Minnesota Humanities Center Awards $2.2 Million in Legacy Grants
March 19, 2024- St. Paul, MN- The Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) announces 12 Clean Water Land, and Legacy Amendments awards totaling $2.2 Million to Children’s Museums across Minnesota to support arts and cultural heritage exhibits and related educational programs. The following Children’s Museums were selected to receive an award:
- The Works Museums ($321,964)
- Duluth Children’s Museum ($215,000)
- (Neo) Muralismo de Mexico ($80,000)
- Otter Cove Children’s Museum ($149,455)
- WonderTrek Children’s Museum ($280,000)
- Great River Children’s Museum ($280,000)
- Children’s Discovery Center ($180,000)
- Judy Garland Children’s Museum ($127,581)
- Children’s Museum of Southern MN ($220,000)
- SPARK ($150,000)
- Mini Sota Agricultural Children’s Museum ($25,000)
- Asian American Business Resilience Network ($50,000)
The Minnesota Legislature appropriated $2,200,000 (less administrative fees to MHC) from the Legacy Fund to administer grants through a competitive application process for Children’s Museums. These grants, consistent with legislative intent, will support youth education, new exhibits and outreach to underserved and diverse communities, and programming that celebrates cultural diversity statewide. More than sixty five percent of this funding will support educational opportunities for children, families, and communities in greater Minnesota. MHC is finalizing contracts with each awardee.
MHC received 14 total applications and $3,864,000 in requests for proposed projects. Eighty percent of applicants requested at least $150,000, reflecting the cultural, educational and economic importance of Children’s Museums across the state. This is the highest number of applications and largest amount of funding requests by Children’s Museums in nearly fifteen years through MHC.
“MHC is proud to support these Children’s Museums within Minnesota that are fostering curiosity, building community and making an impact.”, stated MHC’s CEO, Kevin Lindsey. ” We also appreciate the wisdom of the legislature in supporting such key early learner educational institutions.”, Lindsey added.
For further information about MHC and its grant programs, please visit mnhum.org
About the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC)
MHC, an affiliate to the National Endowment for the Humanities, was founded as an independent non-profit organization in 1971. MHC strengthens our society by promoting the humanities and increasing shared understanding of our collective pasts. MHC creates a wide variety of humanities programming in collaboration with individuals, creators, scholars, and organizations to build a more curious, inclusive, and connected society. MHC has a long history as a grantmaking organization and operates a full-service event center in a historic building in St. Paul. More information is available at mnhum.org
About clean water land and legacy amendment
The Minnesota Legislature passed the Clean Water, land and Legacy Amendment (Legacy Amendment) in 2008 to ensure clean water, preserve opportunities for Minnesotans to enjoy nature, parks and trails, and to appreciate arts and culture that exists within the State. The Legacy Amendment increases the state sale tax by three-eighths of one percent to create the Legacy Fund- 19.75% of the Legacy Fund is dedicated to the arts and cultural heritage fund.
