Soo Locks Children's Museum (SLCM) was awarded a $500,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) late last week and the President of the Children's Museum Board is ecstatic.
"This is momentous. To get $500,000 for a capital project is beyond belief," said Raquel Fernandez-Earns, President of the Soo Locks Children's Museum Board.
The SLCM was one of 100 grantees, selected from nearly 1,000 applicants for funding across the state.
“We are beyond grateful for this unprecedented and incredible gift. We have worked tirelessly for over seven years to get our doors open for the children in our community. Thanks to the LEO Community Center Grant, we will be able to complete the necessary construction and install several exhibits. This will get us closer to opening our doors," she said.
Up to this point, the SLCM has received $300,000 through grants and fundraisers.
"With this grant, we can get construction completely done which really is fast-forwarding us to some great progress. We will now raise money to install eleven planned exhibits," she said.
The mission of the Soo Locks Children’s Museum is to create an interactive environment that facilitates children's curiosity and learning in science, technology, engineering, art, and math.
“Our vision is to place our communities’ children on a positive trajectory, as there are very few healthy and affordable recreational activities in which children can engage within our community. With 11 stimulating exhibits and through healthy role-modeling through our community collaborators, we have the potential to create future conservationists, stewards of the land, builders, and architects. We will offer an accurate representation of the true histories of this area and give them the ability to try out and develop their skills,” she said.
The Soo Locks Children's Museum (SLCM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2016 and based in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The effort to establish a children's museum in Sault Ste. Marie was initiated based on the desire to make a difference in this underserved community and region by offering much-needed and unique experiences for children aged 2 to 12 years. Our intermediate school district is the largest geographic district in Michigan, covers approximately 4,000 square miles, and serves three counties and over 7,000 children. This will be the primary population that Soo Locks Children’s Museum will serve. Located in the heart of our historic downtown, the SLCM will contribute greatly to our economy, also, with all the visitors, especially during the tourism season.
The SLCM is expected to open up sometime this fall.
