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As a non-profit organization, Miami Children’s Museum recognizes the need for accessible educational opportunities so that every child has the chance to realize their highest potential. As summer comes to an end, here is a look back at the community initiatives we were able to accomplish in that last few months thanks to the support of our donors, board members and staff.
Our mission-driven work is sustained through meaningful support from donors like you. Your contributions go a long way in supporting programs focused on improving education, financial stability, and health for ALL children in our community.
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In May, the Museum distributed 250 ‘READy for School’ kits to families in Miami’s underserved neighborhoods to provide essential educational support for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. READy for School was created in response to how the pandemic deepened the disparity gap and especially affected children's education in disadvantaged communities. With this new program, the Museum directly provides children with tools that benefit their literacy, math, social, emotional, and wellness needs.
Each kit included:
· Three (3) grade-level books that feature diverse representation, which is of the utmost importance in children's literature
· A math dice game along with supplement math game workshops
· A jump rope to encourage children to live an active lifestyle
· Chalk packs to encourage creative play
· Based on grade level, the kit also included a journal, pencils and prompts to foster creative writing while building social-emotional discovery, self-esteem, and self-awareness
· To help combat the limited access to books, each family was also provided with a $10 Amazon gift card with a suggested book list to help build their at-home library (thanks to Florida Blue)
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As a leader in childhood education, Miami Children’s Museum partners with Early Head Start to provide hands-on comprehensive training to preschool teachers and educational support to preschoolers in Miami-Dade County. From May to July, the Museum team provided 9 virtual training sessions to preschool teachers from Hialeah and Little Havana to enhance the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) curriculum for children 1-3 years old. The Museum’s Teaching Artist and Associate Director of Education hosted the training in Spanish to help make the program accessible to the teachers enrolled. Supplies, teacher resources, books, and other items were also provided. In addition to the bi-lingual teacher training, the Museum hosted 5 student-teacher workshops, which included interactive observations, and allowed for support during teacher-child interactions.
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Without access to the enriching activities available to more affluent peers, research shows that children from low-income families will fall behind their peers and lose as much as three months of reading comprehension skills over the summer. The Museum strives to reduce educational barriers, and this summer provided 20 summer camp scholarships to local children from underserved neighborhoods. Students were awarded 8 weeks of our Explorers Summer Camp, where they participated in art-enriched activities that built problem-solving skills, critical thinking and self-confidence. Each week campers learned about a different global destination and gained an appreciation for cultural differences. Campers developed new skills through hands-on activities including art, music, dance, cooking, physical education, guided play and special events with cultural ambassadors.
Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month: During the month of May, the Museum provides robust educational programming that recognizes contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (API) Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the U.S. This annual program is aimed to embrace API representation and teach children of all backgrounds more about API traditions, languages, arts, and cuisine.
7th Annual Rainbow Families Celebration: The Museum prides itself on being an inclusive space for the community and dedicates June to celebrate Pride with the annual Rainbow Families Celebration. The Museum’s Rainbow Families Celebration teaches families about inclusion, helps break the stigma that continues to negatively impact our LGBTQ+ community and highlights that all families are special. The Museum partnered with LGBTQ+ organizations from all over South Florida to host its first LGBTQ+ Panel on Kids and Pride, which gave resources and tips on how to create welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ youth.
Summer Games: Health and wellness is a core value ofthe Museum, as we believe that families should be provided with tools on how tolive an active and healthy life. This July, we encouraged families to be activewith our own version of the Olympic Games and healthy virtual cooking demos.Other activities included dedicated art workshops and story times.
Back to School: During the month of August, the Museum provided crucial support for families and teachers of returning students, as the change in routine, expectations, and responsibilities is difficult for children, parents, and teachers alike. Families were given accessibility to much-needed resources such as tooth brushes, books, lunch bags and so much more.
Play Like a Paralympian: Miami Children’s Museum is a safe space for all and embraces inclusion. This August, the Museum launched a new program, Play Like a Paralympian, to raise the visibility and normalization of adaptive sports by introducing ALL children to the Paralympics. This year, the Paralympics is set to break records with over 4.25 billion viewers watching athletes with physical disabilities from all over the world compete for gold!
Miami Children's Museum has been a place of learning through play for 38 years. September marks the 18th year since the Museum opened its doors on Watson Island, and since then, the Museum has experienced tremendous growth, has welcomed over 5 million visitors, and has provided free programs for countless families.
We are especially grateful this year, as 2020 presented new obstacles for our community as a whole. After being physically closed for 408 days, it has been amazing seeing families exploring our galleries once again. This past year has shown that no matter the obstacle, Miami Children’s Museum is the premier childhood educational institute dedicated to enriching the lives of ALL children by fostering a love of learning through play.
To learn more about ways you can support the Museum or to make a donation, please contact Daniella Cabezas at dcabezas@miamichildrensmuseum.org or 305-373-5437 ext. 142.