Larson Announces $820,000 for Educational Initiatives at Local Museums and Libraries
Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced $820,000 in federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for educational initiatives in Connecticut’s First Congressional District.
“Each of these grants from IMLS will advance opportunities for residents of all ages across three important subjects: history, science, and financial literacy,” said Larson. “Organizations like Hartford Public Library, the Connecticut Science Center, and the Connecticut Historical Society are what make our state a cultural treasure. I will continue to advocate for programs in Congress that enrich our students’ educational experience.”
Hartford Public Library was awarded $487,853 for “Building Social Capital: An Inclusive Approach to Immigrant Financial Integration,”
the Connecticut Science Center was awarded $250,000 for space gallery redesign,
and the Connecticut Historical Society was awarded $84,015 for the Supporting Equity in Education (SEE) project.
“This innovative program will support unbanked and underbanked immigrant communities by linking individuals with trusted experts in the banking field, demystifying financial products and services and saving program participants tens of thousands of dollars over their lifetimes in fees and interest,” said Hartford Public Library President and CEO Bridget E. Quinn. “Raising the financial health of local immigrant, refugee and migrant communities makes our city, our region and our state stronger. We are grateful to our partners at Liberty Bank, the Connecticut Association for Human Services and the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund for joining us in this effort and to the Institute of Museum and Library Services for funding this important work.”
“This is an extraordinary time for space exploration. This funding will be critical to updating the educational experiences we offer our community to share the ever-growing wonder, wisdom, and potential of space,” said Matt Fleury, Connecticut Science Center President and CEO. “We are grateful to Congressman Larson and the Connecticut delegation for strongly advocating for funding for museums through IMLS, and to IMLS for carefully considering and supporting this important initiative at the Connecticut Science Center.”
“The Connecticut Historical Society is excited and honored to receive funding from IMLS for our Supporting Equity in Education project. This project was developed in conjunction with 50 teachers and curriculum developers from across the state as part of a Community of Practice, a teacher-driven effort to share curriculum and discuss methods and practices of teaching as pertaining to the new State Education Resource Center (SERC) curriculum. With support from IMLS, we will be able to produce 10 digital resource packages featuring Black and African American studies and Latino and Puerto Rican studies content,” said Robert A. Kret, Executive Director and CEO of the Connecticut Historical Society. “It is invaluable to us to be able to support Connecticut teachers in this way, as they respond to new state legislation mandating every secondary school in the state offer a course on Black and Latino studies, beginning in the 2022-2023 school year. We look forward to implementing this project alongside a Teacher Advisory Board, representing a diverse sampling of school districts, which will provide guidance and feedback throughout the project. As the state's historical society, we believe it is our privilege and duty to preserve and cultivate deep understanding of the history of the diverse communities across our state. This generous funding through the Museums for America grant will allow us to support educators statewide as they work to do the same.”
120 projects across the nation were awarded Museums for America grants this year. Each grant recipient will match funds for their projects with additional non-federal support.