Leonardo’s Discovery Warehouse and Adventure Quest received a $20,000 grant from Tulsa-based George Kaiser Family Foundation Tuesday to support the children’s museum’s educational programs.
George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) is a charitable organization “dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty through investments in early childhood education, community health, social services and civic enhancement.”
The foundation’s work centers primarily on supporting community initiatives in the Tulsa area, but its philanthropy recently has begun to benefit nonprofit efforts in Enid.
GKFF began evaluating Leonardo’s for a possible grant after state Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, nominated the children’s museum earlier this year.
Anderson said he was motivated to recommend Leonardo’s for the donation because its efforts to educate children fit well with GKFF’s mission.
“I’ve been working with the Kaiser Foundation on several projects related to corrections reform in Oklahoma,” Anderson said. “I know they’re very dedicated to issues surrounding children, and I knew Leonardo’s was getting ready to start a fundraising campaign.
“Having raised my family here in Enid, we’ve spent many hours at Leonardo’s and we see it as a great place to open a child’s imagination. Leonardo’s is a real treasure here in Enid, it’s always been close to our hearts in my family and we want to see it continue to grow and succeed.”
George Kaiser Family Foundation Executive Director Ken Levit said Leonardo’s was an easy choice for grant funding.
“We’ve been very impressed with what Leonardo’s does, what it’s leadership is doing, and it’s really a great fit with our mission,” Levit said. “Clearly, Leonardo’s and Adventure Quest are serving a lot of people in the community regardless of their income, and that’s something we can relate to and we want to support. We’re just happy we can make this modest donation and we hope it will help Leonardo’s move forward and continue its service.”
Leonardo’s Executive Director Julie Baird said the $20,000 in grant funding will go a long way toward funding children’s educational programs for another year.
“We are so grateful for this grant because it will help us continue to provide children in Enid and the surrounding communities an outlet for hands-on learning and development,” she said.
Leonardo’s offers a variety of children’s educational programs throughout the year, including arts and science camps in the summer and over spring break and weekend arts and science classes during the school year.
In 2010, the children’s museum provided more than 1,800 arts and science class hours to area children, representing more than 24,000 student hours in the classroom.
All of those classroom hours come with a price tag, including costs for students’ supplies, hiring a certified teacher for the sessions, utilities for the building and other overhead. In addition, Leonardo’s offers scholarships to at least 10 percent of the students in each class.
“It is very meaningful for us to receive this grant money because it will allow us to continue to offer scholarships for kids who might otherwise not be able to attend,” Baird said. “We have about 60 students in each of our summer arts and science sessions, so we’re providing scholarships for at least six children in each of those classes, and this grant will help us continue that.”
Leonardo’s Discovery Warehouse is a community nonprofit, funded entirely by grants, sponsorships, donations and membership or admission fees.
For information on Leonardo’s Discovery Warehouse and Adventure Quest, go to www.leonar dos.org or call (580) 233-2787.