Our
Partners

The Children's Museum of South Dakota is devoted to the ideas of learning through play and the connection between discovery and learning.

It's our mission to spark learning through imagination, creativity and discovery. By collaborating with other community organizations, we are strengthening our mission to better serve children.

South Dakota Art Museum

Since 1970, The South Dakota Art Museum (SDAM) has been a place for people to enjoy the artistic legacy of South Dakota in all its diversity. Permanent galleries, changing exhibitions, publications, artist talks, and workshops provide both children and adults with a variety of opportunities to learn about art. The museum’s Kid’s Sensation Station offers hands-on activities as a creative outlet for young artists. SDAM has become a leader in Visual Thinking Strategies, a national visual arts program for elementary school students that uses art to teach thinking, communication skills, and visual literacy.   

The South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum

The South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum invites visitors to explore the important role of agriculture in South Dakota’s past, present, and future. Through exhibits and programs, children and adults learn about the Dakota prairie, agricultural technology and rural life. It serves as a resource for area schools to educate students about the rich South Dakota heritage. 

Brookings Arts Council

For more than 35 years, the Brookings Arts Council (BAC) has pursued its mission of encouraging community connections through the arts by providing a supportive environment for awareness, appreciation, and participation. Housed in the Community Cultural Center across from the Children's Museum of South Dakota, the BAC offers exhibits and educational programs for children and adults. The BAC also provides a platform for young artists through exhibitions of work by students from kindergarten through high school.

Brookings Public Library

The Brookings Public Library provides materials and information contributing to the education, recreation, and quality of life for the community. The Library offers a variety of exhibits and programs for children and young adults that promote early reading and literacy skills.   

Northern Plains Institute for the Study of Informal Learning

The Children's Museum of South Dakota has established a unique partnership with the Northern Plains Institute for the Study of Informal Learning on the campus of South Dakota State University. The Institute brings together a diverse group of researchers to study Informal Learning in the region. 

Through its research, The Institute supports Informal Learning Organizations such as museums, science centers, zoos and Universities in developing and maintaining effective learning opportunities for people of the region. The Children's Museum of South Dakota has invited The Institute to be a part of our museum environment to study the relation of informal learning in families and groups, learning through play, the effectiveness of museum environments to support informal learning, and the development of a sense of place through museum experiences. The knowledge gained in this research will be shared at the local, regional, national and international levels.