View our 2015 Impact Report

By the NUMBERS
204,484 Total visitors
41,935 Museum visitors enjoyed free or reduced price admission (20% of all visitors)
22,661 Area school children participated in Field Studies programs
15,332 Hours of volunteer service given by
471 volunteers
10,433 EdVenture Afterschool student-days provided in 15 area schools
6,445 Children received dental health education
6,213 Children received EdVenture fire and life
safety training from professional firefighters
4,322 Books distributed to under
resourced children
4,059 Visitors attended EdVenture’s safe community
Halloween event, shattering the museum’s
daily attendance record - in only
four hours!
1,631 Children and their family members
participated in EdVenture-led family
engagement sessions across South Carolina
963 Children and their family members attended
healthy cooking classes at 5 community
centers in partnership with the
Columbia Housing Authority
868 Fresh food boxes distributed to low
income families (since April 2015)
1,505 Children
attended 54 camps at
EdVenture in 2015
138 South Carolina public school teachers
attended EdVenture’s Teacher’s
Institute for continuing education taught by the museum’s education team
54 Girls participated in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Camp
6 Community Gardens created to teach where food comes from and healthy choices to
museum visitors and students in EdVenture’s Afterschool program locations
3rd Annual Mini Maker Faire to encourage and celebrate children who create and build
#1 Largest Children’s Museum in the Southeast
By the STORIES
Children with autism and other
organizations, EdVenture developed
developmental disabilities can struggle
a curriculum and offered classes in
to build the basic skills needed for
independent living. Preparing healthy,
economical menus is one of these skills.
Travis*, an autistic teenager in Columbia,
started a fire while attempting to cook,
endangering himself and others. EdVenture’s
staff, with expertise in teaching healthy
cooking to children, as well as developing
educational programs for those with special
needs, took action. Drawing on in-house
talent and partnering with other community
the museum’s cooking lab that were
specifically designed to help children
like Travis master culinary skills,
enabling them to prepare healthy
meals safely. While Travis could not
verbally express his accomplishments,
Travis’s father shared that as a result
of the classes, Travis had moved closer
to fulfilling his potential, despite the
challenges he faces. Travis’s family
can now feel better about him safely
preparing healthy meals by himself.
* Some names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
963 Children & their family members
attend EdVenture’s healthy cooking classes
at 5 community centers in partnership with
the Columbia Housing Authority
Book ownership is a key predictor of
a child’s ultimate level of educational
attainment. And while
replied, “But I think my mom might read to me if the book had chapters and she
thought it was interesting.” Several engaging chapter books were quickly found
and given to Sarah, in addition to her own books, increasing the possibility that a
family that didn’t typically read
middle and upper income
together will now have the
households have, on
opportunity.
national average, 13 age
appropriate books per
child, those in lower income
families have only one
22,661 Area
book per 300 households.
school children
participated in Field
Studies programs
EdVenture, dedicated to
making sure every child is
prepared for Kindergarten and
ready to learn, had a unique
opportunity to collect books
easily from those who have
them and distribute them to
children who do not. Through
existing partnerships with the
Columbia Housing Authority
and Richland One School
District, EdVenture offered free
book distributions, reading
and story book character events for children
in need. At one of these events, Sarah*, a
2nd grader at a south Richland One school,
approached an EdVenture staff member to
thank her for the books asking, “Do you have
any books with chapters?” Surprised, she asked
if she could read chapter books. “Not yet,” she
4,322 Books
distributed to under
resourced children
By Those
Who Make it All Possible
Board of Trustees
Leadership
Debbie Zvejnieks,
Board Chair
Karen Smith,
Chair of External Affairs
John Dozier, Vice-Chair and
Chair of Governance
Kevin Lindler, Treasurer and
Chair of Internal Affairs
Tonya Dorsey, Secretary
Chip Amaker
Jamie Becker
Stephanie DeFreese
Tyrone Ellis
Mason Hardy
Stacey Hunter
Elizabeth Igleheart
Edna Langley
Barbara Livingston
Janice Marshall
Dwayne Porter
Julie Smithwick
Mary Lynch Wagnon
Wells Whaley
President’s Circle
$10,000+
Absolute Total Care
Aflac Group
Bank of America
Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC
Boston Productions, Inc.
BP America
Bridge Creek Elementary School
City of Columbia
Coca Cola Bottling Co.
BENEFACTORS
Colonial Life
$5,000 - $9,999
Edens
Lipscomb Family Foundation
Essex Homes
Molina Healthcare
First Citizens Bank
Pure Power Technologies – Navistar
Flextronics
Schweiger Family Practices
Jaguar Land Rover Columbia
South State Bank
Michael J. Mungo Foundation
Southeastern Freight Lines, Inc.
Novo Nordisk
Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union State Farm Insurance Company
Strategic Development Group, Inc.
PNC Foundation
TD Bank
Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Time Warner Cable, SC Division
Richland County
Wells Fargo
SCANA Corporation/SCE&G
SCDHEC
Sisters of Charity Foundation of SC
South Carolina Dental Association
Girls participated
TD Charitable Foundation
in Science, Technology,
United Way of the Midlands
The Zvejnieks Foundation of SC
* Every effort has been made to ensure this list is correct. If our records need editing, please contact Allison Whittle at awhittle@edventure.org so we may immediately make updates.
54
Engineering & Math Camp
PALS-$200 - $499
PATRONS- $2,500 - $4,999
Association of Fundraising Professionals,
Daniel and Mary Beth Amaker
City of West Columbia
Karen Coltrane
Coplon’s
Dalton Agency
Ed Robinson Laundry & Dry Cleaners
Gregory Electric Company, Inc.
Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.
Ingersoll Rand - Club Car Division
Macy’s
N. Tyrone and Dr. Jamelle H. Ellis
SC Economics
Wells and Adrienne Whaley
Whaley Food Service
Whole Foods
SC Central Chapter
Budweiser of Columbia and Greenville Foundation
John and Chris Carrington
Patricia Cartin
Aaron Goodwin
L. Marion and Ann Gressette
Bill and Elizabeth Igleheart
Kimberly Morris
Anna Peach
Linwood Randle
Ann P. Robinson
936 Attended A fun-filled StoryBook Ball
FRIENDS- $1,000 - $2,499
Abacus Planning Group
Anesthesiology Professionals of Columbia LLC
Ballentine Pediatrics, LLC
Bauknight Pietras & Stormer PA
James Y. Becker and Norma Khoury
Burned Children’s Fund
Carolina Children’s Dentistry
Carolina Convenience Corporation
Carolina Women’s Physicians
Consultants in Gastroenterology PA
Harriott Hampton Faucette
Lexington County First Steps
Louis Fawcett
Gleason Family Foundation
Junior League of Columbia
Kevin and Ashley Lindler
NAI Avant
Nord Family Foundation
Kenneth L. Reifsnider
Richland County Sheriff’s Department
Schmoyer and Company, LLC
Select Health
Johnny and Karen S. Smith
Southeastern Esthetics Institute
The James E Clyburn Scholarship
and Research Foundation
WebsterRogers LLP
that brought children’s books to life.
SUPPORTERS-$500 - $999
Bradley Anderson
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties
Marc and Patty Drews
Thomas and Charlotte Galloway
Mason and Michelle Hardy
Brittani Lane
Doug and Rebecca McMillan
J. Smythe Rich
Michael and Taylor Rider
SAFE Federal Credit Union
Museum visitors
Anne S. Smith
Jay and Denise Swearingen
enjoyed free or reduced price
Leslie Weinrib
admission (20% of all visitors)
Katherine W. Williams
Nikki Williams
41,935
2015 Impact Report