ETSU receives nearly $100,000 for the 'Tennessee Rural Impact Project'

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Dec. 3, 2021) – East Tennessee State University received nearly $100,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) as a sub-awardee, led by faculty member Dr. Alissa A. Lange, who is an associate professor with the Department of Early Childhood Education and director of the Early Childhood STEM Lab.

The grant is part of the IMLS 2021 National Leadership Grants for Museums program, which aims to support projects that address the need to strengthen museum services for the American public. The grant in total awarded $941,787 in funding for a coalition led by the Discovery Center in Murfreesboro to promote and invest in science education, particularly in rural communities, that is known as the Tennessee Rural Impact Project (TRIP). Lange and her team are the lead evaluators.

TRIP seeks to further foster and maintain STEM education at the K-2 level. The project’s aim is to support science and literacy in rural communities, school districts and families by implementing a collaborative initiative that develops relationships between museums across the state to better utilize their resources.

“We view our work to support communities in this partnership through a strengths-based lens,” said Lange. “That is, we focus on the strengths and assets that everyone brings to the table, rather than their problems or challenges. The goal is to expand an innovative statewide collaboration between science museums that could be used as a model nationally.”

For more information about how ETSU is working to help expand a state-wide museum alliance, contact Alissa Lange at langea@etsu.edu or 423-439-7322.

###

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. The IMLS advances, supports, and empowers America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Its vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit http://www.imls.gov and follow the IMLS on Facebook and Twitter.