On Friday, the Delaware Children’s Museum announced its partnership with The New Castle County Pride Youth Development Program and The Challenge Program, a Wilmington-based provider of construction trades instruction. The Challenge Program will provide valuable construction and “Green Collar” training to low-income youths aged 18-24 who are living in foster care, aging out of foster care, or who are facing barriers to self-sufficiency.
New Castle County officials and representatives from the Delaware Children’s Museum (DCM) and The Challenge Program will hold a press conference on Monday, December 14, 2009 at 12 Noon at 1124 E. 7th St. Wilmington, Delaware 19801 to share information about the partnership.
Julie Van Blarcom, DCM’s Executive Director, states,
“The DCM is proud to collaborate with another important Delaware non-profit: one that is taking on the invaluable task of providing job training and placement to those that need it most. What the New Castle County Pride Youth Development Program is doing for these young people and for Delaware’s Green Building industry is commendable. And the kids that visit the DCM are going to simply love the end result of this partnership.”
When the Delaware Children’s Museum opens its doors on April 24, 2010, one of its most impactful environmental exhibits—the Eco House—will be unveiled. It will be the first exhibit of its kind that exists as the direct result of green job training provided to eighteen youths through the Challenge Program. New Castle County Pride was awarded a grant of $206,000 through Community Services Block Grant and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. The grant provides 100% of the funding for this training. “Without the funding from New Castle County Pride, this simply wouldn’t be possible,” adds Andrew McKnight, Executive Director of The Challenge Program.
The Challenge Program will enhance its standard construction training curriculum (wherein out-of-school young adults, ages 18-24, learn construction math, safety and basic construction theory with a focus on eco-friendly building methods) with additional methodology specific to building an exhibit. “Green Building” results from using methods of construction that increase a structure’s efficiency, which may include energy-saving technology, low-flow plumbing fixtures and recycled or sustainable materials.
DCM President Lisa Lessner describes the exhibit by saying, “When children visit the Eco House, they will experience a one-of-a-kind exhibit designed by parents in the field who understand what excites kids. Each hands-on item they touch will be a playful lesson in Green Living.”
Starting next month, New Castle County youths will receive training and job placement by way of a three-month hands-on construction course at The Challenge Program site on East 7th Street in Wilmington. The first six trainees will work on the Eco House, using salvaged materials to manufacture the exhibit for the Delaware Children’s Museum.
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In addition to the Eco House, the DCM will offer six exhibits, an art workshop and a unique space for school trips, birthday parties and sleepovers. Opening exhibits include: The Power of Me—Biology and Nutrition; Stratosphere—Climbing Structure; The Funky Forest—Technology Exhibit; ECOnnect—Nature and the Environment; Bank on It—Banking and Finance; Training Wheels—Toddler and pre-school transportation exhibit; and, Studio D—Art Workshop. Developed with the indispensable advice of the country’s leading children’s museums, the exhibits have been designed by one of the nation’s foremost museum designers to hold the interest of kids of every age – from toddlers to preteens – with fresh things for them to discover as they grow. When the DCM opens, visitors will discover 37,000 square feet of interactive fun.The Delaware Children’s Museum’s mission is to inspire children to explore, discover and celebrate the power of their potential. DCM will build imaginative minds through play and math-, science- and technology-focused informal learning. As the state’s first and only museum dedicated entirely to children, the DCM will underscore the value of play in the learning process, especially as it sparks interest in math, science and technology for children aged 1-12. The DCM Board of Directors has identified the following values that drive the mission: creativity, fun, wonder, learning, stewardship, diversity, respect and cooperation. These define the direction and approach the institution will take toward exhibits, programs and the overall visitor experience. |
For more information, please visit www.delawarechildrensmuseum.org
