Free Fridays at Childrens' Museum begin March 31

Rick Dandes, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·2 min read

Mar. 20—LEWISBURG — The Lewisburg Children's Museum (LCM) , in partnership with UPMC and UPMC Health Plan will host Free Friday Community Days throughout 2023, on a quarterly basis, beginning March 31.

"Free Fridays are an excellent opportunity to continue connecting with our community," says Kahla DeSmit, LCM executive director. "This is the perfect way to celebrate play in our community and prioritize museum accessibility for families of all economic backgrounds."

The Free Fridays program first began in September 2022, DeSmit said. "It was our five-year anniversary, so that was the way we celebrated and gave back to our community. This year we wanted to bring back Free Fridays. This year we will be able to spread them out throughout the year."

The program in September was popular, as four Free Fridays attracted 1,000 people.

"Free Fridays will include special STEM and other hands-on activities," DeSmit said. "Physicians and staff from UPMC will help kick off the First Free Friday."

Physicians will talk about healthy eating on March 31. The physicians and staff members at UPMC will read a story for kids and then help facilitate activities talking about things like nutrition with fruits and vegetables. They'll also be involved in art projects and experiments, DeSmit said.

"Healthy communities, like Lewisburg, thrive and become destinations in which people desire to call home," said Patti Jackson-Gehris, president, UPMC in North Central Pa. "Partnerships like this one provide the opportunity to ensure community members have equal access to health information, education and services. We're able to extend our expertise outside the walls of our facilities and embed the resources in the community, taking health care to them rather than having them come to us."

Since opening five years ago, the museum has engaged with more than 120,000 children and their caregivers through both on- and offsite exhibits and programming.

For more information about this program, visit www.lewisburgchildrensmuseum.org.