John G. Shedd Aquarium

Purpose: Serving as Centers of Community Engagement The John G. Shedd Aquarium will use this grant to help implement its community engagement strategy on the city's south side through the South Chicago Neighborhood Initiative. The aquarium seeks to reach multigenerational audiences in South Chicago who are isolated from the resources and conservation messages of the aquarium because of various access barriers, such as language, culture, previous museum experiences, and economics. The initiative has six components: (1) research (identify potential communities and partners); (2) trust building through outreach efforts; (3) program partnership (implementing multivisit programs that address the missions of partnering organizations); (4) expansion (developing relationships with community organizations); (5) communitywide stewardship (bringing people together in local conservation projects); and (6) self-sufficiency (providing community-based organizations with the tools they need to continue a dialogue about aquatic science and conservation). Aquarium educators will develop a multifaceted program of representative activities, such as a lakeshore biology program, trips to the aquarium and other conservation centers, and a variety of aquatic science workshops.