“ Because there was no guidebook for what museums should do in a pandemic , our staff organized an online survey to learn how we could continue serving the needs of our members , especially those who are most vulnerable ,” says Long .
The survey results revealed that the majority of families were unemployed , struggling to put food on the table . And as Long explains , “ If children can ’ t eat , they can ’ t play and learn .” So , CMEE took action and launched an array of emergency initiatives to support families and aid in coping with the pandemic crisis . Committed to serving their community , the Museum introduced a weekly food pantry , serving over 70 families , along with online educational programs and family support group meetings via Zoom .
After the Children ’ s Museum was forced to close its doors to the public due to COVID-19 , CMEE invested significant time and energy into these virtual programs to ensure the success for the children . CMEE began offering online science programs and a virtual reading club to prevent the “ summer slide .” Additionally , the Museum organized a group of children to work with
Roz Dimon , a digital artist , to create
LA VIDA EN TIEMPOS DE COVID , a digital collage exploring the experience of local kids during the pandemic .
With the help of CMEE , a group of local children worked with artist Roz Dimon to create a digital collage exploring their experiences during the pandemic .