The Long Island Children’s Museum was among 10 libraries and museums honored Wednesday at the White House for their innovative public contributions.
The honorees received the 2012 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, presented by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The Garden City-based museum was recognized for their Together to Kindergarten program.
“This year’s National Medal recipients share the common bond of having achieved extraordinary success at reaching out to the communities they serve in effective and inventive ways,” said Susan Hildreth, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The children’s museum’s award-winning program is designed for Spanish and Haitian-speaking immigrant families to come together in preparation for school. Families are invited to use the museum’s resources and engage with teachers.
The museum promotes healthy child to parent interactions, educating about living green and aiding families in crisis situations. More than 250,000 people visit the museum annually. It also runs several off-premises programs.
The other honorees include the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami, Fla., the Bootheel Youth Museum in Missouri, Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago and libraries in Pleasant Hill, Calif., Fayetteville, N.C., Naturita, Colo., Sterling, Va., and Glenshaw, Pa.
The Long Island Children’s Museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 a.m to 5 p.m.
It is on Charles Lindbergh Boulevard along the stretch dubbed Museum Row, which is also home to the Cradle of Aviation, the Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center and the planned Long Island Museum for Science and Technology.
