Kids Discovery Factory Receives $120,545 Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.

Grant funding will support staff professional development, expanded STEAM experiences, and future exhibit installation.

(Batesville, Ind.) - Kids Discovery Factory received $120,545 from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support capacity-building, programming growth, and capital projects.

The grant was awarded through a competitive application process supported by Lilly Endowment’s Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana initiative. The aim of the initiative is to help youth-serving organizations working throughout Indiana improve their abilities to promote the academic, physical and social well-being of young people, ages five through 18.

Grant funding will support staff professional development, expanded STEAM experiences for kids 5 to 18 years old, and future exhibit installation. Over the next three years, Kids Discovery Factory will transition existing programs to better meet the needs of the community and reflect the growth of the organization. This includes transition-planning and revitalization of core existing programs during upcoming construction and renovation, enabling Kids Discovery Factory to strategically explore new opportunities for after school classes, scout programs, sensory-friendly hours, Girls in STEM programs, and more. Grant funding will also assist in the installation of an innovation and invention focused exhibit that will be central to visitor experience and field trip programming.

“Kids Discovery Factory is experiencing tremendous growth,” said Emili Uden, Executive Director of Kids Discovery Factory. “Our outreach capabilities have skyrocketed, and we are eager to begin expanding our physical footprint. The Strengthening Youth Programs Grant from Lilly Endowment allows us to strategically move our programming forward while we navigate needed construction and renovation of our building in downtown Batesville. Having the support to evolve our key programs and explore new program opportunities positions us for success now and in the future.”

Lilly Endowment launched the Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana Initiative in 2022 with an invitational round of grants to nine national youth-serving organizations to help them expand and enhance the work of their Indiana affiliates or chapters. Kids Discovery Factory is one of 187 organizations receiving grants through the initiative in 2023.

“Indiana’s youth-serving organizations are crucial to the healthy development of children and youth across the state,’ said Ted Maple, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education. “The challenges these organizations have faced in meeting the needs of young people in recent years have made their work increasingly difficult. Lilly Endowment is pleased to support their efforts to strengthen programs and serve more youth more effectively.”