NGO Funding Request


The recipient entity's full legal name:  LOUISIANA ART & SCIENCE MUSEUM, INC.

The recipient entity's physical address:
           100 RIVER ROAD SOUTH
BATON ROUGE, LA 70802


The recipient entity's mailing address (if different):
           100 RIVER ROAD SOUTH
BATON ROUGE, LA 70802


Type of Entity (for instance, a nonprofit corporation):  Non-Profit Corporation

If the entity is a corporation, list the names of the incorporators:
          Mr. Fred H. Bock
Dr. Gulnar K. Bosch
Mr. Jay R. Broussard
Mrs. J. F. Butterworth
Mrs. Camille E. Cazedessus
Mr. Frank Craig, Jr.
Mrs. W. Hamilton Crawford
Dr. John D. Greene
Mrs. Ernest Gueymard
Mrs. O. Caldwell Herget
Mr. Joseph S. Hutchison
Mr. A. R. Johnson, III
Mrs. J. K. Matens
Mrs. George H. Menefee
Mrs. James 0. Mullins
Mrs. William A. Nichols
Mrs. Minnie Perkins
Mrs. Thomas B. Pugh
Mr. W. E. Robinson 282
Dr. Sidney B. Smith
Mr. A. Hays Town
Mrs. Henry J. Voorhies
Mrs. Scallen E Walsh
Mrs. Wesley Wiksell
Mrs. Wilson H. Williams
Mrs. W. Floyd Williamson, Jr.
Mrs. H. B. Witter
Mrs. Sparkman H. Wyatt
Mr. H. Payne Breazeale
Dr. Lloyd V. Funchess
Mr. Ralph Hileman
Mrs. Mary Jane Kahao


The last four digits of the entity's taxpayer ID number:  2138

What is the dollar amount of the request?  $300,000

What type of request is this?  Capital Outlay Appropriation

Is this entity in good standing with the Secretary of State?  Yes

Provide the name of each member of the recipient entity's governing board and officers:
           Serena Meredith Pandos, President & Executive Director: 3729 Berkley Hill Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Elizabeth Tadie Canfield, Board of Trustees (OFFICER - Chair): 2360 Oleander St., Baton Rouge, LA 70806

Drew Tessier, Board of Trustees (OFFICER – Chair-Elect): 1121 Belvedere Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Melissa Dotson, Board of Trustees (OFFICER - Secretary): 15235 Copping Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70810

C. Alex Tucker, Board of Trustees (OFFICER - Treasurer): 2021 Terrace Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70806

Paula P. Davis, Board of Trustees (OFFICER - Member-at-Large): 2644 Fairway Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Eric Dexter, Board of Trustees (OFFICER - Member-at-Large): 574 Silverbill Ln., Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Scott Gaudin, Board of Trustees (OFFICER – Member-at-Large): 1854 Cedardale Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Seth Schilling, Board of Trustees (OFFICER – Member-at-Large): 10836 Gatewood Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Ty Bromell, Board of Trustees (OFFICER – Immediate Past Chair): 5321 Riverbend Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70820

Sarah Allen, Board of Trustees (Member): 17839 British Ln., Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Noah Boudreaux, Board of Trustees (Member): 13780 Quail Grove Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Tyler Gray, Board of Trustees (Member): 533 Woodstone Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Sarah Haneline, Board of Trustees (Member): 8404 River Rd., Geismar, LA 70734

Joshua Hollins, Board of Trustees (Member): 13467 Kings Court Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Dr. Louis Jeansonne, IV, Board of Trustees (Member): 3521 Torrance Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Parker Kilgore, Board of Trustees (Member): 4333 Broussard St., Baton Rouge, LA 70806

Heather LeBlanc, Board of Trustees (Member): 1244 Glenmore Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70806

Kristy McKearn, Board of Trustees (Member): 2912 McIlhenny Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Erin Nugent, Board of Trustees (Member): 2775 McConnell Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Julio Perez, Board of Trustees (Member): 531 Woodgate Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Mendi Robinson, Board of Trustees (Member): 9960 Meadow Lane, Denham Springs, LA 70726

