A Virtual Gratitude Reception: CGLR Salutes Children Museums

Over the past five years of virtual gratitude sessions, we have celebrated our outstanding partnerships with The United Way, public housing authorities, public libraries, public television and now children’s museums. These critical partners align with our mutual commitment to becoming increasingly intentional and explicit about naming, mapping, shrinking and closing the gaps.

This year’s Gratitude Reception focused on the importance of addressing learning inequities and ensuring access to children’s museums for all children, especially those from marginalized communities. The panelists — including Arthur G. Affleck, III, M.Ed., J.D., of the Association of Children’s Museums as moderator; Denise Rosario Adusei of the Bronx Children’s Museum; Tanya S. Durand of Greentrike; Carole Charnow of the Boston Children’s Museum; Laura Huerta Migus of the Institute of Museum and Library Services; and Patricia Wellenbach of the Please Touch Museum — emphasized the role of children’s museums in supporting grade-level reading initiatives and providing learning experiences for diverse populations.

“Children’s museums are just so important in not only inspiring children to become learners and to develop identities as curious and confident learners, they are also spaces that help build the confidence and social capital of the adults and caregivers who surround the children that come to visit children’s museums.”

– Laura Huerta Migus, Deputy Director for Museum Services, Institute of Museum and Library Services

Each of the panelists discussed some of the programs unique to their museum. Each highlighted their work in establishing free or low-cost access days and coordinating with partners and funders to develop important initiatives. Examples include a Book Bodega in the Bronx, the first children’s bookstore in the Bronx; The Kinder Launch initiative at the Please Touch Museum; and the work of the Boston Children’s Museum in partnering with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to establish hubs all over the state to make sure all children have access to resources that ensure a quality education. We heard about the critical outreach efforts at Greentrike – The Children’s Museum of Tacoma. They established a diaper bank in their museum and the “care kits” program with the local children’s hospital, which provides children who cannot leave their beds with books and an art activity.

“Children’s museums have become community museums. And the more we can talk about that, the more we can move from a nice to have to an essential need to have for the future of all of our cities, our states, commonwealths and the country. Because this is where we’re building the resiliency, the creativity and the curiosity in the youngest children so they can go on to be the leaders of tomorrow.”

– Patricia Wellenbach, CEO, Please Touch Museum