Oakland Zoo, Fairyland get $400K in grants
Childrens Fairyland in Oakland turned 70 on Sept. 2, 2020.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Puppets, critters and children in the East Bay just got a $400,000 boost from the Institute for Museum and Library Sciences, a California congresswoman announced Friday.
The institute is funding over $400,000 in grants for the Oakland Zoo and Children's Fairyland, U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, announced.
The grants will fund education and youth outreach programs for school-age children in the East Bay.
"I am proud to announce that the Oakland Zoo and Children's Fairyland will receive over $400,000 for climate conservation efforts, pre-kindergarten readiness programs and youth engagement," Lee said in a statement. "Both of these investments will ensure that young people in our district are empowered and prepared for academic success so they can be leaders of tomorrow."
The grant will make it possible for the Oakland Zoo to engage with Oakland middle school youth in a participatory science program, a zoo representative said in a statement in Lee's Friday press release.
"With this funding, we will center youth voices in conservation in ways that we hope will improve our community," said Megan Sweet, the zoo's vice president of learning and engagement.
Children's Fairyland, a storybook theme park on the shores of Lake Merritt in Oakland, will use the funding to further its puppet education program.
The existing program invites children to learn the magic of puppetry while immersing themselves in classic fables including James M. Barrie's "Peter Pan," Frank L. Baum's "The Wizard of Oz" and Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen."
The grant will help move Children's Fairyland's puppet program forward to the next phase of service to its community of families and learners, according to Friday's press release.