BY RHONDA KIEST
Last week, hundreds of adults gathered at Stepping Stones Museum for Children to attend the annual Kaleidoscope Ball. They came to ensure that the museum has the resources to be open to all children, regardless of financial, physical or language barriers.
The focus of the evening was on Healthy Children, Healthy Communities, an initiative launched in 2006 by Stepping Stones in response to widespread concern over children”™s health. Unique public/private partnerships were built between the museum”™s educators and health professionals, business leaders, government officials, schools and volunteers throughout the state. Hundreds of organizations have ultimately contributed to the success of Healthy Children, Healthy Communities.
The outcomes of this collaboration have been numerous, award-winning and highly utilized. Mini exhibits called Conservation Quest and Healthyville were developed and have been traveling to schools and libraries throughout the state, free of charge. Hundreds of Adventures in Nutrition kits have been donated to Title 1 schools. Traveling and on-site programs have been provided to school children, teachers, parents and caregivers.
Local organizations have offered dental screenings, safety tips, literacy programs and so much more to thousands upon thousands of families free of charge during the museum”™s Get Into It! FREE hours. Emmy award-winning health vignettes were co-produced with, and broadcasted on, Connecticut Public Television. This year, the Healthyville exhibit, visited and loved by hundreds of thousands of families, was updated, expanded and is poised for a five-year tour of the United States. Additionally, Express Yourself, an important exhibit on social and emotional development is now open to the utter delight of thousands of children who pass through the museum every week.
The educational value and impact that these partnerships provide is undeniable. And ensuring that all children have access couldn”™t be more critical. Connecticut has the nation”™s widest achievement gap. The disparity of access to quality learning resources between children of affluence and those in poverty plays a primary role. There are many wonderful and important educational resources, like Stepping Stones, available to our state”™s children and supporting the successful growth of initiatives like Healthy Children, Healthy Communities must be a primary focus in the years to come.
Rhonda Kiest is the president and CEO of the Stepping Stones Museum for Children.
