Boston Children’s Museum has always considered itself to be an important part of the Massachusetts community. However, over the last five years, the Museum has begun to be more intentional about outreach. There are families and communities across the state who might face barriers to access (due to affordability, lack of transportation, special needs, or other factors).
That’s why the Museum has made community engagement integral to everything we do. The last few years have seen the launch of multiple programs that cover transportation to the Museum, admission, and lunch; making the institution more accessible for and welcoming to people who might never have come through our doors otherwise.
This year saw the launch of two new community engagement programs:
Caring Connections: Fostering Play
The Caring Connections program welcomes children currently in the foster care system to Boston Children’s Museum. Any organization that offers group activities to children in foster care is welcome to participate, with special consideration given to separated siblings, and children in emergency placements who can benefit from supervised family visits. This program helps children in incredibly stressful situations experience the joy and developmental benefits of playful learning in a fun, social environment.
Community Arts Access
Many Boston-area schools face losses or reductions in arts funding, making it more difficult for many children to access the benefits of art, performance, and imaginative play. This program invites students from schools and community groups to the Museum to experience visual and performing arts programs at the Museum. Here, they can engage in art making and imagination in our Art Lab, visit The Gallery to experience the work of local artists, or join one of the performing arts programs on our KidStage.
The Museum’s established community engagement programs continue as well, including Gateway to Play, our grant-funded initiative offering fully funded field trips to children in Massachusetts Gateway cities who otherwise would not have access to visit the Museum.
The Family Ambassador program continues to welcome new visitors to the Museum. Family Ambassadors are trusted leaders in their community, to whom the Museum gifts a membership that allows them to bring up to 10 guests with them when they visit. The program also offers transportation and meal support. Our Family Ambassadors offer the Museum a unique way to engage with their communities by creating a bridge to areas that have often been out of reach due to financial, geographical, and language barriers.
Over 3,000 visitors from six different school districts have joined us for a Museum Takeover since 2024. Through this program, students from school districts in Massachusetts Gateway cities are offered sponsored transportation, admission, and lunch at Boston Children’s Museum on select Tuesdays, when the Museum is normally closed. This gives these groups exclusive access to experience the entire Museum with their direct peers, granting students a joyful lifetime memory.
