To fulfill its mission to be accessible to children and families of ALL backgrounds and abilities, the museum is dedicated to offering programs outside the museum, reaching the community and those who may not be able to visit the museum.
Many of Amazement Square’s programs are available as an outreach and can be offered at community festivals, church functions, and events. For more information, please contact the Marketing Department at (434) 845-1888 or pr@amazementsquare.org.
Amazing Children Early Learning Initiative
Amazement Square has been working in partnership with early learning centers for at-risk children throughout the Lynchburg area for over 10 years to address an important community need for high quality learning. The program, Amazing Children, works with centers providing classroom structure and a social-emotional curriculum to students; supporting emerging teachers through modeling, mentoring, and professional development; and incorporating center directors to develop awareness of best practices in the field and reduce staff turnover. The program offers outreach visit to participating area centers covering six different modules of teaching styles including social-emotional learning, play-based learning, inquiry, child-led learning, differentiation, and project-based learning as well as summer visits to potential early learning center partners. During the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure early learning centers still received the valuable resources for both their teachers and students, a virtual version of the program was created entitled Explorer Corner. Participating centers can now be served both in-person and virtually to best serve their needs. Summer visits were also made available virtually which include Life in the Forest, Dinosaur Discovery, and Colors and Shapes.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services grant MA-10-19-0684-19.
STEAM Library Makers
To expand the museum’s early learning initiative beyond those children served in early learning centers, Amazement Square introduced the STEAM Library Makers program in January 2023. STEAM Library Makers is a partnership with local libraries offering free monthly programming designed for children ages 3-5 not enrolled in an early learning center. STEAM based education is vital for early learners and can help set them up for ongoing academic success. This program provides STEAM-based learning opportunities for at-risk children, and assists their parents and caretakers to empower them to help their children learn at home.
Programs take place at partner library locations. Each monthly program consists of a story, a STEAM based activity, and opportunities for families and children to see and interact with other STEAM based enrichment materials such as technology and robotics. Each of the programs offered uses the different components of STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. These programs are not only designed to be engaging and fun, but to also encourage children to be excited about learning and provide parents and caretakers a valuable learning resource in their community.
Programs are currently offered once a month starting October 2023 - May 2024 at each of the following partner library locations: Forest Library, Bedford Central Library, Madison Heights Library, J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library (Appomattox), and Nelson Memorial Library. Find specific dates, times, and themes here!
CityArts Mentoring Program
The CityArts Mentoring Program was established in 2002 to provide team-building mentoring experiences to at-risk and underserved youth through the process of creating public art that enhances the environment of downtown Lynchburg.
The first CityArts project, completed in 2002, was the steel bug sculpture known as “Lynchbug” that is now perched on the sidewalk across from the museum. 2003 saw the creation of the caterpillar bike rack named “Spirals” which was placed on the sidewalk adjacent to the museum’s entrance. The tromp l’oeil painting on the N.B. Handy building across Ninth Street was painted in 2004 and has been used for the Riverflick Film Series since 2007. In 2012, a 7-year long Mosaic Mural Project brought a 4,800 square foot tile mural to downtown Lynchburg. Located on Jefferson Street across from the museum, the mural chronicles the history of Lynchburg’s riverfront from before the contact period to a view of Lynchburg in the future. This monumental-sized work of art enhances downtown Lynchburg for residents and visitors alike while preserving the area’s rich history. The programs next major undertaking is a 3D diorama of Downtown Lynchburg made with LEGO® bricks!
Mosaic Mural Project (2005 – 2012)
At 4,800 square feet, the mural is as tall as three adults and as long as a football field!
Located on Jefferson Street across from the museum, the mural chronicles the history of Lynchburg’s riverfront from before the area was settled to a view of Lynchburg in the future. This monumental-sized work of art enhances downtown Lynchburg for residents and visitors alike while preserving the area’s rich history.
This public art project was completed over a seven year period as part of the museum’s CityArts Mentoring Program, which provides team building mentoring experiences to at-risk and underserved youth. During the tiling campaigns, which took place primarily in the summer, youth worked alongside professional artists, arts educators, and other community volunteers from a range of backgrounds. While youth volunteers learned mosaic tiling technique and the history of public art, they also gained confidence, assumed responsibility, and learned to work as part of a team. The project also offered a range of educational experiences for the community at-large including free workshops with lead artist Beryl Solla, the opportunity to provide input on the design of the mural through community forums, and participating in placing tiles on the mural.
The CityArts Mosaic Mural is truly a community project; over 2,800 individuals from local schools, non-profits, families, companies, and other groups have participated in its creation.
The CityArts Mosaic Mural Project was made possible in part through the generosity of:
