November 4, 2004
IMLS Grant to Expand MuseumMobile

Thanks to a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Museums for America grants, the Cable Natural History Museum will continue and expand MuseumMobile outreach programs.

The Museum has provided classroom programs, called MuseumMobile, for children in grades K-6 since 1985. More than 9,000 student contacts are made each year, reaching 60 percent of the K-6 student population in northwest Wisconsin. Additionally, the Museum has offered special programs for grades K-6 field trips to the Museum each spring and fall. The grant from IMLS for $62,606 will allow the Museum to expand MuseumMobile to grades 7-10, and expand student participation in field trips to the Museum. The project supports the goal of lifelong learning and supports the Museum’s mission and strategic plan of "going deeper" with an existing audience.

"We are thrilled to expand our MuseumMobile program to the secondary level after 19 years in elementary classrooms," said Museum Executive Director Michelle Gostomski. "We strive to reach more students and adults each year."

"With their rich collections, museums enable visitors to physically connect with history, science, and the creative process," said Dr. Robert S. Martin, Director of the Institute. "The Museums for America grants will help museums advance their role as trusted resources that serve communities by creating and sustaining a nation of learners."

As IMLS’ largest grant program, Museums for America provides more than $16 million in grants to support the role of museums in American society. The grants build the capacity of museums to sustain our cultural heritage, support lifelong learning, and serve as centers of community engagement. This year IMLS received 829 applications requesting more than $147,525,164. Through their field review and panel process, they selected 190 awards to receive funding.

Museums for America grants strengthen the ability of museums to serve the public more effectively by supporting high-priority activities that advance the institution’s mission and strategic goals. The flexible grants can be used by a museum for ongoing activites, research, planning and behind-the-scenes work, new programs, the purchase of equipment or services, or technology upgrades and integration to improve overall institutional effectiveness.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent federal grant-making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of learners by helping libraries and museums serve their communities.