Read Our FY22 Annual Report

What an extraordinary year we’ve had at Port Discovery Children’s Museum!

I am so grateful for all that the Museum team and I have survived and thrived in this fiscal year. So much has happened since I became President of Port Discovery in October 2021 – it has truly been a learning journey that has oriented the Museum for focused growth.

Preparing our FY22 Annual Report has been a wonderful opportunity to review our work of the past year, applaud our successes, as well as reflect on lessons learned. Museum staff and I spent FY2022 strengthening Port Discovery’s core mission of connecting children and  families to opportunities for purposeful play and learning within our walls and beyond. This mission played out in quantity and quality with new programming, targeted partnerships, and investment in essential access initiatives – all while carefully navigating health metrics, reopening protocols, and listening to our visitors in order to provide the safest and most fulfilling experience at the Museum.

In this Annual Report,  you will read about the exciting and meaningful work of the past twelve months, including:

• The launch of Two Generations At Play and about the cohorts of Fathers at Play and Parent at Play, both of which were designed for parents of young children to have time together to learn bonding strategies, network, and build support systems;
• Strengthened partnerships with the City of Baltimore Health Department and Johns Hopkins to host on-site vaccine clinics;
• And celebrating the results of the PlayMakers access program on its one year anniversary.

The Museum’s priority for FY22 was clear – to support the social-emotional health of and fill in the learning gaps for families as we navigated community reopening. We were sure of our direction as we saw visitors steadily coming back to the museum throughout 2022. What a joy it was to see our walls slowly fill with laughter, wonder, learning, and excitement as more and more families came to Port Discovery, knowing it was a trusted, safe space. While there were some expected dips and challenges during the winter, the spring and summer brought sunnier skies and renewed enthusiasm for both visitors and staff.

With foundational programming in place and strengthening visitor data, Port Discovery is charting a hope-filled and purposeful future. We are so lucky to have a robust constellation of partners, supporters, and advocates – like you! – who are equally committed to Port Discovery’s mission of serving children and families. We hope that this Annual Report gives you as much optimism as it does us.

With gratitude,

Carter Arnot Polakoff
President & CEO, Port Discovery Children’s Museum