MEDIA ALERT – PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

$15,000 Grant from Charter One Bank Adds Up to a Fun Math Lesson
for West Chicago Kindergartners

Grant opens doors of DuPage Children’s Museum's Kindergarten Math Initiative
for about 500 Children in Six Schools

WHO: Charter One Bank and DuPage Children's Museum are giving kindergartners from West Chicago an opportunity to begin learning math in a fun way. Due in part to a $15,000 grant from Charter One Bank, the Museum will welcome nearly 500 kindergartners from West Chicago to the Kindergarten Math Initiative (KMI), which utilizes a hands-on, minds-on approach to teach children about the wonders of math. Through this grant, every West Chicago kindergartner—from six area schools—will visit the Museum and participate in the program over the course of several weeks. Charter One’s grant also provides the students’ bus transportation and in-class materials.

WHAT: KMI is a part of DuPage Children's Museum’s current Learning Lab school program where more than 20,000 school children in 25 school districts participate annually in classes that explore interactive adventures in math, science and the arts. This math program focuses on the crucial kindergarten age when developing a strong math literacy foundation will help in future understanding and learning. The KMI program includes an hour in the Museum's math-related exhibits for each child.

WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. – Children will tour math and creativity exhibits. (Please arrive beforehand to set up photography equipment.)

WHERE: DuPage Children’s Museum

301 N. Washington Street, Naperville, IL 60540

The Math Connections Neighborhood is located on the upper level of the Museum.

Learning Labs are on the lower level.

VISUALS: Capture photography / footage of the more than 50 kindergartners from Gary Elementary School entering the museum and interacting with skill-building tools such as Magnatiles™, cornering reflections (large & small mirrors), a magnet wall, geoboards, weaving looms and more.

To learn which groups of children are available to be photographed, please go the front desk upon arrival and consult DuPage Children’s Museum staff.

DUPAGE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM:

DuPage Children's Museum helps kids learn how to succeed. Throughout any given day, about 1000 visitors come through the Big Red Door of the Museum in Naperville, Illinois to engage in 3 floors of hands-on activities. It is a playful, fun environment where children 6 months to 10 years old and the important adults in their lives learn and play together in thoughtfully planned “neighborhoods”, with exhibits and programs designed to promote skill development in math, science and the arts. It is designed to prepare kids for a future where curiosity, creative thinking, imaginative problem solving and learning skills will be needed to interact with technology that is yet to be invented, to solve problems we can’t imagine and work in new kinds of jobs that don’t exist today.

2007 is an Imagination Celebration of the importance of play for DuPage Children’s Museum, a top Chicago area cultural attraction, celebrating 20 years as the place where learning comes in to play™! The Museum is a non-profit organization and depends on donations and sponsorships for over $4 of every $10 of its annual budget. Your media support helps us reach families and makes a difference in the lives of thousands of children in our community. Thank you for all you do!

Location: 301 N. Washington Street

Naperville, IL 60540

Phone: 630-637-8000

Hours* Monday: 9 am - 1 pm

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 9 am - 5 pm

Thursday: 9 am - 8 pm

Sunday: 12 - 5 pm

*Call for special seasonal hours.

General Admission: $7.50 per person, ages one through 59.

$6.50 per person, ages 60 and over.

Admission is never charged to shop the Explorer Store.

Free Parking. Wheelchair Accessible. Quick walk from Naperville Metra Station.

Annual Memberships: Several types of memberships and gift memberships are available. Please visit www.dupagechildrensmuseum.org or call 630-637-8000 for more information.

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