Great River Childrens Museum

TO PROVIDE PLAY EXPERIENCES THAT SPARK LEARNING, STRENGHTEN BONDS, AND BUILD COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS.

TRAVELING POP-UP EXHIBIT EXPERIENCES AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH:GREAT RIVER CHILDREN'S MUSEUM IS IN YEAR 2 OF A 3 YEAR GRANT FROM THE MCCARTHEY DRESSMAN EDUCATION FOUNDATION, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GREAT RIVER REGIONAL LIBRARY. THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OFFERS EXHIBIT EXPERIENCES AT ALL 32 REGIONAL LIBRARY LOCATIONS THROUGH ROTATING EXHIBIT KITS AND POP-UP EXHIBIT EXPERIENCES. ACTIVITIES AND EXPERIENCES ARE INSPIRED BY FUTURE MUSEUM PROGRAMMING AND EXHIBIT GALLERIES. THESE ROTATING EXHIBIT EXPERIENCES BRING A GLIMPSE OF THE MUSEUM TO CENTRAL MINNESOTA COMMUNITIES. OUTREACH PROGRAMMING & CAMP BEYOND:GREAT RIVER CHILDREN'S MUSEUM IS ALSO IN YEAR 2 OF GRANTS WITH UNITED WAY PARTNER FOR STUDENT SUCCESS PROGRAM AND XCEL FOUNDATION FOR EQUITY THROUGH PLAY AND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS INITIATIVES. BOTH OF THESE GRANTS SUPPORT MATERIALS AND PROGRAMMING FOR A NUMBER OF OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. THE UWPFSS GRANT FUNDS ARE FOCUSED ON EXPANDING OFFERINGS TO FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AGES 0 TO 4. XCEL FOUNDATION GRANT FUNDS ARE FOCUSED ON EXPANDING GRCM'S REACH INTO UNDERSERVED OR MINORITY POPULATIONS. SOME OF THE COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES INCLUDE UNITED WAY'S LLAMA LLAMA READ-O-RAMA, YIRAN AFRICAN ARTS, JUNETEENTH, CELEBRATION OF FATHERHOOD, GRANITE CITY DAYS LEMONADE ART FAIR, ST. CLOUD AREA FARMERS MARKET, BIG LAKE FARMERS MARKET, ALBERTVILLE FAMILY FUN DAY, ST. CLOUD COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIR, AND HISPANIC HERITAGE FESTIVAL, TO NAME A FEW. IN 2023, GRCM'S PROGRAM & OUTREACH MANAGER ONCE AGAIN HOSTED A FREE, WEEK LONG, SUMMER CAMP FOR KIDS. CHILDREN AGES 7-13 PARTICIPATED. TWO CAMP INSTRUCTORS WERE HIRED TO HELP FACILITATE THE CAMP AND SPACE FOR THE CAMP WAS PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF ST. CLOUD SCRAPS PROGRAM. COMMUNITY ART COLLABORATIONS:THE ART TASK-FORCE GATHERED COMMUNITY INPUT AND NARROWED A LONG LIST OF ART PROPOSALS DOWN TO 3 SELECTED ARTISTS WHO REPRESENT A DIVERSE CROSS SECTION OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA. THESE THREE ARTISTS WILL BE ENGAGED TO CREATE PUBLIC ART PIECES ONE SCULPTURE AND TWO MURALS. A GRANT FROM THE CENTRAL MINNESOTA ARTS BOARD SUPPORTED THE ARTISTS' PROPOSAL WORK.FOLLOWING A STRONG FUNDRAISING YEAR IN 2022, GRCM SUBMITTED A BILL SEEKING STATE FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE WORK TO CONSTRUCT, EQUIP, AND FURNISH THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. IN MAY 2023 THE STATE AWARDED GRCM A CASH GRANT TOTALING $7MM FROM THE GENERAL RESERVE FUND. PUBLIC FUNDRAISING CONTINUES FOR PROGRAMMING AND ACCESS INITIATIVES AND GRCM CONTINUES TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER GREATER MINNESOTA CHILDREN'S MUSEUMS TO ADVOCATE FOR FAMILIES, CHILDREN, AND PLAY AS A POWERFUL RESOURCE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND BONDING.