The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is to benefit from a US$700,000 (£443,000), three-year grant from the PNC Foundation, for the renovation of Playscape, an early childhood and preschool exhibit for children aged five and under.
The grant will also fund two series of teacher training workshops, one of which will focus on early childhood development and the other on use of the museum's early childhood exhibit to improve school readiness.
The renovation is expected to be completed by early 2013.
The funding signifies the first major grant the PNC Foundation has made in Indianapolis through its signature philanthropic cause, Grow Up Great, a 10-year, US$100m (£63.3m) bilingual initiative to improve early childhood education.
Situated on a 19 acre site, the 473,000sq ft (44,000sq ft) museum is one of the largest children's museums in the world and the most visited children's museum in the United States. The Playscape area is almost 20 years old and the revamp is expected to create new experiences in preschool development across the arts, science and humanities.
Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen, museum president and CEO said: "Thanks to Grow Up Great, The Children's Museum will be able to focus additional resources on our programmes and exhibits specifically serving preschool children and their families.
"The Grow Up Great programme's special emphasis on school readiness and underserved children is a natural fit with the museum's mission."
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, actively supports organisations 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.
Image: C. Benford Crenshaw
