Hearst Foundations Awards $75,000 to Tucson Museum of Art’s K-12 program TMA will Launch New Teen Council
July 25, 2018
The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (TMA) received a $75,000 grant from the Hearst Foundations to support and expand its youth education programming for the next two years. TMA plans to apply this grant funding to reach an additional 10,000 underserved youth and their families with field trips, in-school and after-school programs, interactive family programs, and expanded opportunities for teens.
“This generous award from the Hearst Foundations will support innovative youth-driven programming and provide a platform for local teens to reimagine the museum—and our downtown—as a place for creative young people,” said Morgan Wells, Curator of Education for the museum. “It also enables us to significantly expand engagement with schools and families, creating opportunities for more children to improve their critical thinking skills, and make connections between art and their own experiences.”
The teen council will help students develop leadership skills by working on real-world projects, advising TMA staff on ways to make the museum friendlier for teen audiences, and serving as ambassadors in their community. While the Hearst Foundations’ funding primarily goes to higher education efforts, they also reward “innovative” early childhood and K-12 programs. TMA’s K-12 program also received a $50,000 Hearst grant in 2011. The K-12 program is the museum’s largest program, serving more than 90 schools in Tucson and surrounding areas.
Admission to the museum is always free for children 12 and younger. TMA’s family days, Second SundAZe @ TMA, occur every second Sunday of the month and are free to residents of Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. Second SundAZe provide enriching programming for around 4,000 visitors of all ages each year.
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