It was an evening of excitement and wonder as 885 children and adults gathered for this year’s Newark Public Schools Family Preschool Night at The Newark Museum. Preschoolers, their siblings and parents streamed into the museum on the evening of June 13 for the second annual family night.
Public television’s Thomas the Tank Engine characters and friends were there to greet the children, as they participated in activities at the Museum’s interactive exhibits and other hands-on family fun. To add to the excitement, there were free books, free raffles and prizes.
Hosted by the Newark Public Schools Office of Early Childhood Education, the event’s collaborative partners included The Newark Museum, United Way of Essex and West Hudson, the Nicholson Foundation, WNET Thirteen, HIT Entertainment and Jumpstart. Representatives from these and various other organizations that support early childhood education joined NPS staff in volunteering for the evening.As well as promoting educational and fun summer programs, the event was designed to provide families with information on community based resources available to them, in addition to advice on preventing their children from experiencing summer learning loss.
Thanks to Early Childhood staff who worked hard to promote the Night at the Newark Museum event, along with parent liaisons at schools and family workers at the child daycare centers, hundreds of Newark children and families spent a memorable evening discovering that learning can be fun.
Press
Streetinsider.com: Nicholson Foundation Grant Brings Creative Play to Newark Museum, Community
By: The StreetInsider
July 19, 2014
A grant from the Nicholson Foundation will enable the Newark Museum to offer new educational programs to young learners (ages 3-5) and their families in Newark and the surrounding communities. The Museum is the only institution in Newark that provides access to works of art, a natural science collection, and cultural and historic artifacts that stimulate curiosity and learning.