Dr. Melissa Thompson, Board of Trustees (Member): 1213 Kenilworth Parkway, Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Shawn Usher, Board of Trustees (Member): 624 South Lakeshore Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Lauren Whatley, Board of Trustees (Member): 8507 Scarlett Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70806

Daryl Williams, Board of Trustees (Member): 12074 Rotterdam Ave., Geismar, LA 70734


Provide a summary of the project or program:
           The Louisiana Art & Science Museum (LASM) respectfully requests $300,000 in support to renovate the museum’s four main hands-on areas. Our goal is to complete these renovations by December 31, 2025, in time for the 100th anniversary of our historic building. The total project budget is $1,000,000, and we have raised and received pledges for approximately $700,000 to date. However, we still need to raise an additional $300,000 to complete the project. We are requesting $300,000 in funding from the state to help us achieve our goal.

When the renovations are complete, LASM's STEAM-based spaces will expand our current audience of Pre-K through 12th-grade students who currently visit the museum from over 40 parishes in Louisiana, 5 counties in Mississippi, and 1 county in Texas during school field trips annually. We anticipate that attendance will increase by 25%. These renovated spaces will be a huge attraction to educators regionally. In addition, the renovated spaces will attract multigenerational public visitors, with approximately 41% residing in EBR, 41% in other Louisiana parishes, and 18% out-of-state.

Renovations to these spaces will be designed to increase educational and workforce development in Louisiana by introducing children from throughout the state to engaging STEAM-based concepts and inspiring them to pursue educational and career paths in STEAM fields. Studies demonstrate that children who visit museums have increased standardized test scores and lower dropout rates than children who do not visit museums.

The renovations will also increase economic development by attracting new and expanded audiences to LASM. LASM's hands-on areas are currently outdated, with only superficial aesthetic improvements being made since the early 2000s. Studies demonstrate that museums added $562 million to Louisiana's economy in 2017.

The project will be completed in four phases, with the first phase scheduled to open in August 2023. The largest and most popular of LASM's hands-on galleries, the Science Station Gallery, will be transformed into a state-of-the-art gallery with a unique and engaging hands-on exhibit for each letter of STEAM. The other three phases will follow, with completion scheduled for December 31, 2025.

We are committed to completing this project on time and within budget, but we need your support to make it happen. We hope you will consider our request for $300,000 in funding to help us reach our goal and we greatly appreciate the extremely impactful support that LASM received from the state of Louisiana in 2022.


What is the budget relative to the project for which funding is requested?:
          Salaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Professional Services. . . $0
          Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . $0
          Major Repairs . . . . . . . $0
          Operating Services. . . . $0
          Other Charges. . . . . . . $300,000

Does your organization have any outstanding audit issues or findings?  No

If 'Yes' is your organization working with the appropriate governmental agencies to resolve those issues or findings?
          Not Applicable

What is the entity's public purpose, sought to be achieved through the use of state monies?
          The primary public purpose of this project is to enhance the Louisiana Art & Science Museum’s educational, cultural, and economic impact by providing much-needed capital improvements to the museum’s 4 hands-on spaces. Renovations to these spaces are anticipated to increase local, tourist, and school group visitation to the museum by 25%.

The new hands-on spaces will be designed to introduce multigenerational visitors to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics)-based concepts and ideas, making STEAM-based education engaging, entertaining, accessible, and meaningful. Visitors to the hands-on spaces will be inspired to think critically, make connections, work collaboratively, and consider educational and career pathways in STEAM fields.

LASM's mission is: "We seek to enhance the understanding and appreciation of art and science for general audiences and students by presenting unique, educational and entertaining experiences that encourage discovery, inspire creativity, and foster the pursuit of knowledge."

LASM's vision is: "We envision a community of lifelong explorers inspired by art and science."

LASM's big idea is: "Art and Science shape and inform each other, our lives, and the world."


What are the goals and objectives for achieving such purpose?
          GOAL 1: Renovate LASM’s 4 main hands-on spaces (Science Station Gallery, Discovery Depot Gallery, The Science Lab, and Discovery Depot Workshop) by December 31, 2025, as 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the construction of LASM’s historic building.

