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Department of State

The Hon. Tahesha Way, Lt. Governor and Secretary of State

Friends of the New Jersey State Museum Awarded $75,000 Grant from PNC Foundation to Provide Financial Education Program for Preschoolers

TRENTON, NJ – The Friends of the New Jersey State Museum has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the PNC Foundation to teach area children lessons in spending, sharing and saving while providing parents with resources to reinforce the lessons at home. PNC provided the funding in support of Grow Up Great, its bilingual program in early childhood education.

Building on the State Museum’s ever-expanding preschool audience, the program focuses on three core goals: educating teachers through Teachers Professional Development Programs; directing educational opportunities to students through financial education workshops; and introducing early childhood educators and students to the value of museum education and object based learning.

“Through this grant from PNC, we can reach children in the Trenton community, pre-K centers and from throughout Central Jersey at an early age and help establish smart habits through positive reinforcement that will last a lifetime,” said Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, who serves concurrently as Secretary of State. “This program helps the State Museum realize its mission to serve the lifelong education needs of visitors of all ages while preserving New Jersey’s natural and cultural treasures.”

The grant from the PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC), will allow the State Museum to complement educational materials developed by Sesame Workshop with two preschool curricula that utilize the State Museum’s Archaeology and Cultural History collections. The program will emphasize the value of object based learning and the educational value of Museums by teaching youngsters about Native American and Colonial currencies.

PNC recently announced the extension of Grow Up Great by $250 million over 10 years to strengthen existing programs in math, science and the arts and reach more children, families and teachers. Considered one of the most comprehensive corporate school readiness programs of its kind, it has earned national recognition for programming through grants to numerous non-profit organizations and other PNC funded initiatives.“Extensive research shows the return on investments in high-quality early education is significant and long lasting - positively impacting our children, society and economy,” said Kevin Tylus, PNC Bank regional president for central New Jersey. “Through this financial education initiative with the Friends of the New Jersey State Museum we can help young children in our region better understand that everything has value and show parents how to turn everyday moments into financial learning experiences for their kids.”

The State Museum Planetarium currently features “One World, One Sky,” a pre-school astronomy production produced by Sesame Workshop. This program is also supported through an underwriting grant from The PNC Foundation as part of the “PNC Grow Up Great with Science” initiative. The launch of this financial education program for pre-schoolers will complement this offering and help the State Museum expand its programming to young children while instilling in them the value of Museums.

To learn more about the PNC Grow Up Great initiative, go to www.pncgrowupgreat.com.

About the Organizations

The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. PNC has extended its signature cause, PNC Grow Up Great, by $250 million over 10 years to enhance early childhood education and school readiness. For please visit www.pncgrowupgreat.com.

The New Jersey State Museum serves the life-long educational needs of residents and visitors through its collections, exhibitions, programs, publications and scholarship in science, history and the arts.

Located at 205 West State Street, Trenton, NJ, the Museum and auditorium are open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 am – 4:45 pm, and Sunday, noon to 5:00 pm. The Museum is closed Mondays and all state holidays. On weekends, free parking is available in lots adjacent to and behind the Museum. Please visit www.trentonparking.com for a number of options for parking in downtown Trenton. For more information, please visit www.newjerseystatemuseum.org or call the Museum’s recorded information line at (609) 292-6464. The New Jersey State Museum is a division of the NJ Department of State.

The Friends of the New Jersey State Museum was founded in 1968 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) to support the Museum’s collections, exhibitions and programs through fundraising, volunteerism, advocacy and marketing. The Friends also operate a gift shop selling merchandise related to the Museum’s exhibitions and New Jersey history and culture. Proceeds from the Friends Shop help support the publications and collections of the New Jersey State Museum.

 


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