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Press Release
McCormick Foundation To Take Civic Education and Freedom Message On the Road
Students Will Learn Closer to Home Through Extensive Outreach Programs. Freedom Museum Will Leave Michigan Avenue Location March 1, 2009. Foundation Offices to Move to New Location
Contact: Pattie Overstreet-Miller
312 222 3587
Contact: Andrea Hird
312 222 3785
Contact: Abby Taylor
312 222 3188
Chicago, Feb. 6, 2009
The McCormick Foundation today announced it is taking the educational and inspirational message of its Freedom Museum on the road to reach more Illinois students and citizens of all ages. Following President Barack Obama’s historic inauguration and the unprecedented involvement of young people in the recent election, the McCormick Foundation Mobile Museum will begin carrying the freedom message to schools and communities throughout Chicagoland. Plans are to offer an educational experience dedicated exclusively to the struggle for freedom and the importance of the First Amendment—encouraging students to become more actively engaged citizens throughout their lifetime.
The outreach initiative will replace the Museum’s current physical location on Michigan Avenue. Over the last three years, the Freedom Museum has welcomed thousands of visitors through its doors, including scores of educators. Going forward, the McCormick Foundation and its Freedom Museum hope to actively engage more citizens and students in the dialogue regarding freedom and the First Amendment.
“The McCormick Foundation is deeply committed to educating citizens about the need to understand and protect their freedoms,” said David L. Grange, president and chief executive officer, McCormick Foundation. “Because young people increasingly realize they can make a difference, we believe that this is an ideal time to reach beyond our Michigan Avenue location to bring this message directly to schools.”
Through the Freedom Museum’s extensive outreach programs, the McCormick Foundation’s powerful message can be taken directly to the classroom. The Foundation hopes that by bringing learning to students, they will be inspired to make a lifelong commitment to civic engagement. In addition, the initiative will allow the Freedom Museum to provide valuable resources to educators, including temporary exhibits, additional teacher seminars, a summer institute and new lesson plans on timely topics. The new Mobile Museum and some of the exhibits will be housed on a temporary basis at Robert R. McCormick’s former estate at Cantigny Park so that visitors to the Park’s museums and events can benefit as well. Current public programs offered by the Museum, such as Table of Nations and Smart Mouth, will continue.
In addition to the transition of the Freedom Museum, the McCormick Foundation will be moving its Chicago offices from its current location in the Tribune Tower. The decision has been made to take advantage of current market conditions and because of the possibility the Tribune Tower may be converted to other uses.
“As the world around us continues to change, we intend to adapt and grow so that we can become even better at serving our communities and our grantees,” said Grange.
For more information about the Freedom Museum, log onto
www.FreedomMuseum.US or the McCormick Foundation at
www.McCormickFoundation.org.
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