Why are we doing this?

There are inequities in our education systems which create an unjust imbalance for children.  

Right now because of the school shutdowns brought on by the coronavirus, we are seeing these cracks widen, creating greater inequity for our county’s learners.

Those are really BIG problems, and we don’t claim to have all the solutions.  But, at Neighborhood North, we are convinced that:

• Your zip code shouldn’t determine the quality of your education. 

• The imbalance of funding in the educational system should not determine your access to educational resources. 

• Systems that hinder parent engagement impact student learning and school readiness

Neighborhood North: Museum of Play is a response to this need for equitable educational opportunities in our community.  Museums are learning and teaching environments which foster curiosity and the intrinsic motivation to learn.  Although expert-informed, we seek to disrupt the hierarchical approach to learning. Rather, we will design exhibits that allow for multiple entry points, encouraging multimodal learning and celebrating failure as a means of discovery.  Bridging the school and home environments, children’s museums are able to uniquely support families to positively impact the trajectory of their children’s lives.  Exhibits will provide ample opportunities for a child to engage in play and learning with parents and peers. Children thrive when their family, school, and community partner together as they begin to recognize the value of their own contribution to the community and develop an understanding about themselves in a social society. We believe that Neighborhood North will be a space where our youngest learners and their families can flourish. 

Where are we in this process?

For the last 20 months, we have been bringing Neighborhood North to our community through mobile museum programming and pop-up exhibits during existing school and community events.  We are now getting ready to move into our 2000 square foot preview space, coined The Vault, located at 716 14th Street in Beaver Falls, PA.  Like everyone, our plans have been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but we are not standing still.  We continue the work necessary to open our doors this coming year and look forward to welcoming you!