Kohl Childrens Museum of Greater Chicago, Inc.

Goal 1: Establish Kohl Children's Museum's expertise in early childhood education by driving innovative programs and exhibits grounded in its core values.
Goal 2: Maximize and nurture current resources to strengthen the Museum's position for the future.
Goal 3: Communicate the fundamental role of the Museum impacting the holistic development of a child.

Goal 1 (Establish Kohl Children's Museum's expertise in early childhood education by driving innovative programs and exhibits):
• Create exhibits and programs responsive to educational, social/emotional, and cultural
needs of young children and families in the greater Chicago area
• Be a partner in learning for parents and families with children ages birth to eight
• Develop internal resources to ensure the Museum is self-sustaining in its capacities to
provide high-level professional development
Goal 2 (Maximize and nurture current resources to strengthen the Museum's position for the future):
• Maximize the number of high-engagement volunteers and recognize top performers
• Set and achieve fundraising goals
• Diversify recruitment efforts (of board and staff)
Goal 3 (Communicate the fundamental role of the Museum impacting the holistic development of a child):
• Identify key audiences and develop appropriate messaging and communication avenues
• Build awareness through social media and word of mouth and build a stronger network of
families, both present and alumni
• Become the place of choice for quality educational and family time for families with young
children in Cook and Lake counties, with an emphasis on reaching underrepresented
communities

Every day since its founding in 1985, children have been learning and discovering the power of play at Kohl Children's Museum of Greater Chicago. During its 35-year history, Kohl Children's Museum has witnessed dramatic growth. The Museum and its educational programs for young children were in such demand that the Museum moved from its original Wilmette, IL, facility, where attendance was 47,000 in 1985, to its current location in Glenview, IL, where attendance averaged 300,000 prior to the pandemic. The move in 2005 was essential to secure the Museum's future, fulfill its mission, expand its outreach to underserved children, and transform the institution.
The Museum provides a world-class venue where all children, regardless of any challenges they face, can play, explore, and learn in an environment built specifically for them. Since its inception, the Museum has been at the forefront of early childhood education, and it has remained a thought leader and innovator because of its commitment to evaluation and improvement. Built to the principles of Universal Design–which exceed ADA requirements–and consistently updated, the Museum has established itself as a welcoming and inclusive environment. The Museum serves as a crossroads for children and families, teachers, students, and caregivers from diverse backgrounds who come together to experience enrichment activities based on children's love of play, unlimited imagination, and unbounded curiosity.

During the last year, it became clear that our community heavily relies on KCM to deliver sound early childhood education. Thanks to the support of our community and ingenuity of our staff and volunteers, our team developed creative programming to engage thousands of families during these unprecedented times.

Launched at the end of 2020, KCM's Very Important Play (VIP) program, allowed small groups of ten or less in one “COVID family” to secure private rentals of sections of the Museum. More than 6,800 visitors were able to visit the Museum through this program. These sessions ended in May 2021, when after more than a year, we safely re-opened to the public.

In order to help more families feel comfortable attending Museum events, we created SummerBurst, an interactive STEAM-focused outdoor experience. SummerBurst featured five separate open-air activity stations and was applauded by the community as a COVID-safe and engaging activity for children. More than 9,400 guests attended SummerBurst.

The Museum team also created the only area holiday light show designed specifically for young children, Kohlights. The interactive light installation outdoor trail featured mesmerizing light displays and educational STEAM activities in KCM's two-acre Habitat Park. More than 6,000 visitors attended Kohlights in November and December 2021.

During this time, Museum educators were committed to safely continue outreach in underserved communities. Launched in the summer of 2021 as a way to continue to engage communities previously served by the Pop-Up Museum,  the Mobile Learning Lab  brings STEAM-based programs directly to Lake County families in their own neighborhood.   Activities included: Snap Circuits, Imagination Playground, Insect Investigations and Musical Instruments. The MLL ensures that those whose circumstances preclude in-person Museum visitation can still have access to quality educational programming for young children. Throughout the summer, the MLL engaged with more than 900 children and families and has a goal of engaging 3,000 people over the year.

The Museum's flagship outreach program, Early Childhood Connections (ECC) continued throughout the pandemic and moved to a virtual format. ECC is an academic year-long professional development program designed for teachers and childcare providers in how to adapt The Project Approach to learning in the classroom. The Project Approach is a child-centered teaching strategy in which children conduct an in-depth study of a particular topic. It allows students to choose their project and control their own learning, while educators teach critical concepts and reach core curriculum goals. The ECC program focuses on increasing the use of The Project Approach in classrooms and in childcare settings serving children most at risk of academic failure. During the 2020-2021 school year, 46 teachers completed ECC, improving the learning experiences of more than the lives of more than 400 students.