Boston Children’s Museum recently received a $300,000 Strategic Investment grant from the Yawkey Foundation, aiming to strengthen and expand the Museum’s community outreach and engagement programs. This initiative is focused on fostering deeper connections with parents, guardians, neighborhoods, and communities, especially in Greater Boston’s Gateway Cities. The grant aims to provide greater access and belonging for children, encouraging them to discover, learn, play, and wonder about the world around them, through offering outreach programs to youth and family-serving nonprofit agencies in various cities, including Brockton, Chelsea, Lawrence, Lowell, and Quincy.
The partnership between the Yawkey Foundation and the Museum spans decades, with this recent grant building upon the organizations’ mutual commitment to promoting access, particularly in communities that have been subject to historical underinvestment. Among the initiatives being made possible through this grant are the Family Ambassador Program, a welcoming and culturally responsive Community Conversations Series, and the “Yawkey Foundation Gateway to Play Family Days.” Additionally, the initiative introduces a new collaboration with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, as part of WHOI’s 2023 Climate & Outreach Series Presented by the Yawkey Foundation , which extends world-class ocean research and educational opportunities for young visitors to the Museum.