South Carolina Governor declares April 1-7 as Children’s Museum Week
April 2, 2023
SC Alliance of Children’s Museums Celebrates the Governor’s Proclamation with the Week of the Young Child®
Henry McMaster, Governor of the great State of South Carolina, has proclaimed April 1-7, 2023 as Children’s Museum Week. Through this proclamation, the governor encourages all South Carolinians to visit, support, and share the joy of learning at our state’s Children’s Museums. The South Carolina Alliance of Children’s Museums (SCACM) is teaming up in celebrating the governor’s announcement by hosting Week of the Young Child® events at their locations throughout the state.
“We are thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful movement in South Carolina,” says Lauren Luneckas, CEO of The Children’s Museum of the Upstate. “Our museums provide incredible opportunities for children to interact and learn in multisensory ways that spark a joy of lifelong learning.”
The SCACM was established in early 2023 as a collaborative effort of the state’s children’s museums to maximize statewide impact. The alliance consists of the Children’s Museum of the Upstate, EdVenture, the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry, Main Street Children’s Museum in Rock Hill, and the Sandbox Children’s Museum in Hilton Head. The Governor has declared Children’s Museum Week in large part thanks to the joint efforts of these institutions to bring attention and awareness of the importance of education in all aspects of a child’s life.
“Each of the children’s museums in South Carolina share similar visions and missions,” says Andy Marquart, CEO of EdVenture. “When one of our museums succeed, all children and families of South Carolina succeed. This proclamation from Governor McMaster further enhances that message.”
According to the alliance’s 2022-23 admissions data, each county in South Carolina has been impacted by at least one of the five children’s museums. Together, the museums reached nearly half of a million people in admissions last year from every zip code in the state. The alliance is celebrating this proclamation throughout the state at each of its institutions.
“South Carolina’s children’s museums are important educational assets for the state’s families and visitors, and we are delighted the governor is recognizing them during Week of the Young Child,” says Karen Coltrane, Executive Director of the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry. “Children experience the joy of self-directed learning inside our walls and at our community programs and I believe policymakers are recognizing that young motivated learners today make great future problem solvers.”
Week of the Young Child® (WOYC) is an annual celebration hosted by the National and State Associations for the Education of Young Children. “Children’s museums play an integral role in their communities, serving as a space dedicated to informal education where families can learn and grow together, helping to prepare their children for the future,” says Sarah Lewis, Museum Manager of the Main Street Children’s Museum. Each member of the alliance will be hosting programs and activities to match each day’s theme throughout the week. Members of the public can follow each of the children’s museums on social media or visit their websites to find a complete list of activities and celebrations taking place for the Week of the Young Child.
“We hope everyone finds the time to celebrate this wonderful proclamation with us,” says Nancy Fowler, Executive Director of the Sandbox Children’s Museum. “There’s a place for everyone at a children’s museums throughout every part of the state!”
About the South Carolina Alliance of Children’s Museums
The South Carolina Alliance of Children’s Museums (SCACM) is a collaborative effort among South Carolina’s children’s museum institutions who work together to maximize statewide impact. Each of the institutions share similar visions and missions and collectively utilize resources to better educational experiences for children and families across South Carolina.
