FOUNDATION FOR THE READING PUBLIC MUSEUM
500 MUSEUM ROAD, READING, PA 196111425 www.readingpublicmuseum.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE MISSION OF THE READING PUBLIC MUSEUM, A DYNAMIC CENTER OF LIFELONG LEARNING, IS TO EDUCATE, ENLIGHTEN AND ENGAGE CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS THROUGH THE COLLECTION, PRESERVATION AND INTERPRETATION OF OBJECTS OF ART, SCIENCE AND CIVILIZATION.

TO EDUCATE THROUGH COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF OBJECTS OF ART, SCIENCE AND CIVILIZATION.

IN LIGHT OF THE CHALLENGES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WHICH INCLUDED TWO MANDATORY CLOSERS AND VISITOR CONCERN OVER SAFETY, PROGRAM ATTENDANCE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED IN 2020. WE LOOKED FOR INNOVATIVE WAYS TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE VISITORS WITH ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM OFFERING INCLUDING DRIVE BY EDUCATIONAL KIT PICK UP AND VIRTUAL TOURS.TEMPORARY OR SPECIAL EXHIBITS AND PERMANENT COLLECTION - THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THE MUSEUM PROVIDES PATRONS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE EXHIBITS CREATED BY OTHER MUSEUMS OR COLLECTIONS FROM PRIVATE COLLECTORS AND UNIQUE ITEMS FROM THE MUSEUM'S OWN COLLECTION. IN 2020 WE WELCOMED 21,367 GENERAL VISITOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN TO THE MUSEUM AND 5,195 VISITED THE NEAG PLANETARIUM AT THE READING PUBLIC MUSEUM.TOURING EXHIBITION - THE MUSEUM MAKES AVAILABLE MUSEUM OWNED EXHIBITIONS TO OTHER MUSEUMS AROUND THE WORLD. ALLOWING EXHIBITIONS TO TOUR PROVIDES THE MUSEUM THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND OUR MISSION BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION. IN 2020 FIVE EXHIBITS WERE ON DISPLAY IN MUSEUMS LOCATED IN TEXAS, IOWA, CONNECTICUT NEW YORK, VIRGINIA, MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA. NINE MUSEUMS HOSTED THE EXHIBITS. IN ADDITION TO ENTIRE EXHIBITS THE MUSEUM LOANS INDIVIDUAL PAINTINGS.TOURS - TOURS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PRE-K TO SENIOR GROUPS AND ARE TAILORED TO MEET THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF THE SPECIFIC GROUP VISITING THE MUSEUM. TOURS CAN INCLUDE BOTH MUSEUM AND PLANETARIUM VISITS. DURING 2020 SCHOOLS CANCELLED FIELD TRIPS SO WE ONLY HAD A TOTAL OF 50 GROUP TOURS THAT VISITED THE MUSEUM AND PLANETARIUM WHICH INCLUDED 1,175 STUDENTS AND ADULTS. TO ASSIST SCHOOLS IN COVERING THE COSTS OF TOURS THE MUSEUM OFFERS A FUNDING PROGRAM "FEED THEIR IMAGINATION". THROUGH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF DONORS THE MUSEUM WILL COVER ADMISSION AND BUSING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOL GROUPS THAT MAY OTHERWISE BE UNABLE TO COME TO THE MUSEUM. TO HELP CONTINUE TO ENGAGE STUDENTS THE MUSEUM EDUCATION DEPARTMENT DEVELOPED VIRTUAL TOURS, RECORDING THE EDUCATOR TAKING STUDENTS ON A TOUR OF THE GALLERY VIA A VIDEO AND THEN OFFERING VIRTUAL LIVE INTERACTION FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

