December 30, 2015
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Let's Move! Museums & Gardens is a component of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative to raise a healthier generation of kids. Through exhibits, programs, and healthy food service, museums and gardens in all fifty states are taking action to provide fun opportunities for fitness and learning. Visits to museums and gardens are high-impact learning opportunities with the power to make a difference in children's lives and their futures. Click here for a list of participating institutions.


Southern Food and Beverage Museum Kids Culinary Camp
New Orleans, LA
By  Jennifer Edwards, Director of Advancement/Business Manager and Jennie Merrill, Director of Education and Outreach
Participants of the SoFAB Kids Culinary Camp learning about different foods.  

Each year since 2008, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum has been hosting its Kids Culinary Camp, the only one of its kind in the New Orleans area.  Twenty-five children aged 7-11 years old are accepted each week for five weeks for the half-day long program, which focuses on teaching confidence in the kitchen.  Camp takes place in our Rouses Culinary Innovation Center by Jenn-Air (complete with kid-friendly induction burners!). Each week, campers participate in food - themed crafts, history lessons, outdoor activities, food preparation lessons and even serve and eat a lunch that they make themselves! The camp's goal is to create an experience that teaches nutritional literacy holistically, but focuses on keeping food fun. There are weekly themes such as Southern cooking, holidays, or (healthy!) fast food. Campers divide into five teams and participate in food preparation and construction. One team is responsible each day for setting the table and plating the food. The team structure contributes to a strong sense of security by allowing kids to explore and taste new foods, while simultaneously creating a bond with their table/teammates.  By learning basic kitchen skills in a fun environment, surrounded by their peers, kids start to engage in a whole new way in their own homes! We're already looking forward to our next camp. If you would like more information please contact Jennie Merrill, Director of Education, or visit our website.

Participants of the SoFAB Kids Culinary Camp making their own healthy cook books.

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library Heritage Garden
Cedar Rapids, IA

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library (NCSML) strives to inspire people of all backgrounds to connect to Czech and Slovak history and culture by intertwining food, family, and heritage. The new Heritage Garden builds on the history of many immigrants from the Czech and Slovak regions who travelled to the United States with seeds from their homeland. Gardens were cultivated using these seeds, and families were then able to savor familiar tastes from home. The Heritage Garden uses organic gardening practices and select Czech and Slovak heritage seeds to help new generations understand what life was like for those early immigrants who settled in this country. Visitors to the NCSML's garden project are also able to learn how to start a pesticide-free home garden; learn about soil health and compost; and have opportunities to taste real heritage vegetables and fruits.


United Way Day of Caring volunteers helped create the new heritage garden.
United Way Day of Caring volunteers helped create the new heritage garden.


Submit a Success Story

If you wish to submit success stories, please email a 150-word article with photos to  letsmovemuseumsandgardens@imls.gov . In addition to your submitted photos, please be sure to include a signed copy of the  IMLS Photo Release form  (PDF).
See the   Let's Move! Museums & Gardens Toolkit (PDF) for additional programming and communication resources.

 
Let's Move! Museums & Gardens partners
Let's Move! Museums & Gardens  is led by the Institute of Museum and Library Services in partnership with the American Alliance of Museums, the Association of Children's Museums, the American Public Gardens Association, the American Association for State and Local History, the Association of African American Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Association of Nature Center Administrators, the Association of Science-Technology Centers, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive.