WonderLab Museum has been awarded $22,188 from the George E. Archer Foundation for 2025 WonderCamps. These funds will be used to cover the costs of transportation, camp supplies and scholarships to qualifying families.
WonderCamp sessions take place at a variety of locations throughout Monroe County. Transportation to the WonderCamps’ rural locations is provided via a partnership with the Bloomington Rural Transit bus system and is free for camp families.
WonderCamp scholarships serve children whose families are unable to afford the cost of WonderCamp. School breaks can be difficult for parents who work full-time. Scholarships cover the full cost of a camp session for qualifying families.
About George E. Archer Foundation
The George E. Archer Foundation has supported children’s gardening since 1984 and provides grants that support gardening and outdoor education initiatives for K-8 youth.
According to the Archer Foundation website: “There are many reasons to teach children to garden, and the list continues to grow as new research emerges from around the country. Whether it’s fighting the growing trend of childhood obesity, teaching children to make better food choices, creating a more sustainable environment or reconnecting today’s tech-obsessed youth with the nature that surrounds them, it’s time to get kids back in the dirt.”
The foundation focuses on funding youth gardening, nature, and nutritional programs for children to learn to make better food choices to combat childhood obesity, learn about environmental sustainability, and connect with nature without technology. The foundation has previously supported WonderLab’s Science of Art exhibition series, college interns, and outdoor spring break and summer WonderCamps.
“Thanks to the Archer Foundation we can make WonderCamp accessible to more children,” said WonderLab Director of Philanthropy, Leslie Kutsenkow. “The kids are the real winners.”
About WonderLab
WonderLab is a family-focused science museum with interactive exhibits and programs that stimulate curiosity, encourage discovery and inspire lifelong learning. Welcoming more than 80,000 visitors a year, WonderLab ignites a love of science through learning that is experiential, inclusive and fun, and amplifies the role science plays in the world. WonderLab envisions a brighter, more equitable and sustainable future shaped by curious and creative problem-solvers empowered by science, powered by the values of playful learning, empowerment, belonging, a commitment to excellence and sustainability.
WonderCamp the daily science camps produced by WonderLab, take place during Spring Break (March) and Summer Break (June and July) when public schools are closed.
WonderLab is located at 308 W. Fourth St. on the B-Line Trail in Bloomington, Indiana. For the most up-to-date information about programs and exhibits go to wonderlab.org or follow @wonderlabmuseum on Instagram and Facebook.