As of April 10, 2024, The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum is excited to announce we have received three Youth in Philanthropy Grants! Totaling around $1500, these grants allow the Children’s Museum to continue to host and provide engaging events for the community.
Run by the Community Giving Foundation, the Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program allows high school students a chance to learn more about philanthropy and getting involved in their communities through the grant-making process. Allocating $5000 to each chapter, those students are responsible for collaborating and assessing their community’s needs. This year, fifteen different school districts participated throughout the Central Susquehanna region. The Children’s Museum received $500 from three different schools in the area.
The first comes from Benton High School for an opportunity to provide more out-of-school STEM programs at the Northern Columbia Community & Cultural Center (N4Cs). The grant funds will be used to move the Department of Defense’s Mobile Fabrication Lab to Benton for a week-long summer camp, as well as a 4-day digital arts camp.
The second grant is from the Columbia Montour Area Vocational Technical School. This funding will go towards supplies for a hands-on manufacturing project that will be used at the Bloomsburg Maker Faire, coming up on April 20th. This project will have students use a laser cutter, electronics, and woodworking tools to make a back-lit night lit.
The third and final grant was provided by Millville High School to enhance the school spirit in the district. The Children’s Museum will use these funds to support a workshop for students in the community who do not participate in the annual “Secret Santa” shop during the holidays. Using the Museum’s workshop, students will be able to create a handmade gift for a loved one, and elementary school students will also receive a “Best of Millville” swag bag. This is a great opportunity to increase community pride and awareness of all the amazing things Millville offers.
Dr. Ginny Weibel, the Museum Director wanted to add, “The funds the Museum receives each year through YIP are key to our ability to carry out our mission of serving our community. The initiatives that are funded by the YIP chapters cover expenses for programs that the Museum offers for free. It especially means a lot to us to receive funds from students. YIP is an amazing program and we take the applications very seriously when we ask for the funds.”
Emerson Noss, YIP Advisor stated, “Benton YIP recognizes the immense impact the museum has on our region. They offer engaging, cutting-edge programming for the Benton community, and we are happy to be able to award consistent funding to bring them to our young learners.”
Reagan Hess, a YIP Member also explained, “I remember going to the Children’s Museum as a kid and how the exhibits interested me and got me interested in science and the natural world. Having an organization that exposes children to science in a fun and interesting way is something that is incredibly important to the community and the development of children, and I am incredibly proud to say that we are able to support them in their ventures.”
The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit overseen by a board of directors. This organization strives to offer unique, sustainable, and dynamic learning opportunities for youth through year-round interactive exhibits, programming, and community outreach. For more information, please visit https://the-childrens-museum.org/ [the-childrens-museum.org]