CHILDREN'S PROGRAMSSUMMER CAMP - SUMMER CAMP INCREASED FROM EIGHT TO TWELVE ONE WEEK CAMP EXPERIENCES FOCUSING ON A DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT EACH WEEK. THE CAMPS KEEP CHILDREN ENGAGED IN LEARNING OVER THE SUMMER BY EXPLORING EACH WEEK'S FOCUS USING THE EXHIBITS AND COLLECTIONS OWNED BY THE MUSEUM AS WELL AS HANDS ON EXPERIMENTS AND CRAFTS. IN 2020 APPROXIMATELY THERE WERE 249 CAMP ATTENDEES OVER THE TWELVE WEEKS.HOME SCHOOL DAYS - HOME SCHOOL DAYS, HELD MONTHLY DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPLEMENT HOME SCHOOLED CHILDREN'S LEARNING BY PROVIDING THEM WITH ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN VARIOUS SUBJECTS INCLUDED ARE SPECIAL MUSEUM TOURS AND HANDS-ON PROJECTS. APPROXIMATELY 81 CHILDREN AND ADULT LEARNING PROVIDERS ATTENDED IN THE REDUCED NUMBER OF SESSIONS IN 2020FULL STEAM AHEAD - STARTED IN THE FALL 2017 STEAM IS A TODDLER SCIENCE PROGRAM FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN PROVIDING HANDS-ON EXPLORATION OF SCIENCE AND ART RELATED TOPICS. THE PROGRAM IS OFFERED ONCE A MONTH DURING MOST MONTHS OF THE YEAR. 71 TODDLERS AND PARENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM IN 2020.SCOUT WORKSHOPS AND OVERNIGHT STAYS - WORKSHOPS AND OVERNIGHTS OFFER A WIDE VARIETY OF LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES SET IN A FUN ENVIRONMENT. SOME TOPICS INCLUDED SCIENCE, ARBORETUM EXPLORATION, SKY AND SPACE EXPLORATION THROUGH THE PLANETARIUM, AND EVEN CREATING THEIR OWN BOOKS AFTER VISITING THE MUSEUM LIBRARY. THE MUSEUM EVEN OFFERS ITS OWN GIRL SCOUT BADGE. WITH COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE PROGRAM OFFERINGS WERE EXTREMELY LIMITED IN 2020 WITH PARTICIPANTS MADE UP OF SCOUTS AND ADULTS OR LEADERS. SENSORY MORNINGS - A SPECIAL PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN WHO OTHERWISE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE MUSEUM. THESE CHILDREN, FAMILY AND CAREGIVERS CAN COME TO THE MUSEUM BEFORE IT OPENS AND ALLOW THE CHILDREN TO EXPLORE IN A QUIET UNCROWDED ENVIRONMENT. REGULAR ADMISSION APPLIES. KIDS NIGHT OUT HELD MONTHLY CHILDREN WILL FOCUS ON DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES. HELD AT NIGHT IT ALLOWS THE CHILDREN THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE MUSEUM AFTER HOURS WITH EDUCATORS AND DO HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES ONLY 4 WERE HELD WITH 65 CHILDREN ATTENDING.FAMILY DAY/NIGHT EVENTS - DESIGNED FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY, THE EVENTS FEATURE BEFORE OR AFTER HOURS ACCESS TO EXHIBITS AND STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES AND CRAFTS.ADULT PROGRAMS - SENIOR SERIES A MONTHLY EVENT, NOT JUST FOR SENIORS THAT RANGES FROM TOURS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CURRENT EXHIBITS TO SCREENINGS OF FILMS RELATED TO ART TO BEHIND THE SCENES GLIMPSE OF ITEMS NOT CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY TO THE PUBLIC. THE EVENT IS FREE WITH PAID ADMISSION OR MEMBERSHIP.ARBORETUM EDUCATION - PROGRAMS ARE PRESENTED BY MASTER GARDENERS AND OTHER INDUSTRY SPECIALISTS AND UTILIZES THE ARBORETUM AND GREENHOUSE RESOURCES.BUS TRIPS - TRIPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ALLOW MUSEUM PATRONS TO VISIT OTHER MUSEUMS IN THE AREA TO EXPERIENCE A SPECIAL EXHIBIT OR JUST A GENERAL VISIT TO EXPERIENCE THAT MUSEUM. 2020 TRIPS WERE CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19ART HISTORY SHORT COURSE - STARTED IN FALL 2019, THE MUSEUM CURATOR LEADS THIS 4 SESSION COURSE, EXPLORING MAJOR STYLISTIC TRENDS, KEY ARTISTS, MONUMENTS, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONTEXTS, TECHNIQUES AND PATRONAGE. EACH SESSION TOUCHES ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC. 13 ADULTS PARTICIPATED IN THE FIRST COURSE OF 2020.YOGA UNDER THE STARS - HELD IN THE NEAG PLANETARIUM DOME AND LED BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR, PARTICIPANTS CAN COME AND RELAX UNDER THE STARS. EACH SERIES CONSISTS OF 10 WEEKLY SESSIONS. 34 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN 4 SERIES

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