Generous Gift Helps Discovery Children’s Museum Youthworks
The Windsong Trust has donated $1 million to the new DISCOVERY Children’s Museum at the Donald W. Reynolds Discovery Center in Symphony Park in Downtown Las Vegas. The large gift will support the museum’s 20 year-old Youthworks Program that encourages and supports teens from low-income families to stay in school and graduate. Youthworks combines mentoring, job skills training, homework support, career and education guidance within an interdisciplinary museum setting to benefit the community’s underserved youth. The program has maintained a 100 percent graduation rate among senior class participants.
“I am pleased that the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum puts this funding to excellent use providing our students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience while in high school,” said Clark County Schools Superintendent Dwight D. Jones. “When I say I want all our graduating students to be ‘Ready by Exit” to compete in college or career without remediation, getting valuable work experience is a part of that equation. The museum has an amazing track record with the students they employ and I know the students who work there this year will carry on the long running tradition of District students who excel at the museum.”
This is the second $1 million gift the museum has received this year adding momentum to the Capital Campaign. Still seeking to raise an additional $1.1 million for the program fund before the new location opens; there is one major naming opportunity also still available. For more information on how to get involved in the campaign, visit www.NowToWow.org.
“We are so grateful for the generous Windsong Trust gift because it adds momentum to our Capital Campaign,” said Linda Quinn, CEO of DISCOVERY Children’s Museum. “It also puts us in a position to continue the very successful Youthworks program for the next 20 years in our new home.”
About DISCOVERY Children’s Museum
For 22 years, Lied Discovery Children’s Museum has been Las Vegas’ favorite family fun and education destination. Located at 833 Las Vegas Blvd. North in downtown Las Vegas, the museum features more than 100 interactive exhibits based on science, art and culture for children and families. In early 2013, the museum will relocate and become the all-new DISCOVERY Children’s Museum at the Donald W. Reynolds Discovery Center in Symphony Park. The three-story, 58,000-square-foot destination for family fun and informal educational experiences will house nine new themed interactive exhibit galleries as well as a 5,000-square-foot traveling exhibition gallery.