Gala Promises Unique Experience for Guests

Guests at The New Children’s Museum’s Gala on May 15 can expect an experience beyond what one would expect at a typical fundraiser.

The theme of the institution’s 18th annual gala is “A Child’s World: Imagine the Possibilities,” and guests will have the opportunity to engage in more than just small talk as some of the museum’s unique animal residents join them during the cocktail hour. Guests will also have a chance to participate in STEAM-driven (science, technology, education, arts, and math) interactive experiences – providing a real world glimpse into ways that The New Children’s Museum continues to inspire curiosity and a love of learning.

Approximately 300 are expected to attend this year’s gala, which is a fundraiser to support the museum’s education programs. Those programs include not only hands-on science activities that foster creativity and problem-solving, but also immersive demonstrations like this summer’s “Butterflies: Winged Wonders” exhibit, camps, school field trips, and outreach activities throughout Connecticut, eastern New York, and western Massachusetts.

"I am thrilled to invite the community to the Gala, to both appreciate and influence the museum’s ‘STEAM’ focus on learning that provides a life long foundation to a child's intellectual and creative development. We are 'Full STEAM Ahead' ™ for the museum and for elevating the level of learning for our youth," said Peter N. Stevens, president of Hartford-based JCJ Architects and The New Children's Museum’s board chair. 

The celebration will include cocktails, hors d’ouevres, silent and live auctions, dinner, and an education innovation award presentation. Laurie Perez and Jim Altman of FoxCT will serve as emcees.

“The funds raised from the Child’s World gala are vital in ensuring that the museum is much more than a place.  It is an experience that creates memories, inspires dreams, and brings families and communities together to celebrate learning and nurture curiosity and creativity while fostering the exchange of ideas and life-long learning,” said Robert Griesmer, The New Children’s Museum president and CEO.

The New Children’s Museum has been a local and regional resource since its founding in 1927, and as a non-profit continues to rely on the support of sponsors, donors, and the public to continue its mission of increasing understanding of science and nature. Its unique combination of the state’s largest wildlife sanctuary, southern New England’s largest digital planetarium, a nature center, and a preschool provides interactive and inquiry-based experiences for more than 130,000 people per year.

“A Child’s World:  Imagine the Possibilities” will be held at The New Children’s Museum, 950 Trout Brook Dr., West Hartford, CT, from 5:30 – 10 p.m. on Thursday, May 15.  Tickets are $150 per person ($250 for patron tickets) and sponsorship opportunities include: $20,000 Visionary Sponsor, $10,000 Discoverer Sponsor, $7,500 Voyager Sponsor, $5,000 Explorer Sponsor, and $2,500 Innovator Sponsor.

For more information on how to purchase tickets or become a sponsor while providing excellent learning opportunities and joyful curiosity, please contact Director of Development Christene Freedman at 860.231.2830 ext. 28 or cfreedman@thechildrensmuseumct.org.