Discover the Children’s Museum Easton

As longstanding residents and business owners in the Southeastern MA area, our Morse family has had the great pleasure of getting to know many of the wonderful nonprofit organizations spread throughout this community. Our team strongly believes in supporting these phenomenal groups by volunteering, donating, and spreading the word about the amazing work they are doing.

But, of course, Morse wants to do more to help preserve and promote these incredibly important organizations. That’s why we are kicking off a new blog series that will put the spotlight on one incredible nonprofit each month. Today, we are pleased to introduce you to the mission and activities at Children’s Museum Easton.

What’s Happening at the Children’s Museum Easton?

It’s no wonder that the Children’s Museum Easton attracts more than 50,000 visitors annually.

This local museum features three whole floors of fun, educational, and highly interactive exhibits. In addition, the museum hosts weekly science, music, and community arts programs. One of the most popular offerings is a course that kids can take in which they get to contribute creatively to different elements of a large art piece that will get installed in the museum.

From hands-on art projects to interesting science experiments, to music classes, there are an endless number of opportunities for children to explore and play at the Children’s Museum Easton. While the primary audience is kids ages eight and under, the museum truly offers something for every child, as well as the kid in all of us.

According to Caitlin McGillicuddy, the Executive Director of the museum, the organization has always aimed to spark a life-long love of learning in children through active play and exploration. “Today, we see more and more focus on traditional classroom learning, and, unfortunately, not nearly as much attention on learning through free or directed play. At the museum, we wholeheartedly believe that play should be a kid’s number one job, so we’ve created many wonderful programs that allow them to engage in fun and playful learning.”

Founded in 1991, the museum has become a beloved destination for members of the Easton community as well as families throughout Southeastern Massachusetts. McGillicuddy knows that many of the adults visiting with children were once kids visiting the museum with their parents. “There is a real nostalgic feeling that local residents have towards the museum,” says McGillicuddy. “Every day, people share stories with me about their kids attending a program, celebrating a birthday, or learning some cool stuff. This is a really special place.”

Science on the Go! Program Gives Museum Access to All Children

The Children’s Museum Easton, and its many individual and corporate supporters, believe that every child should be able to enjoy what their organization has to offer.

With this goal in mind, the museum launched a year-round initiative called Science on the Go! Started roughly ten years ago, this project brings free STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) programming to underprivileged schools, youth centers, and homeless shelters located in Easton and throughout surrounding communities like Brockton, Taunton, and Randolph.

There are many communities in Southeastern MA where families meet the threshold of poverty, and the school systems and Boys and Girls Clubs that they attend do not have access to science and creative programs, like STEAM. Because of the scarcity of educational initiatives for these underprivileged kids, McGillicuddy feels that there is a great opportunity for the museum to fill this gap.

Krissy Cannizzo, the museum’s Director of Education and a certified teacher, is in charge of the Science on the Go! program. Working with her team, made up of retired teachers, they find the best locations to implement this STEAM program in communities where there is a need.

McGillicuddy can’t say enough about these educators and the critical role they play in these neighborhoods. “Our educators have even gone to hotels where homeless families are living and then have worked diligently to set up STEAM programs in the hotel parking lots. They are doing an incredible job making sure the Science on the Go! program is accessible to everyone and anyone who wants it.”

A decade after implementing this program, word of the initiative has spread. So much so, in fact, that homeless shelters and many other organizations serving displaced or underprivileged families and children have reached out directly to the museum asking for assistance in training their volunteers so they can execute the program themselves. This training program has enabled several shelters to offer these fun and educational activities to the children even when museum staff cannot be present.

McGillicuddy states that the Science on the Go! program would never have been possible without the generous support the museum has received over the years from the community at large. “We are so grateful to individuals and local businesses, like Morse Insurance, who support us with non-designated funds throughout the year. With these donations, we are not only able to offer programs like STEAM at the museum, but also to share these initiatives with children and families beyond our building. Through the consistent philanthropic giving of our community, we have also been able to designate the necessary funds to attract and install new exhibits, offer a wide range of programs, and undertake critical growth initiatives so we may continue to expand in the future.”

Discover More Remarkable Nonprofits in Your Community

We hope that you have enjoyed learning more about Children’s Museum Easton and why we treasure having this organization in our community. Morse, of course, hopes to see you at the museum!

In addition, there are many ways you can get involved with this local nonprofit, including making a monetary donation or a gift in kind of items such as assorted paper, glue sticks, masking tape, ribbon, and more. You can also become a museum member or get a Corporate Membership, which can be added to your list of employee benefits. Finally, there are multiple opportunities to volunteer at the museum and to participate in wonderful annual events like the Father’s Day Road Race and Night at the Brewseum.

For our next nonprofit spotlight, Morse Insurance will be highlighting one of our community’s oldest organizations – the Old Colony YMCA, Easton Branch. Many generations of Easton locals have benefited from the valuable programs offered by this 132-year-old nonprofit. From kids’ swim lessons to adult fitness classes, to educational and social opportunities for the whole family, the Easton Branch YMCA serves hundreds of thousands of individuals annually. We look forward to sharing more about this amazing community resource with you.

For a list of other outstanding, local organizations that Morse proudly supports, please visit our In the Community page.