Exciting Initiative Provides Free Museum Passes for Chattanooga Kindergartners

Exciting News for Kindergartners in Chattanooga: Free Passes to the Creative Discovery Museum

CHATTANOOGA – There’s a buzz of excitement among kindergarten families in Hamilton County! Starting soon, every kindergartner in the area will receive four free passes to the beloved Creative Discovery Museum. Mayor Weston Wamp made this delightful announcement on Tuesday during a special event at Westview Elementary, marking the continuation of a cherished partnership between the county’s schools and the museum.

The announcement was celebrated with joy and excitement. Wamp, along with Hamilton County Superintendent Justin Robertson and Creative Discovery Museum President and CEO Tim Sears, gathered at the school to distribute books and admission tickets to around 30 kindergartners. The atmosphere was electric as Sears engaged the children with questions like, “Who likes to dance? … Who likes dinosaurs, robots?”, to which eager hands shot up in the air.

“We are so excited to welcome all of you this year,” Sears added with a broad smile. He further emphasized how the museum’s interactive exhibits align with classroom lessons, enhancing students’ learning experiences in a fun and impactful manner. For instance, kids can delve into a full-size dinosaur dig pit to uncover fossils, which ties in with their school lessons on dinosaurs and sensory activities.

From Experiment to Tradition

Mayor Wamp elaborated that the inspiration for this initiative came from a personal family trip to the museum last year. Initially, a pilot program provided families with a kindergartner unlimited free admission to the museum. The success of that experiment, which saw 4,000 trips to the museum, led to the decision to establish it as a tradition, though in a slightly modified form. Now, instead of unlimited visits, each family with a kindergartner will receive four passes for a single trip.

“What we were doing last year was a pilot, it was an experiment,” Wamp explained. “What we feel like is sustainable based on the size of the county’s gift is for this to provide basically four passes per kindergarten family.” The new passes are expected to be phased into classrooms over the next few weeks, with teachers distributing them.

Overcoming Hiccups from the Past

Last year, there were some glitches, as shared by Mallori Crocker, whose niece Ava encountered issues due to mismatched information on her pass. The kindergarten student was heartbroken when she couldn’t enter the museum initially. However, Wamp assured that efforts have been made to improve this year’s distribution process with better coordination among school principals and teachers.

Funding and Future Prospects

This program has received significant backing, with the Hamilton County Commission allocating $50,000 in this year’s budget to fund it. With approximately 4,000 kindergarten students eligible, that’s up to 16,000 attendees funded by taxpayer dollars. General admission to the Creative Discovery Museum usually costs around $20, but the county received a discounted, bulk rate from the museum.

Wamp expressed his satisfaction with the investment, stating, “I feel good making that contribution of tax dollars to this great facility that serves so many in our community. This ensures in the years to come that kids, again, regardless of their background during our public school system will have an opportunity to visit.”

The program will primarily benefit students in public and charter schools; however, homeschooled kindergartners are not eligible for the passes. Wamp concluded, “Here in our community, there’s not a better way for a kindergartner to spend the day with Mom or Dad or grandparents or brother or sister than at the Creative Discovery Museum.”

The news has been met with widespread enthusiasm, with many families eagerly anticipating their visits to the Creative Discovery Museum. It promises to be an enriching experience that combines learning and fun in extraordinary ways.