Education intern Holly Badger adds water to candies that campers enrolled in the the UM Museum’s Science, Nature and Art camp have arranged. The museum received a $5,000 grant from LOFT in August for educational programming such as this. Photo by Robert Jordan/Ole Miss Communications
OXFORD, Miss. – The Lafayette Oxford Foundation for Tomorrow has awarded $5,000 to the University of Mississippi Museum’s education department. The grant was awarded as part of LOFT’s annual night of giving more than $27,000 to local community nonprofit organizations.
The museum was selected from six competitive education category applicants. The grant will be used to create the LOFT Mobile Gallery and Learning Stations at the museum, which involves the purchase of exhibition dividers to create educational exhibits and temporary learning spaces.
“The LOFT Mobile Gallery and Learning Stations will allow children in museum programs to engage with the museum on three levels: observation, creation and exhibition,” said Emily McCauley, the museum’s education curator.
“We look forward to one-night showcases of student work in Art Zone and current partnerships like Scott Center and Horizons, and being able to expand to more partners and schools in future years.”
The foundation is pleased to help fund activities at the University Museum, said Jody Holland, LOFT executive director.
“The work and efforts of the entity have always benefited the quality of life in Oxford and Lafayette County, and LOFT is proud to be a strong supporter of the great work and programs executed at the UM Museum,” Holland said.
The project will enhance the museum’s ability to showcase student achievement and provide enrichment opportunities for K-12 audiences, McCauley said.
The museum has received two previous LOFT grants, which have assisted in growing educational programming at the museum by 400 percent over the last five years.
For more information on LOFT, go to http://loftms.org/. For more information on programs and exhibits at the University Museum, go to http://museum.olemiss.edu/.