COMMUNITY PROGRAMS & PARTNERSHIPS: AN OVERVIEW
Boston Children’s Museum exists to help children understand and enjoy the world in which they live— both inside and outside the museum walls. A bridge between Boston’s schools, neighborhoods and communities, Boston Children’s Museum is dedicated to making hands-on learning experiences accessible to all children and families. In addition to providing library passes, free summer concerts, and affordable admission to groundbreaking exhibits, Boston Children’s Museum partners with local communities through the following programs..
GOKIDS! IN BOSTON NEIGHBORHOODS
BNYMELLON CITYACCESS
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
FRIDAY FAMILY FUN NIGHTS
ONGOING COMMUNITY & CULTURAL PARTNERSHIPS
GoKids! In Boston Neighborhoods
Living healthfully may jumpstart at Boston Children's Museum's KidPower exhibit, but it becomes real at home, school and the workplace. To support families, Boston Children's Museum is working with Boston Housing Authority family developments to bring fun, creative ways of looking at health and fitness to children and families in the places they live, work and play. Called GoKids in Boston Neighborhoods and starting in four pilot Boston Housing Authority (BHA) developments, Boston Children's Museum educators and BNY Mellon CityACCESS Teen Ambassadors collaborate with residents to develop activities for children, resources for grown-ups, and create several family nights all conveniently located on the housing development campuses. Even Kidstage gets in on the action, with a special performance of Balancing Act, Boston Children's Museum new interactive family show about eating and playing well.
GOKIDS IN BOSTON NEIGHBORHOODS IS SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES.
BNYMELLON CITYACCESS
 BNYMellon CityACCESS: An Investment In Youth, funded through the generosity of the Arthur F. Blanchard Trust, was created to positively influence the future of Boston's young people. The grant program provides enriching out-of-school opportunities through a special partnership with six community-based organizations: Boston Nature Center, Boston Children's Museum, Malden YMCA, MetroLacrosse, South Boston Neighborhood House and The City School.
Offering access to both job and life skill opportunities, BNYMellon CityACCESS sponsors 36 inner-city young people (known as Teen Ambassadors), empowering them to discover their potential through unique work apprenticeships. In addition, five teens who best demonstrate a commitment to their work and future are awarded a $5,000 scholarship for higher education upon completing the program.
Teen Ambassadors at Boston Children's Museum serve as Museum staff. They host neighborhood "City Celebrations" at the museum, and extend the museum experience at community fairs and festivals. The Teen Ambassadors, all fluent in languages that represent Boston’s linguistic diversity, develop both personally and professionally while working with communities throughout the Boston area.
Click here to download information about how "BNYMELLON CITY ACCESS" works
2007-2008 Teen Ambassadors
Benilde Carvalho, Carolina DaSilva, Rey DeJesus, Karl Geneus, Mena Lam, Sheila Lee PROGRAMMING AT COMMUNITY EVENTS
As a world-class institution with neighborhood roots, Boston Children’s Museum’s borders extend far beyond Children’s Wharf. That’s why you’ll find Boston Children's Museum educators and Teen Ambassadors all over Greater Boston, bringing FREE unique learning experiences to neighborhood festivals, parks and libraries. Come explore Boston with us!
Interested in inviting Boston Children's Museum to your community event?
We give preference to events that are:
- FREE
- Connected to Boston Children's Museum core learning areas: Global Kids (culture), Creative Kids (art), Green Kids (environmental stewardship), Curious Kids (science) and GoKids (health and fitness)
- Staged in designated Boston neighborhoods
- Serve a family audience
Please contact Jamell Hankins at x217 for more information.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Friday Night Lights offers local youth involved in the performing arts the opportunity to perform in a professional theatre space. The program is open to performers of all ability levels and was designed as a way to bring communities together to showcase and celebrate the talent of their children. Friday Night Lights is held Friday evenings and features one 15 to 30 minute performance at 8pm. The Museum provides free admission to performers, their adult directors, and two members of each performer’s immediate family for the evening of the group's performance. Performing groups also have the option to host an information table sharing information about themselves or their group, upcoming performances, ways to get involved, and so forth.
Target $1 Friday Nights Sponsored by are offered every Friday from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Interested in getting involved? Call Jamell Hankins at x217 for more information or to
schedule an audition.
Friday Family Fun Nights
Bring your community together with a fun, affordable night at Boston Children's Museum! City Celebrations take place on Friday nights, when admission is just $1 per person. With the help of your community, Boston Children’s Museum can organize an event that showcases your group or the organizations, services and that make your area of Boston special. We provide the space, event support and full access to Museum exhibits. Also, as an extension of our Friday Night Lights program, a youth performance group from your neighborhood can highlight their talents with a KidStage performance! For more information about City Celebrations, contact Jamell Hankins at x217.
ONGOING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
We are always excited to collaborate with organizations that work with young children and their families. In the past, we have worked with Headstart, Cape Verdean Community UNIDO, Inquiliños Boriquas en Acción and BalletRox to co-present programs that reach a wide audience. If you have any ideas about how the Museum can partner with your school or agency, we would love to hear about it! Contact Megan Dickerson at x311 for more details.
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