Tony Collins, President of Clarkson Univeristy, and his wife Karen enjoy the interactive RobotZone. At a North Country Children's Museum event. The organization was recently awarded $100,000 by an anonymous donor.

POTSDAM -- The North Country Children’s Museum (NCCM) has received a $100,000 gift from an anonymous donor.

NCCM began in 2011 with Museum Without Walls, a travelling exhibit that features a variety of hands-on arts and science programs designed for children of all ages.

By providing interactive experiences that support life-long learning, family collaboration and overall success, Museums Without Walls strives to be an educational resource for the community.

“NCCM is our area’s first cultural institution geared towards children and families and we are so pleased to provide this support. A children’s museum is such a magical place for people of all ages. We hope our contribution encourages others to support this important project for the North Country," said the donor who prefers to remain anonymous at this time.

With programming designed to extend lessons presented in the traditional classroom, NCCM is planning to provide interactive workshops on-site at selected North Country schools during the 2013-14 school year.

“Feedback supports our school outreach programs as a natural next step. It is an exciting time of growth and one that we believe will be transformational to not only our community but to the cultural and educational landscape of the entire region.” said Linda Acker, of the NCCM Board of Directors.

Museum Without Walls travels throughout the community with weekly programs delivered at the University Bookstore, 39 Market St. The interactive workshops will continue until the official opening of NCCM in 2015.

Designed as a learning lab for visitors and faculty across the four local campuses in education, science and the humanities, NCCM will feature 10 permanent exhibition spaces with interactive experiences that encourage creativity, inquiry, and learning through active participation.

Programming will include field trip and outreach school programs, interactive learning camps, and a daily after-school enrichment series will be integral components. NCCM is currently conducting a multi-tiered funding campaign to support general operating and program development for Museum Without Walls as well as securing capital dollars for its future permanent home.

A celebration on the receipt of the grant was hosted recently by Ning Gao at the Emerald, a boutique bed & breakfast at 20 Spring St.

The event was coordinated by Melissa Wagner Telford with the generosity of Fonda Photography, Red Button Bakery and High Peaks Winery.

The evening featured NCCM’s traveling exhibit Robot Zone, an interactive robotics-based experience created in partnership with Dr. James Carroll and the Clarkson School of Engineering. Through hands-on participation, guests experienced the many benefits delivered through interactive learning.

For additional general information, please visit www.northcountrychildrensmuseum.org.