The largest individual philanthropic donation in the history of the Peoria Riverfront Museum will extend a long-running initiative offering free admission to students, teachers and families across the Tri-County area.
A $5 million gift from Polly Barton through the Barton Family Foundation establishes a permanent endowment in support of the museum’s Every Student Initiative.
“That is one of the most important gifts in the nation, to set up a permanent endowment to help school children access museums, so it’s a vote of confidence,” museum President and CEO John Morris said Thursday following a news conference announcing the donation.
“It’s a totally inspirational idea, not just for the museum but for the entire community. This is not a gift to the museum. It’s really a gift through the museum to the children of our community and our region, to have them have the ability and to come in here to bring their families back, for their educators to get memberships to museum — that’s all a part of the package.”
Morris said the $5 million in the Glen and Polly Barton Educational Endowment Fund will be invested to generate interest while using only $250,000 each year to fund the initiative in perpetuity.
“This is not government money; this is not a grant from state, federal, local [agencies],” he said. “This is a private gift from a private individual who earned that money and is giving it back on behalf of her late husband and her family, and that is a beautiful thing.”
Morris said the Every School Initiative enters its 10th year with 50 fully sponsored schools from all across the Tri-County Area, including Peoria Public Schools.
New District 150 Superintendent Jerry Bell, who was part of the PPS administrative team when he helped launch the initiative a decade ago, said he’s amazed at the program’s growth to where it’s expected to see more than 25,000 students visit the museum for free this year.
“Phenomenal growth. I just couldn’t envision 10 years ago where we are today,” said Bell. “Just to know that the museum is going to be here and this opportunity is going to be here forever to help our children come in and experience these exhibits.”
Morris noted the $5 million amount is proportionately significant when compared to the museum’s annual operational budget of $7.2 million.
“There’s a belief by this donor that this institution is going to be here for a long time to come, or they wouldn’t be putting that kind of money in,” said Morris, adding they hope to continue building on the success of the Every Student Initiative.
“It’s not a focus on the objects in the exhibitions. It’s a focus on the students and inspiring them, and that’s why this is just a really inspirational gift.”
Bell said he views what the museum offers can serve as supplemental education beyond what gets taught in the classrooms.
“Absolutely, we can’t do it just within our four walls, and having such a wonderful building and this museum here is a wonderful extension of the schoolhouse,” said Bell.
“Who knows where our next artists and you know artistes are going to come from if they don’t experience firsthand the wonderful exhibits here in the museum?”
