We welcome children and families to play, learn, and grow. We are here for you each and every day.
Dear Community,
The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine welcomes the many newly arriving asylum seeking families to Portland. We stand with the City and all of those helping children and families with their needs of food, shelter, and health care. We exist to inspire discovery and play for all children, and we are ready to offer educational and play opportunities to all new families in our community when they are ready for us.
We strive to be inclusive of all children and families. Please spread the word to families in our community who are in crisis or in need of help: We welcome children and families to play, learn, and grow. We are here for you each and every day.
Our inclusion work has a three-fold nature: reducing or removing cost barriers for families, partnering with organizations that share our inclusion goals, and connecting with community stakeholders to better understand barriers to accessing the Museum & Theatre.
We’ve been proud to support newly arriving families at the City of Portland Family Shelter, offering interdisciplinary educational programs to activate the shelter’s Warming Center space. During these visits, Museum & Theatre educators partner with Portland Maternal Health Nurses and Maine Medical Center’s International clinic to provide a “pop up” play space for children while nurses and doctors care for new or expecting mothers and triage acute care needs of anyone at the shelter. Families are also invited to play at the Museum & Theatre’s 142 Free Street location by using the Family Shelter’s membership pass. This partnership began with support from Francis Hollis Brain Foundation and continues thanks to Ronald McDonald House Charities. As the shelter expands services to meet the needs of our growing community, we will continue to work with the shelter in order to offer children play-based learning opportunities.
Each Saturday, the Museum & Theatre hosts an English language class and playtime for parents and children. Parents learn conversation skills, new vocabulary, and practice what they’ve learned by playing in the Museum & Theatre’s exhibits. Children attend class or play in the exhibits. English classes are made possible through the support of The Sprague Family Foundation and the J.T. Gorman Foundation.
We have a long history of providing free admissions to families who cannot afford our rates.Through generous donations by community members and businesses, families can apply for a free year of admission to the Museum & Theatre. This program is the heart of our inclusion work and allows families to become fully integrated into the Museum & Theatre community at no cost.
Families, children – you are all welcome here.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Olson
Executive Director
Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine
For more information about access to the Museum & Theatre, please contact us by calling 207-828-1234 x234 or by emailingwelcome@kitetails.org. You can also visithttp://www.kitetails.org/about-us/visit/general-info/ for reduced admission rate information. To apply for a scholarship membership, visit http://www.kitetails.org/membership/scholarship-memberships/