SFCM News:

SANTA FE — The Santa Fe Children’s Museum (SFCM) is excited to announce that it has received a $5,000 grant from the Santa Fe Downtown Kiwanis Foundation funded through the net proceeds of Will Shuster’s Annual Burning of Zozobra® event. This generous support expanded the Museum’s Access for All Initiative, increasing free access to hands-on learning experiences for families living in Southside Santa Fe.

Grant funds supported the creation of Zozo Passes—branded, one-time-use day passes that provide all-day Museum admission for up to six individuals. Each pass is valued at $60 and allows families to explore more than 30 interactive exhibits and the Museum’s acre-plus outdoor playscape, The Backyard. Despite receiving partial funding, SFCM prioritizes community access and has distributed 100 Zozo Passes, ensuring immediate benefit to families most in need.

Zozo Passes were distributed through partnerships with Sweeney Elementary School, César Chávez Elementary School, Nina Otero Community School, and the YMCA of Central New Mexico. Collectively, this initiative is expected to benefit up to 600 individuals, including children and caregivers from Santa Fe Districts 3 and 4.

“Zozo Passes remove financial barriers that often prevent families from experiencing the joy and educational value of the Museum,” said Hannah Hausman, Executive Director of the Santa Fe Children’s Museum. “We are deeply grateful to the Santa Fe Downtown Kiwanis Foundation for investing in children and families and helping us ensure that access to learning through play is not determined by income.”

Through inquiry-based, child-led experiences, SFCM introduces children to STEAM concepts via weekly programs such as Seeds and Sprouts, Fine Art Friday, and Science Saturday, as well as culturally rooted programming connected to New Mexico traditions like Zozobra®. Zozo Passes help connect families to both educational opportunity and the unique cultural fabric of Santa Fe.

This initiative builds on SFCM’s longstanding commitment to equity and access. Over the past five years, the Museum has expanded outreach through initiatives including Thursdays Are Yours (free weekly admission from 4–6 p.m.), reduced admission for EBT and essential workers, scholarships for seasonal camps, and the Van of Enchantment Mobile Museum, which brings programming directly to rural and Tribal communities across Northern New Mexico.

For more information about the Access for All initiative or to support the Santa Fe Children’s Museum, please visit www.santafechildrensmuseum.org.