Staten Island Children's Museum Gets 'HELP' From Northfield Bank Foundation

The Staten Island Children's Museum is the recipient of some "HELP" from the Northfield Bank Foundation.

The Children's Museum's "Hierarchical Exhibit Label Program" (HELP) was funded by a grant from the Foundation. The goal of the project is to reinterpret, replace and add graphic elements to revitalize the visitor experience through improved labeling and signage. The new graphics are designed to prompt exploration, encourage engagement, build language development and foster curiosity in visitors of all ages, whether they are frequent or first-time visitors.

The second phase of "HELP" is now underway at the Children's Museum, and for the first time, visitors can see the updated signage and labels in the Portia's Playhouse and It's a Dog's Life exhibits; new labels will go up in the House About It exhibit soon. Children's Museum guests are encouraged to share their feedback about the new features by using the comment cards included in the exhibits.

Phase 1 of the Program was completed last fall in the exhibits Bugs and Other Arthropods and Big Games and the feedback that the Children's Museum received was overwhelmingly positive. Visitors described the new labels as more engaging, more attractive and clearer to understand.

"We are pleased to support this project and help create new perspectives for these classic Children's Museum exhibits," said Diane Senerchia, Executive Director of the Northfield Bank Foundation.

"Our team always strives to incorporate the latest education research and best practices to deliver engaging experiences for children," said Renee Wasser-Warncke, Exhibits Manager at the Staten Island Children's Museum. "Through the HELP project, we are able to use current language and learning styles so our visitors can better interact with the exhibits here."

"We are honored to be a recipient of this generous grant from the Northfield Bank Foundation," said Dina Rosenthal, Executive Director of the Staten Island Children's Museum. "Because of its support, we can undertake these updates to re-engage both children and their caregivers in fun and creative ways."