The Bronzeville Children's Museum
The Bronzeville Children's Museum
The Bronzeville Children's Museum, located in Chicago, was founded in 1993 (but opened in 1998) by Peggy A. Montes and a group of dedicated business, civic, cultural and educational leaders who saw the need of having a "children-friendly" museum to educate all children of the contributions and experiences of African-Americans. They also wanted to help develop hope, literacy, knowledge and positive self-esteem among African-American children. This museum is the first and only African- American children's museum in the US and the world. The contributions of the Bronzeville Children's Museum have not gone unnoticed. "We were successful in receiving a 1.5 million dollar grant from the Illinois First Program that we got through Senator Emil Jones and Senator Margaret Smith. With that money we have purchased 150 feet of land at 9301 S. Stony Island in Chicago. We are now going through the building permit process, so I will assume within a matter of months we will be breaking ground for the new museum," Ms. Montez said proudly.
There are more than three hundred children's museums in the country. While Chicago has several wonderful museums, none are designed to reach and cultivate African- American children. The Bronzeville Children's Museum's goal is to fill the void and serve children from one to ten years old. The museum focuses on children and their needs and has established itself as the premier model for future children's museums by displaying interactive exhibits and implementation of unique programs. "Please don't touch" is a sign one will never see in the museum. They offer participatory, hands- on exhibits that encourage children to create, discover, explore and learn. Their environment engages children mentally and physically. They allow children to experience the excitement of learning, thereby planting the seeds for a lifelong love of learning. The museum's motto is "Please Touch!"
Research and statistics have revealed how many African American children are at a great disadvantage upon entering elementary school because of their impoverished environments. The mission of the Bronzeville Children's Museum is to help enrich their lives by exposing them to the fun of learning. The benefits to the children are obvious. The benefits to the community are very real, because better educated children grow into responsible adults that will become great assets to the future of many communities.
"President Bush and former Governor Ryan (IL) have advocated for strengthening our educational system by focusing on educating children at an early age, before they enter school. We agree with them. Our experiences with young children and research have indicated that the early years in which learning takes place (one to three years) are the most crucial. Targeting infants, toddlers and preschoolers and focusing on character education, building self-esteem, literacy and hope will enable the museum to explore different ways in helping children develop. The results will be a love for reading, writing, exploring history and an appreciation for the contributions of African-Americans and other ethnic groups," Ms. Montes, director of the museum, stated.
The Bronzeville Children's Museum recently celebrated its 5th year anniversary this past February during Black History Month with the opening of the new ongoing exhibit titled "Discovering Unknown Black Explorers". Figures such as Esteban, York, Dusable, Mathew Henson, Percy Julian, Charles Drew, Joan Higginbethan, Robert Curbeam and Shirly Jackson are a part of this exciting exhibit. Children can climb into an 46 igloo, play in a log cabin, put together puzzles of Mathe wire son, pretend they are launching a ship and discover six problems in what the museum calls the "big box" *. Sponsored by Jewel-Osco, this unique exhibit is designed to educate and expose children to the untold history of unknown African-American explorers. The focus of all of the museum's exhibits are in the areas of the arts, humanities and sciences.
Ms. Montez went on to say "the response from the public has been tremendous. I never realized the need, and the fact that we are still in existence five years later with school children constantly coming is great. The school teachers have nothing but praise for what we're doing. Because we are a small museum, we are limited in terms of the number of children that can visit at one time, we usually have a waiting list. But to meet this demand we will be expanding."
The Bronzeville Children's Museum has received many local, national and international awards and recognition for its historic opening. Whether you live inside or outside of Chicago, this museum is the ideal place to bring your children and have a fun and enlightening experience. Located in the Evergreen Plaza at 95th and Western Ave in Chicago, your child's visit will definitely be a memorable one. For more details call 708-636-9504. Ms. Montes and her staff look forward to seeing you.