The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Awards $100,000 to The Children's Museum of Atlanta

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Awards $100,000 to

The Children's Museum of Atlanta

ATLANTA – April 16, 2013 –The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has generously given The Children's Museum of Atlanta a two-year, $100,000 grant in support of its two community-based outreach programs, Connected Learning…Connected Communities and Access It!  In their sixth year, these community programs fulfill a great need for outreach and educational programs in specific Atlanta neighborhoods.  The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has been essential to The Children’s Museum of Atlanta’s ability to fulfill its mission through partnerships with these communities.

The Connected Learning...Connected Communities outreach program was created in 2007 and provides educational programming that is intimately woven into the fabric of seven Atlanta neighborhoods: Pittsburgh, Adair Park, Mechanicsville, Vine City, Boulevard, Old 4^th Ward, and English Avenue. Each month, The Children’s Museum of Atlanta’s Imaginators – their dedicated troupe of professional actors and educators – visit with children at 26 participating schools and child development centers to share enlightening and fun educational content that aligns with the Georgia Performance Standards.  A strong emphasis on literacy is incorporated into the programs.

A “Museum in a Box” customized curriculum toolbox is delivered to each school involved in Connected Learning…Connected Communities. These teacher toolkits enable children to experience the life lessons and learning skills incorporated in each of the Museum’s feature exhibits. Each “Museum in a Box” is developed based on the Museum’s feature exhibit learning concepts and is complete with curriculum plans and materials. Free admission for field trips and events and free transportation to the Museum aboard The Children’s Museum of Atlanta’s bus – Imagine It! Express – is available to the Connected Learning…Connected Learning schools and child development centers.

The Museum’s Access It! program provides free and reduced Museum admission to low-income families and Title I schools. The program increases access to high-quality early learning opportunities in school settings for children from low-income families. It also provides an experience that can strengthen family bonds and provide a safe environment for play and learning.

Like children's museums throughout the world, The Children’s Museum of Atlanta exists to support the very simple but profound truth that young children learn through play. The Museum offers children the opportunity to use all of their senses in a unique and interactive way, while developing their knowledge and understanding of Reading, Social Studies, Math, Science, Language, and the Arts. Together, these specific outreach programs typically reach more than 28,000 children annually. In addition to regular visits and curriculum materials, the Museum provides play and learning sessions and cultural experiences for children and their families.

“Through these programs, the Museum has taken the concept of outreach to a deeper level, reaching not only young children, but the adults in their lives as well,” says Jane Turner, executive director of The Children’s Museum of Atlanta. “Thanks to the generous support from The Arthur M. Blank Foundation, the Museum will continue outreach and community partnerships that ensure children of all backgrounds and abilities will find ways to play and learn about the world in which we live.”

“The Museum provides unique, entertaining, and educational programming for young minds to explore,” said Blank Foundation President Penelope McPhee. “As leaders in early childhood education, children's museums engage infants, toddlers, and children through play to help foster critical thinking and creativity. Exhibits and programs provide children with tangible interactions that challenge them to accomplish small and large feats.”

To capture the special partnership with The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, and the Connected Learning…Connected Communities program, the Foundation recently produced a “Stories of Impact” video that illustrates the deep connection that has been built between these community neighborhoods and the Museum. To see more about this partnership and its impact: http://youtu.be/jRn3Vxzgtl8

About The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation promotes positive change in peoples’ lives, builds, and enhances the communities in which they live. The Foundation seeks innovative solutions that enable young people, families, and communities to achieve results beyond what seems possible today. Formed in 1995, the Foundation invests in early childhood development, education, green space, and the arts, and leads giving programs for each of the Blank Family of Businesses, including the Atlanta Falcons.

Learn more at http://www.blankfoundation.org

The Children's Museum of Atlanta is a smart place to play and a non-profit organization offering a family-friendly space filled with interactive, educational exhibits and programming for children ages eight and under. The Museum’s mission is to spark imagination and inspire discovery and learning for all children through the power of play. The Museum’s four permanent learning zones consist of bright, creative, hands-on exhibits that are designed to give children an opportunity to learn through play. The Children's Museum of Atlanta also offers parties, memberships, field trips, summer camp, and private events.

For more information or to support The Children's Museum of Atlanta, visit their website at www.childrensmuseumatlanta.org or call 404.659.KIDS [5437]. 

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Museum hours: Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Admission: Ages 1 to 100:  $12.75 plus tax ; children under 1 are free. The Museum is located in the Lucky Marietta District at 275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW Atlanta, GA 30313.

Funding for The Children’s Museum of Atlanta is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of Fulton County Arts & Culture.