The key to any good magic trick is focus, something The Magic House practices daily to provide community-wide access to its hands-on learning experiences. The Kirkwood children’s museum is broadening its commitment to education and opportunity once again, this time to teach children an important lesson: how to become global citizens.
In 2015, The Magic House began exploring different cultures with its exhibit Children’s China. According to museum president Beth Fitzgerald, the positive community response led to discussions on how global studies could be further implemented as part of Reimagine the Magic House, a five-year campaign to bring new life to museum exhibits that started in 2017. “The community has an interest in global cultures, and we’re responding to that need,” she says. “The world is changing, communities are becoming more diverse, and global awareness is more important than ever.” In January, the museum opened the World Traveler Gallery. The space, made possible by the Crawford Taylor Foundation, is dedicated to housing exhibits focused on different cultures. “Our goal is to provide meaningful experiences centered around a specific culture on a biannual basis,” Fitzgerald explains.
Currently, museum guests can say jambo (Swahili for hello) to Kenya’s Kids, the gallery’s first exhibit that offers immersive environments like a school, elephant orphanage and outdoor market to teach children about the east African country. The Magic House also has partnered with the local African community to create supplementary programs, offering visitors the opportunity to listen to Kenyan storytellers and learn African dance. “Our goal is for children to see the similarities and differences between their lives and those of children in other parts of the world,” Fitzgerald says. “Creating a close bond with the diverse communities in St. Louis is an important part of celebrating the traditions that make each culture unique.” In 2019, the gallery will switch to an exhibit on Argentina, and Children’s China is set to return from its tour of national children’s museums.
Earlier this summer, the museum welcomed 100 middle school students from the Jennings School District who had studied Kenya and raised money to help bring clean drinking water to the country. The Magic House hosted them at no cost thanks to its Access for All initiatives. “Our goal is to make sure all children in the St. Louis area have access to hands-on learning,” Fitzgerald says. The Magic House offers free programming and field trips to Title 1 schools and those where 50 percent or more of the population receives free or reduced lunch. Big Brothers, Big Sisters participants also receive free membership, as do all foster families in the state of Missouri.
The museum’s largest annual fundraiser, The Magic Ball, is Oct. 12 at Stifel Theatre. “The gala is extremely important to funding Access for All initiatives,” Fitzgerald says. “It’s enabled thousands of children to visit The Magic House.” To showcase the new World Traveler’s Gallery, the event is themed ‘Passport to the World’ and will display components from Kenya’s Kids. The evening also includes dinner, a special performance by comedian Nate Bargatze and an after party.
Pictured above: The World Traveler Gallery at The Magic House
The Magic House engages children through unique, hands-on learning experiences. The museum’s fundraiser, The Magic Ball: Passport to the World, is Oct. 12 at Stifel Theatre. Pictured on the cover: Megan Kiley, Allison Nadaud, Amy Zebala, Laurie Lock. For more information, call 314.822.8900 or visit magichouse.org.
Cover design by Allie Bronsky | Cover photo by Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton Photography