Letter from the Director - May, 2025
The spectrUM Discovery Area prides itself on providing a safe and free space for families in Western Montana to bring children to learn, explore, and play. Ever since opening in the Missoula Public Library four years ago, this is a service that we have been able to offer five days per week, eight hours per day.
Back in April, spectrUM suffered funding loss of two federal grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a US government agency that had supported spectrUM’s programs for years. Read about one of the projects here. The termination of these grants resulted in a loss of nearly $350,000 over the next two years. Combined with potential funding freezes at the National Science Foundation, we are experiencing immediate effects in our museum and our work with local researchers. You can read about spectrUM research partnerships here.
These funding cuts and freezes dramatically affect our ability to continue our robust, free educational programming. What sets spectrUM apart from many other museums is our commitment to providing extensive, guided learning opportunities, facilitated by our dedicated educator team. Our educators lead experiments and activities, facilitate visitor experiences at exhibits, and ensure that everyone who steps through our doors feels welcome. We cannot operate without them, and with this reduction in federal grants, we can no longer support 40 hours a week of free museum programming.
It is with heavy hearts that our team has reached the difficult decision to make reductions to many of our free programs. In our museum, Saturday traffic is lowest during the summer, and we hope that in spite of our decision to be closed on this day, we will still serve as a hub for summer programs, camps across Missoula, home school groups, caregivers in need of an exciting activity, and visitors from afar who stumble upon our museum while visiting the library.
Rest assured that we are using the time wisely. Between pursuing new funding sources, building out a robust volunteer program, and delivering a slate of privately funded community outreach events across Missoula, Ravalli, Mineral, and Lake Counties, we are planning to go into fall in a better position than ever before.
You can help spectrUM’s sustainability in the coming months by:
- signing your children up for summer camps
- becoming a museum volunteer
- making a donation
- becoming a member
Your support funds educator time, rent and utilities, materials for our museum operations, and (most of all) our ability to ignite passion for discovery through science. I hope to see you in the museum soon, Tuesday through Friday, between 10am and 6pm.
Thank you for your ongoing support of science for all!
Alex Sobin
Director
91次元 spectrUM Discovery Area