Objective 1A: Phase 1 - Renovate Science Station Gallery into “The Seed Gallery” by September 2023, with a budget of $500,000. (IN PROGRESS)

Objective 1B: Phase 2 - Renovate The Science Lab by Q2 2024, with a budget of $100,000. (IN PLANNING STAGES)

Objective 1C: Phase 3 - Renovate Discovery Depot Workshop by Q4 2024, with a budget of $150,000. (IN PLANNING STAGES)

Objective 1D: Phase 4 - Renovate Discovery Depot Gallery by Q4 2025, with a budget of $250,000. (IN PLANNING STAGES)

GOAL 2: Increase awareness of and visitation to LASM and its hands-on areas by both the public visitors and K-12 school group audiences, bolstering Louisiana’s economic, cultural, and educational development, with a goal of increasing visitation by 25% once renovations are completed.

Objective 2A: Enhance and modernize the overall visitor experience at LASM by renovating the museum’s 4 main hands-on spaces, which are currently outdated and have only been superficially upgraded since the early 2000s. (IN PROGRESS)

Objective 2B: Plan and implement strategic marketing campaign targeting multigenerational audiences throughout the region to advertise the newly-renovated areas to public visitors. (PLANNING STAGES)

Objective 2C: Plan and implement strategic marketing campaign targeting K-12 educators throughout the region to advertise the newly-renovated areas to school groups. (PLANNING STAGES)

GOAL 3: Develop local workforce by introducing children to STEAM-based concepts and careers through engagement with LASM’s newly-renovated hands-on areas. (PLANNING STAGES)

Objective 3A: Promote the hands-on areas, which create connections between hands-on exhibits and relevant career and educational pathways in STEAM fields, to regional educators and school administrators with a focus on attracting increased visitation from upper elementary, middle school, and high school grades. (PLANNING STAGES)

Objective 3B: Partner with workforce-development focused corporations that sponsor “The Seed” to plan and implement career-related public programming held within the new hands-on areas. (PLANNING STAGES)


What is the proposed length of time estimated by the entity to accomplish the purpose?
           Renovations are scheduled to be completed by December 31, 2025, so approximately 2.5 years from April 27, 2023.

If any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official is an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the recipient entity who receives compensation or holds any ownership interest therein:
     (a) If an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of the official and the office held by such person:
                 Paula P. Davis is a State Representative for the Louisiana House of Representatives, representing District 69. Davis serves as an officer on LASM's Board of Trustees (Member-at-Large).

Home Address: 2644 Fairway Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70809

District Office Address: 7902 Wrenwood Blvd., Suite D., Baton Rouge, LA 70809

    
     (b) If an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of such person; the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related; and the nature of the relationship:
                 N/A

     (c) The percentage of the official's or immediate family member's ownership interest in the recipient entity, if any:
                 0

     (d) The position, if any, held by the official or immediate family member in the recipient entity:
                  Paula P. Davis, Louisiana House of Representatives District 69, serves as an officer on LASM's Board of Trustees (Member-at-Large).

If the recipient entity has a contract with any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official or with the state or any political subdivision of the state:
(a) If the contract is with an elected or appointed state official, provide the name and address of the official and the office held by such person: 
               N/A

(b) If the contract is with an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official:
          Provide the name and address of such person:
               N/A

          Provide the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related:
                N/A

          What is the nature of the relationship?  N/A

(c) If the contract is with the state or a political subdivision of the state, provide the name and address of the state entity or political subdivision of the state:
                 N/A

(d) The nature of the contract, including a description of the goods or services provided or to be provided pursuant to the contract:
               N/A


Contact Information
name:  Frances Lee 
                                       address:  Office:
100 SOUTH RIVER RD.
BATON ROUGE, LA 70802

Home:
3642 CAPITAL HEIGHTS AVE.
BATON ROUGE, LA 70802

                                       phone:  2253445272
                                       fax:  2253449477
                                       e-mail:  flee@lasm.org
                                       relationship to entity:  Employee - Development Director