The Children’s Discovery Museum will put three grants towards funding various youth programs. (WJBC file photo)
By Adam Studzinski
NORMAL – The Children’s Discovery Museum in Uptown Normal has been awarded a trio of grants which will be put towards various museum programs.
A $3,000 Mirza Arts and Culture Fund grant will go to a three week creative arts camp for youth in kindergarten through sixth grade.
“It’s very artsy,” said Museum Development Coordinator Teresa Quine. “It is a great collaborative program that connects youth in our community with actual professionals serving in those areas of the arts.”
A $1,000 Youth Engaged in Philanthropy Fund grant is planned to support a community service project for eight to 15-year-olds.
“Provide hands-on experiences for youth to work with tools and technology to create things using Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM),” said Quine. “So, putting those STEAM into practice.”
Both of those grants come from the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation.
The final grant comes in the form of a $1,500 from the Golden Kiwanis. Quine said it will be used to support STEAM programming at 16 after school sites in the 2015-2016 school year.
“$1,500 doesn’t seem like a lot. That helps us cover transportation costs and the supply costs that really add up when you start to provide programming for all of these sites,” she said.
Quine said the museum is grateful for the support the community has provided.
Adam Studzinski can be reached at adam.studzinski@cumulus.com.
