The Creative Discovery Museum has been named a recipient of the 2012 Institute of Museum and Library Services Museums for America Grant.
Out of 470 applicants, Creative Discovery Museum is one of 152 recipients to receive this award. The funding from the grant, a total of almost $148,000, will go to support a key objective in Creative Discovery Museum’s new strategic plan: to expand the reach of the museum by focusing on serving the needs of youth ages 11 to 16 through the Creative Discovery Museum experience.
The museum will launch the Youth Spark Initiative to achieve this goal. The initiative will serve ages 11 to 16 in the Chattanooga area and will strengthen ties to youth by giving them a voice in the development of programs and future exhibits. This initiative will also assist youth in achieving 21st-century skills by focusing on technology and educational standards.
Henry Schulson, the museum’s executive director, said, “We are delighted to receive this award. It is recognition of our commitment to serve the needs of youth in our community and to fulfill our vision of making Chattanooga the best place for a child to grow. Our teen volunteers already do a great job for us, and this grant will let us strengthen this program but reach out to many more teens throughout the community in exciting and innovative ways.”
“This year’s funded projects reflect the wide array of museum types in the country,” said IMLS Director Susan Hildreth. “In every case, IMLS funds are supporting initiatives that advance an institution’s strategic plan for the benefit of the community it serves.”
