The World Awareness Children’s Museum has been offering fun, multicultural programming to the Glens Falls and Capital Region communities for over 25 years. The idea for the museum originated as the vision of one woman, Dr. Jacquiline Touba who, in 1985, believed with a dozen other community leaders that sharing experiences of children around the world would promote an appreciation of cultural diversity. The International Arts & Culture Association (IACA) was also formed in 1985 and augmented a growing collection of children’s art with educational artifacts from around the world. To preserve these growing collections, IACA applied to the Board of Regents of the New York State Department of Education to become a Museum. In 1995, the World Awareness Children’s Museum was Chartered.
Throughout the years, the museum has become an integral part of the Glens Falls community not only by offering children a place to play, but a place to learn and be exposed to dozens of different cultures through on-site programs, outreach and virtual programs for schools, workshops, special events, and more. The museum's main features include hands-on exhibits, ranging from a Taiwanese Dragon Boat (complete with oars and a drum!), a Mexican kitchen and garden, and our latest exhibit, “Thailand: Beauty & Beasts.” These popular interactive displays enable children to play while also being enveloped in the ambiance of another culture's daily life. The exhibits display many prominent pieces from our artifacts collection, as well as art from our International Youth Art Collection, which features thousands of child-made works of art from more than 100 countries curated over 25+ years.
When we introduce children to a variety of cultures in our diverse and exciting world, we are teaching them to be curious about differences and to celebrate diversity. You are the reason we can continue making a difference in the lives of children by sowing seeds of acceptance.
We are looking toward the future. We at the museum are finalizing our 5-year strategic plan and are focused on the long-term growth and stability of the museum. Your support allows us to connect with our communities in new ways. More people than ever before are visiting the museum, and we are teaching school programs around the country via interactive virtual classes and in-person lessons. Our future is bright,and we invite you to join us.
Our goal is to raise $75,000 this winter so that we can continue to offer quality cultural education to our community. $75,000 will help us create new and exciting programs, develop hands-on exhibitions, connect with the community, and grow our organization by building up our staff team. We hope you’ll join us on this journey by making a contribution.
Your contributions are the first step to helping us make this diverse, complex, and exciting world a better place.
Join us by donating today. Don’t forget to make your tax-deductible gift by December 31, 2022!
