUM INC
Mission: THE MUSEUM TRANSFORMS COMMUNITIES THROUGH INNOVATIVE, CHILD-CENTERED LEARNING BY PROVIDING EVIDENCE-BASED PARENTING, LITERACY AND STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS) PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITS.
Activities: THE MUSEUM EMPLOYS CREDENTIALLED EDUCATORS WHO MANAGE THIRTEEN BILINGUAL (ENGLISH/SPANISH) EXHIBIT GALLERIES, AN ON-SITE BRANCH OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND PROGRAMMING THAT CHANGES WEEKLY. THESE EXHIBITS/PROGRAMS ARE FOCUSED ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF LITERACY AND ENGAGEMENT IN HANDS-ON, INQUIRY-BASED INVESTIGATIONS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS/DESIGN AND MATH (I.E., THE STEAM DISCIPLINES). DUE TO THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC THAT RESULTED IN THE MARCH 16, 2020 CLOSURE OF THE MUSEUM, YEAR-OVER YEAR COMPARISONS ARE SKEWED. IN FY20, THE MUSEUM SERVED 526,000 VISITORS DOWN 225,000 FROM THE PRIOR YEAR DUE TO THE MANDATED CLOSURE BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. ONE-THIRD OF THE VISITORS RECEIVE FREE ADMISSION VIA WEEKLY FREE FAMILY NIGHTS AND THE OPEN DOORS FREE MUSEUM ADMISSION PASSES DISTRIBUTED TO LOW-INCOME FAMILIES BY COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERS AT 1,060+ LOCATIONS ACROSS GREATER HOUSTON.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS SERVING LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN UNDER-RESOURCED NEIGHBORHOODS INCLUDE A) SEVEN PROGRAMS THAT FACILITATE CHILDREN'S ENGAGEMENT IN LITERACY AND STEAM-BASED LEARNING DURING THE OUT-OF-SCHOOL HOURS AND SUMMER MONTHS; AND B) SEVEN PROGRAMS THAT EQUIP PARENTS TO FACILITATE HANDS-ON, EVIDENCE-BASED LEARNING AT HOME USING INEXPENSIVE AND READILY AVAILABLE SUPPLIES THAT CAN BE REPLENISHED AT "DOLLAR" STORES. IN FY20, PRIOR TO MARCH 16, 2020, THESE PROGRAMS ACHIEVED ATTENDANCE OF 317,000 AT 430+ LOCATIONS ACROSS GREATER HOUSTON. ALL PROGRAMING IS PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE TO PARTICIPANTS IN COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERS THAT INCLUDE TITLE I SCHOOLS, AFTERSCHOOL CENTERS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, HEALTHCARE CLINICS, LOW-INCOME HOUSING APARTMENTS, LIBRARY BRANCHES AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. ON MARCH 16, THE MUSEUM MOVED FROM AN IN-PERSON OUTREACH PROGRAM TO AN EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL PLATFORM AND WAS ABLE TO REACH AN ADDITION 4.0 MILLION THROUGH SITE VISITS. SEE SCHEDULE O.
VISITOR SERVICES INCLUDING FACILITATION OF EXHIBITS AND PROGRAMS, VOLUNTEERS, SERVICE SUPPORT, AND CONVENIENCES INCLUDING PARKING.
NTEE category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Secondary category: Education