Marbles Kids Museum

MARBLES SPARKS IMAGINATION, DISCOVERY, AND LEARNING THROUGH PLAY.

PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY2020-2021 (FY21) THE MARBLES MISSION IS TO SPARK IMAGINATION, DISCOVERY, AND LEARNING THROUGH PLAY. IN SUPPORT OF OUR MISSION, MARBLES DELIVERS POWERFUL PLAY EXPERIENCES ALIGNED WITH FIVE CORE CONTENT INITIATIVES: READY SET LEARN, BE HEALTHY BE ACTIVE, CREATE INNOVATE, EXPLORE EXPERIMENT, AND CONNECT. CONTENT IS DELIVERED THROUGH INNOVATIVE AND INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, FIELD TRIPS, CAMPS, SPECIAL ACCESS PROGRAMS AND GIANT SCREEN IMAX FILMS. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)FROM SEPTEMBER 16, 2020, THROUGH JUNE 30, 2021, MARBLES KIDS MUSEUM SERVED ALMOST 129,000 VISITORS. MARBLES MUSEUM AND THEATER WAS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC BETWEEN MARCH 15, 2020, AND SEPTEMBER 15, 2020, TO COMPLY WITH GOVERNMENTAL DIRECTIVES TO CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. WHEN MARBLES REOPENED TO THE PUBLIC ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2020, IT WAS AT A REDUCED CAPACITY AND WITH LIMITED HOURS OF OPERATION.CAMP MARBLES OPERATED UNDER A LIMITED CAPACITY, HIGHER-COST MODEL IN FY21, ENGAGING MORE THAN 1,500 KIDS IN FUN, INTERACTIVE LEARNING AND PLAY THROUGH CREATING, BUILDING AND EXPERIMENTING. MARBLES FULL CIRCLE ACCESS AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS PROVIDED OVER 11,400 FREE AND REDUCED RATE MUSEUM VISITS IN FY21 FOR TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, ENSURING ALL CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO MARBLES, DESPITE FINANCIAL OR PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS. MARBLES FULL CIRCLE PROGRAMS INCLUDE MUSEUM ACCESS FOR AT-RISK TITLE I AND PRESCHOOL GROUPS, EXTENDED HOURS FOR WORKING FAMILIES, FREE EVENTS FOR RISING KINDERGARTENERS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND FREE EVENTS FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. FY21 WAS CHALLENGING FOR MARBLES AFTER CLOSING TO THE PUBLIC FOR 6 MONTHS BETWEEN MARCH 15, 2020 AND SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WHICH SEVERELY RESTRICTED OUR ABILITY TO CONDUCT NORMAL REVENUE-GENERATING BUSINESS OPERATIONS. IN RESPONSE TO THE ABRUPT DROP IN REVENUE, MARBLES SWIFTLY ENACTED STRATEGIES TO CONTAIN COSTS, INCLUDING WORKFORCE REDUCTION AND OTHER COST CONTROLS. IT WAS CRITICAL TO MAINTAIN A CORE TEAM TO NAVIGATE THE PANDEMIC AND PREPARE FOR A STRONG RECOVERY AS WELL AS TO CONTINUE SERVING AND SUPPORTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THROUGH NEW, VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING. WHILE MUSEUM STAFF SUCCESSFULLY PIVOTED TO PRODUCE AND DELIVER ITS PROGRAMS VIRTUALLY, ONLINE PROGRAMMING DID NOT GENERATE REVENUE. THE AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL PANDEMIC RELIEF FUNDS WAS CRITICAL DURING THIS PERIOD. AS PART OF THE FEDERAL CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF AND ECONOMIC SECURITY (CARES) ACT, MARBLES APPLIED FOR ASSISTANCE UNDER THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION'S (SBA) PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM (PPP) ROUNDS ONE AND TWO, THE SBA'S ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER LOAN (EIDL), THE EMPLOYER RETENTION CREDIT (ERC), AND DEFERRAL OF THE EMPLOYER PORTION OF SOCIAL SECURITY TAX. THE PPP PROGRAM PROVIDES SMALL BUSINESSES AND ELIGIBLE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WITH FUNDS TO PAY UP TO TWENTY-FOUR WEEKS OF PAYROLL COSTS INCLUDING BENEFITS. MARBLES RECEIVED $801,410 IN PPP ROUND ONE FUNDS IN APRIL 2020 THROUGH AN SBA APPROVED LENDER AND $924,837 IN PPP ROUND TWO FUNDS IN MARCH 2021. THE CARES ACT CONTAINS PROVISIONS TO APPLY FOR FORGIVENESS OF PPP LOANS, EITHER COMPLETELY OR PARTIALLY. MARBLES RECEIVED 100% FORGIVENESS OF ROUND ONE AND ROUND TWO PPP LOANS IN AUGUST 2021 AND JANUARY 2022, RESPECTIVELY. THE EIDL PROGRAM PROVIDES SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, INCLUDING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, WITH FUNDS TO MEET FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS AND OPERATING EXPENSES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN MET HAD THE PANDEMIC NOT OCCURRED. MARBLES RECEIVED A $10,000 GRANT AND $150,000 IN LOAN PROCEEDS IN JUNE 2020 THROUGH THE EIDL PROGRAM.