Kitchener – The Children’s Museum is pleased to announce it has been awarded a grant from The Ontario Ministry of Culture in support of its new Virtual Field Trips Program.

The funding from the Cultural Strategic Investment Fund is an investment by the Government of Ontario that supports organizations such as The Children’s Museum allowing it to awe, inspire and enlighten. Virtual Field Trips – in partnership with the Waterloo Region Boards of Education and Lyle S. Hallman Foundation – will allow the Museum to continue its well-known and trusted educational and public programming.

The Museum offers educators the choice of 28 education programs meeting the curriculum expectations of the Ontario Ministry of Education as developed by their resident certified Teacher in Residence. Last year almost 12,000 students visited the Museum from as far away as Toronto, Hamilton and London. The core attendee is from within the Region and the overall attendance has tripled in the last two years.

The additional funding received will allow the Museum to continue its growth in this area and reach students of all ages across the province and the country. The ability to offer Virtual Field Trips means that The Museum will be able to expand past its physical limitations and bring shared learning experiences to more students.

“I am so pleased and humbled by the fact the Museum has been recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Culture with this grant,” says David Marskell, CEO of The Children’s Museum. “With this grant, the Museum now has the support of every level of government, allowing us to grow and become a lasting cultural landmark in the Region and connect students in our community with those of communities across Canada and beyond.”

The Virtual Field Trips will not only allow students to take part in a Museum lesson from their own classrooms, the trips will also allow local students to learn first hand from other institutions around the world about arts, culture, heritage, science and technology in a group setting while visiting the Museum. Video Conferences will be developed for young students and for adults – so that learning can be inclusive for all visitors to the Museum, and be presented to any group, anywhere.