AARP Awards Community Challenge Grant to Delaware Children’s Museum

The Delaware Children’s Museum has been named a recipient of a 2020 AARP Community Challenge grant, one of 3 grantees selected in Delaware.

The grant will be used to build bridges between grandparents and grandchildren who may have felt isolated during the Coronavirus pandemic. Launching on Sept. 6, the DCM will provide online resources and activities to encourage more fun and inter-generational learning between grandparents and grandchildren. Additionally, a portion of the grant will be used to provide activity bags that grandparents and their grandchildren can use at home. Bags will be provided by museum staff within the local community, both by drop-off and through curbside pick-up outside the museum

• DCM Facebook page, facebook.com/DelawareChildrensMuseum
• DCM Instagram page, DEChildrensMuseum
• DCM website DelawareChildrensMuseum.org

“As a mother of three myself, I know the important roles that grandparents play in the lives of our children and our communities.” Says DCM Executive Director, Jen Bush.  “As the Executive of Director of the DCM, I understand the power of partnerships and am incredibly grateful to AARP for their continued support and for this amazing opportunity to foster these essential relationships.   I remember my grandparents fondly, and am so happy that we are able to provide this type of intergenerational programming because of the generous support from AARP!  Thank you to AARP and to all the grandparents everywhere – all helping to enrich our lives and communities!”

This project is part of the largest number of Community Challenge grants to date with more than $2.4 million awarded among 184 organizations nationwide. Grantees will implement “quick-action” projects to create more livable communities across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All projects are expected to be completed by December 18, 2020, and are designed to achieve one or more of the following outcomes:

• Create vibrant public places by improving open spaces and parks and activating main streets.
• Deliver a range of transportation and mobility options by increasing connectivity, walkability, bikeability, wayfinding, and access a wider range of transportation choices.
• Encourage the availability of a range of housing by increasing accessible and affordable housing solutions.
• Increase civic engagement and demonstrate the tangible value of “Smart Cities” by bringing together local leaders and residents from all backgrounds to address challenges.

• Support coronavirus response and recovery efforts by ensuring older adults’ access to information, essential services, and civic life.

“We are incredibly excited to support the Delaware Children’s Museum as they work to innovate promising ideas that combat isolation and bring families together,” shared AARP Delaware State Director Lucretia Young. “Our goal at AARP Delaware is to support the efforts of our communities to be great places for people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities and the coronavirus pandemic has only underscored the importance of this work.”

Other Delaware grantees include the Cornerstone Development Corp. and the Latin American Community Center, both in Wilmington. The full list of grantees can be found at www.aarp.org/communitychallenge.

The Community Challenge grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which helps communities become great places to live for residents of all ages. View an interactive map of all of the Community Challenge projects and AARP Delaware’s livable communities work at www.aarp.org/livable.