Bloomington’s WonderLab Museum of Science, Health, and Technology has been awarded $208,500 to strengthen youth outreach programs.

The funding comes from the Indiana Youth Institute through the second round of the Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana initiative, launched by Lilly Endowment Inc.

WonderLab Education Director Kellie Debikey says the first grant allowed the education department to grow and staff members to develop areas of expertise.

“With the first grant, we were able to hire and create a really strong education department,” Debikey said. “So now what we're doing is we're taking what we've discovered as each other's talents and we're kind of spreading it around.”

The second grant will help fund portions of the education department’s salaries.

WonderLab's outreach programs will focus on 10 surrounding counties that are home to more than 70 Title I schools. The museum works with schools and children's organizations to get students directly involved in learning.

“It's one thing to reinform the Bloomington and South-Central Indiana community about WonderLab,” Debikey said. “It's a whole different thing when we get to help build science identities in youth out in the schools and the after-school programs, and really us go straight to the kids.”

Outreach days include a show with elements like liquid nitrogen, fire, and baking soda. Kids are given hands-on activities, which Debikey says she hopes “captivates their attention and curiosity”.

“With the grant,” Debikey said. “It's allowed us to update a lot of our supplies, so that way we can make what was a wow factor 10 years ago into a wow factor that is more contemporary.”

The WonderLab organization covers over 12 rural Indiana counties through nearly 300 programs. Programs primarily serve younger children, but they go from newborns through upper elementary students.

“We developed those relationships that builds the trust, which builds the science identity, and it builds that confidence that they have as students in science,” Debikey said.