For nearly 40 years, The Louisiana Children’s Museum (LCM) has educated and inspired generations of New Orleanians with their interactive, playful exhibits. Now in their 8.5-acre location in City Park, the museum is gearing up for an even brighter future. Avenue spoke with President and CEO Tifferney White, whose longtime career in the museum field led her to New Orleans in 2023. Under her leadership, LCM received a $2.5 million grant from the Lilly Endowment earlier this year in support of their Character Connects Us Program.
When she first stepped into the role as President and CEO, White spoke with nonprofit and school leaders, as well as local families, to get a sense of the community’s needs from the museum. One issue she heard many times: people felt like their children were aging out of the museum. This was something she had not encountered in other cities. In time, White realized that New Orleans lacks a science center. In general, a children’s museum caters to the younger end of the spectrum, while the science center picks them up around ages 9 or 10 and takes them through high school. White wanted to address this gap to make the LCM a place where older children can learn, too.
White knew that other organizations were working with teens and tweens in a meaningful way, so she launched a prototype program with some high school students last year. She facilitated a curriculum and had them mentor the younger children, to great success.
“These younger children looked at [the teens] like they were rock stars, and they were even more effective with some of the facilitation than we were as adults,” said White. “The children were looking at them as their big brothers or big sisters, and they wanted to hang on their every word, and they were able to get concepts across in a way that we felt was valuable.”
Utilizing this near-peer model, the LCM team put the program in front of the Lilly Endowment, and they decided to invest in that vision. Now the team works with teenaged students in a curriculum where they work on character development and building life skills. For the other half of the funding, the team is building an exhibition that caters to the tween-aged children. It will also focus on character education and development, as well as activities that lean into New Orleans’ identity as a neighborly, community-focused city. This grant, the largest award the museum has received in its history not related to capital, is a huge success for the LCM team.
As White explained, for an entity like the LCM to continue to thrive, they need support. They have to raise funds every year to keep the museum running. Although some of what they earn through ticket sales, memberships, and event rentals helps provide revenue, the organization faces a gap. The team wants to ensure all children have access to the museum, including those who may not have the means to pay admission. For instance, the museum offers a Kindergarten Kickoff event every year at no cost to parents and upcoming Kindergarteners, and these events require funding.
It takes continual community involvement to keep the museum running, and White is also quick to praise her team for their support as well. “I thank all the leaders that came before me, from our board and from leadership in the organization, because without them I would not be able to stand here and do this great work that we are doing now,” said White. “We know that we have an amazing asset here, and we want to make sure that lasts for years and years to come. That’s what we want our future to look like.” Helping the children of New Orleans reach their full potential – through play-based learning – is the museum’s goal.
Get Involved
Consider donating to the museum, attending an event, or taking your family out for a day of play in their massive 56,000 square foot facility. Holding events at the museum is another way to support their goals. Museum spaces are available for rent, and they work well for parties, birthday celebrations, and even weddings. In addition, the museum hosts many events throughout the year, with their largest fundraising gala event set to occur on October 25, 2025. Connect on social media to keep up with their many programs and events throughout the year.
Contact
lcm.org
@LouisianaKids
City Park New Orleans, 15 Henry Thomas Drive, New Orleans, LA 70124
