What it supports:

Free memberships for families that otherwise would not be able to visit

Why it matters:

Visits to Discovery Museum- particularly repeat visits-can be be foundational for kids' healthy development and understanding of their world and their own capabilities. Playing together also builds healthy, happy relationships between children and the adults in their lives.

For many families, museum visitation is out of reach. Free, renewable "Discovery Memberships"-often distributed with the help of our community partners-remove these barriers, opening our doors wide to every family , and offering a welcoming, joyful Museum experience to all.

A few of our community partners:

• Acton Boxboro Harvard Littleton Early Childhood Council,
• Acton Housing Authority
• CENTRO - Family Support Center
• Clarendon Early Education
• Concord Community Services
• Countdown to Kindergarten
• Dignity in Asylum
• Doli Atamian Campership Program
• First Connections
• First Teacher
• Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
• SMOC HeadStart
• WIC

What it supports:

A welcoming and inclusive Discovery Museum, reflecting the communities we serve and presenting kids with role models of all genders, races and cultures, and backgrounds

Why it matters:

We want children to see themselves in our galleries, our staff, and in whatever profession our museum may inspire them to explore.

Research proves that when children see themselves in museum content, and the adults who present it, they can better see themselves as future educators, scientists, and empowered advocates for change. At Discovery Museum, we make representation a priority in program design; selection of presenters; the images and books we display in our galleries; and the resources we devote to better understanding our visiting audience.

What it supports:

Free hands-on science workshops, led by our skilled instructors, in PreK-8th grade classrooms in traditionally under-resourced school districts

Why it matters:

Early access to hands-on science helps kids have confidence in their abilities and understand the world around them, and can open pathways toward STEM careers and lifelong learning.

Under the guidance of skilled Discovery Museum instructors, kids draw upon their innate curiosity to discover their inner scientist. Unlike screens and electronic devices-with their hidden inner workings-the simple, low-tech materials used during Traveling Science Workshops inspire students to experiment, build, and solve problems with nothing but their hands and their boundless creativity.

What it supports:

Kits of fascinating materials for kids to explore hands-on science in their classrooms with our instructors

Why it matters:

Our kits of common household materials make science accessible-and fun! Familiar items like coffee filters, string, paper cups, erasers, and wire hangers show kids that science exploration is at their fingertips all the time!

The tools of science should inspire experimentation and make science more accessible! Familiar "ingredients" let kids experience Traveling Science Workshops with confidence and excitement. They also buck the modern convention of relying on technology for scientific inquiry, showing kids instead that the whole world is theirs to examine and understand.

What it supports:

Free class Field Trips to Discovery Museum for under-resourced schools

Why it matters:

Field Trips support student learning and, for some kids, are the only way they can visit a museum. All kids deserve this opportunity for playful learning!

We all know field trips are fun, but extensive research shows they also support cultural enrichment, help students recognize their potential, and deepen understanding-especially for the children with the fewest opportunities. Because not all schools can afford to visit Discovery Museum, we make field trip subsidies available to classrooms that need them-to the tune of about 20% of the 10-12,000 field trip students we greet every year. Here's to more busloads of happy kids!

What it supports:

A 12th year of free discussions for adults on topics that inform families, inspire educators, and strengthen the future of childhood.

Why it matters:

By providing timely and compelling educational content and food for thought to the parents, caregivers, educators, and community members who are invested in the well-being of children, we better support kids.

We cannot change the lives of kids without first reaching their caregivers and educators. For 11 years, the Discovery Museum Speaker Series has presented content-based programming to adults in our communities-always free of charge and open to all. Topics are chosen to improve STEM and social understanding, advance the Museum's values, and strengthen the future of childhood. Since 2013, more than 15,000 people have registered for 58 Speaker Series programs.

What it supports:

Guided nature experiences plus free backpacks filled with nature exploration tools for kids who may have less access to or greater need for outdoor play

Why it matters:

Getting all kids-and their adults-outside and in nature has proven and critical impact on their physical and mental health.

Anxiety and depression diagnoses in Massachusetts children have skyrocketed, and the demand for clinical services continues to far exceed supply. Discovery Museum outdoor educators are partnering with family-serving organizations to provide no-cost, nature-based programs that help caregivers understand what research proves - that connecting children with nature, even in simple ways, can improve mood, reduce anxiety, and build long-term emotional resilience.

A few of our community partners:

• First Teacher (Roxbury/Dorchester)
• First Connections (Concord)
• Danny's Place (Acton)

What it supports:

Programs and initiatives that put the Museum's expertise and playful learning experiences in the hands of incarcerated fathers and their children

Why it matters:

Playing together strengthens the bond that helps parents and children thrive. We believe that fathers who feel closer to their children upon release will be more likely to succeed and better able to support their kids' healthy development.

Through our multi-year collaboration with the BRAVE Unit at MCI-Concord, which houses young men ages 18-26 from across the Commonwealth, we are putting our expertise to use to help incarcerated fathers better engage and play with their children. Our custom-made, multi-language activity kits, guides, and parenting videos are resources fathers can use before and during family visits. We also provide BRAVE Unit families with free Discovery Museum passes and local children's museum memberships to extend the benefits of playful learning.

Community partner:

• Concord Prison Outreach

What it supports:

Museum-grade exhibit components demonstrating Cause & Effect for partner public libraries across our region

Why it matters:

Libraries are learning hubs in our communities-and they serve all families without regard to socioeconomic status, learning difference, culture, or background. Sharing powerful, hands-on learning experiences with libraries is a sure way to get them into the hands of all kids and turn more kids on to the power of discovery.

Help share the fundamental principles of Cause & Effect-which govern the entire physical world and our human interactions-with kids, right in their local libraries! Duplicate components from our new Cause & Effect exhibit, opening in 2024, will be given or loaned to libraries at no cost, extending opportunities for hands-on discovery to those who will never visit a children's or science museum.

Your private party in this incredible Treehouse!

The highest bid will help fund access to the Museum's important outdoor and environmental education programs and spaces - inspiring children to learn in and with the natural world, and then stand up to protect it.

The Discovery Museum Treehouse can be yours! Follow your imagination and host a private cocktail party, tea party, birthday party, or dinner in the Treehouse knowing that your gift is making the Museum's nature experiences more equitably accessible to all. Help us inspire the next generation of environmental stewards while our incredibly special Treehouse inspires your next gathering!

Included with this item:

• Rental of the Discovery Treehouse
• $175 gift card to Eve & Murray's Farm to Home (good for one large cheese & charcuterie board)
• $200 gift card to Colonial Spirits

A few notes:

• Treehouse is only available for rental outside of the Museum's public hours. The Museum is open every Friday evening during the summer and every first Friday night during the school year (Free Friday Night program), and we therefore cannot accommodate private parties on those evenings.
• Rental does not include the Museum building, though the building will be accessible for use of restrooms.
• Expires October 1, 2024.