Heal the Bay has received a $150,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
The grant will afford the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium to increase its program for school field trips as well as develop a mentoring curriculum for high school students.
Says Vicki Wawerchak, director of the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, “Creating grade-specific curriculum for pre-K through fifth grade allows teachers to bring their students to the Aquarium each year, where they will learn new concepts built on previous years’ visits and receive a solid foundation of environmental education.”
Heal the Bay received the award through the IMLS’s “Museums for America” grant. The organization recently awarded 177 such grants. “Museums for America will help strengthen museum service in communities across the United States,” said Dr. Anne-Imelda M. Radice, IMLS’s director. “These awards will support hundreds of hands-on educational programs, the digitization of thousands of objects in museum collections, and exciting ventures using new technology. Museums will use these funds to advance community partnerships, spur cultural tourism and support classroom teachers with educational curriculum, training and much more.”
