ChildrenConnect Museum Launches the First Annual Giving Tree Initiative Fundraiser

“Play is not a break from learning—it is how children build thinking, problem-solving, imagination, and confidence.” — Inspired by Fred Rogers and child development research.

Giving Tree Initiative: 

ChildrenConnect Museum proudly invites the community to be part of its First Annual Giving Tree Initiative — a celebration of imagination, discovery, and the power of growing together.

Rooted in the heart of the community, this special initiative helps nurture a place where curiosity grows and children are inspired to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math through hands-on play.

Why It Matters: Just as a tree grows stronger with deep roots and many branches, ChildrenConnect continues to flourish through the support of families, businesses, and community partners who believe every child deserves opportunities to learn, create, and dream.

Community-supported learning centers play a vital role in closing developmental gaps. Statistics from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) indicate that high-quality, interactive early learning experiences can reduce the achievement gap by as much as 30% to 50% for children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds (Barnett, 2011). When a community invests in early childhood infrastructure, it is investing in its own long-term economic and social health.

How You Can Help: Contributions to the Giving Tree Initiative help expand exhibits, educational programs, and meaningful experiences that spark wonder for children of all ages.

How wonderful it would be to see our tree filled with leaves, butterflies, and birdhouses! You—or you and your child—can visit the museum, choose and paint your piece, add your name if you wish, and hang it on our tree. Your selection will depend on your level of support. If you prefer, we are happy to create your piece for you.

Giving Levels:

• Light Green Leaf — $50

• Dark Green Leaf — $75

• Orange Leaf — $100

• Purple Leaf — $125

• Yellow Leaf — $150

• Red Leaf — $175

• Butterfly — $500

• Birdhouse — $1,000

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The beautiful mural was designed and painted by Teacher Alyssa Hale from Newnan High School, and several students assisted in its creation. They were a delight to have at the museum and we enjoyed spending time with the energetic and talented group!

STEAM Benefits On Children: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth (Ginsburg, 2007). Research from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2011) demonstrates that the interactive, "serve-and-return" experiences embedded in early play are fundamental for building sturdy brain architecture, laying the groundwork for lifelong learning and executive function skills.

Integrating the arts into traditional STEM subjects—collectively known as STEAM—has a profound impact on early childhood development. Educational data reveals that early exposure to STEAM concepts significantly predicts later academic success. A longitudinal study published in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis found that children who enter kindergarten with strong general knowledge in science and math perform better in those subjects all the way through eighth grade (Morgan et al., 2016). Furthermore, the Brookings Institution highlights that hands-on, play-based STEAM environments foster spatial reasoning skills, which are critical for future proficiency in technical fields (Hassinger-Das et al., 2020). By combining the creativity of art with the logic of science, children develop cognitive flexibility and advanced problem-solving capabilities.

References

• Barnett, W. S. (2011). Effectiveness of early educational intervention. Science, 333(6045), 975-978.

• Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2011). Building the brain’s “executive function” skills. (InBrief).

• Ginsburg, K. R. (2007). The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics, 119(1), 182-191.

• Hassinger-Das, B., et al. (2020). Thecase of STEM learning: Why playful learning works. The Brookings Institution.

• Morgan, P. L., et al. (2016). Science achievement gaps begin very early, persist, and are influenced by modifiable factors. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 38(1), 118-135.