Museum Awarded $90,013 Grant from Institute of Museum and Library Services

JONESBORO – Arkansas State University Museum announced today it has received a $90,013 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

According to Dr. Marti L. Allen, director, ASU Museum will use the grant funds to sustain three years of membership in the Arkansas Discovery Network, a coalition of six museums in Arkansas that develops and shares children’s hands-on exhibits through financial support from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.

Network membership in 2015-17 will enable the museum to continue offering engaging, STEM-supportive learning experiences designed for children pre-K through eighth grade and their families, she added.  These museum experiences also will help support teachers and the core curriculum of Arkansas.

IMLS Director Susan H. Hildreth said, “Our grants are highly competitive.  The Institute of Museum and Library Services enlists hundreds of library and museum professionals throughout the United States to review grant applications and make recommendations on projects most worthy of funding.  Receiving a grant from IMLS is a significant achievement, and we congratulate Arkansas State University Museum for being among the 2014 IMLS museum grantees.”

IMLS grants support a wide variety of projects that create learning experiences, strengthen communities, care for collections, and provide broad public access.

Allen expressed appreciation for letters from U.S. Senator Mark Pryor, U.S. Senator John Boozman, and U.S. Representative Rick Crawford supporting the grant proposal. 

She also touched on long range plans for using the IMLS grant.

“With IMLS funding, we intend to make subjects in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) more approachable for children in our region.  Our ultimate purpose is to make learning fun for children, so they develop an internally driven desire to seek learning, stay in school, and promote learning at home — indeed, for the rest of their lives,” she continued. “In short, we will capitalize on the interests of children themselves as a renewable source of energy for powering learning — and for us, success starts with a single child awakening to the possibility that learning is fun!"

A complete list of museum grant recipients is available on the IMLS website at www.imls.gov.  Information about IMLS museum grant programs is available at www.imls.gov/applicants/available_grants.aspx.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums.  Its mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement.  IMLS's grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive.

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