Madison Children’s Museum (MCM) received one of only five Climate Smart grants given by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) last week.
The grant was a $268,202 match for Caretakers of Wonder Consortium Climate Action Planning. Brenda Baker, the museum’s vice president of exhibits, facilities, and strategic initiatives, was listed as the project lead. The grant will support the development of climate action plans for a consortium including seven MCM-led, family-centered museums located across the U.S.
The NEH is granting $26.2 million in funding for 238 projects across the country.
The Madison Children’s Museum award was one of several grants in NEH’s Climate Smart Humanities Program, which supports cultural institutions in conducting environmental assessments to anticipate and plan for operational, physical, and financial risks posed by climate-related events.
Caretakers of Wonder consortium members participating in the NEH grant are Chicago Children’s Museum, Children’s Museum of Southern Oregon, KidsQuest Children’s Museum, Louisiana Children’s Museum, Madison Children’s Museum, Museum of Discovery and Science, and The Wild Center.
The consortium plans to hire Verdis Consulting, an environmental consulting firm, to conduct individual assessments of each organization’s greenhouse gas emissions baseline and create a net zero pathway for each museum. Several museums will also conduct a climate vulnerability assessment and a climate action plan.
The Association of Children’s Museums will do its own climate assessment and help disseminate results of the grant work. Lead project partner Environment & Culture Partners will continue as the collaboration’s project manager.
