Hubbard Foundation advances State Museum's outreach and service

            The University of Nebraska State Museum has received a major gift from the Claire M. Hubbard Foundation to provide funding to establish a volunteer program, launch a new distance learning program and begin a program to help underserved populations access the museum.

            Dr. Anne M. Hubbard, on behalf of the Claire M. Hubbard Foundation, made a gift of $150,000 to the University of Nebraska Foundation to establish the Claire M. Hubbard Museum Fund for Excellence to support the museum. The museum may receive an additional $100,000 from the Hubbard Foundation once program benchmarks are achieved.

            "Anne Hubbard cares deeply about providing educational opportunities to all children," said Priscilla Grew, director of the State Museum. "Anne volunteers her own time to help young people, and with this innovative gift, she will make it possible for us to reach children and youth who otherwise might miss out on science education programming from the museum."

            Here’s how the fund will support the museum:

            Funds will be used to establish a volunteer program and will enable the museum to recruit a new full-time coordinator to oversee volunteer opportunities.

            Funds will enable the museum to offer video conferencing to places beyond the museum by acquiring necessary technology equipment as well as recruiting a part-time museum educator to help create and deliver interactive programming to schools and agencies.

            Funds are also designated to help increase access to the museum by subsidizing admission fees for Nebraska elementary, middle and high schools with a higher percentage of students whose families may not be able to afford to visit the museum.

            Education Coordinator Kathy French said video conferencing enables the museum to use technology to extend its audience, increase scientific literacy and offer classroom enrichment activities throughout the state.

            "Video conferencing allows K-12 classes unable to travel to the museum to virtually explore galleries, interact with museum educators and scientists, and enrich their classroom activities with the hands-on discoveries provided by the museum," French said. "Other opportunities include virtual visits and interaction with the museum's extensive research collections, the ability to learn from scientists both in the field and the lab, and the option to provide professional development for educators who wish to increase their own scientific literacy."

            The Hubbard gift also provides support for the University of Nebraska's Campaign for Nebraska: Unlimited Possibilities, a fundraising initiative that concludes at the end of next year.

            Dr. Anne M. Hubbard of Omaha is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Medical Center and leads the Claire M. Hubbard Foundation, established by her mother's estate.

            Claire Watson Hubbard was a Boston native and graduated from Regis College in Massachusetts. During World War II, she was a dietitian for the Army and served four years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She met Nebraska native and physician Theodore "Ted" F. Hubbard in Washington, D.C., and they married in 1950. Ted Hubbard was a graduate of the University of Nebraska where he received a bachelor's degree and then a doctor of medicine in 1946. He completed an internship and served two years in the Army, stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

            The Hubbards moved to Omaha in 1953 and raised two children: Anne and Theodore Jr. Ted Hubbard became a pioneer in the field of cardiology and dedicated his career to the people of Nebraska and western Iowa. He died in 1995, and Claire died in 2011. They established charitable family foundations through their estates to continue their philanthropic ambitions.

            The Hubbard family has generously supported the University of Nebraska over the years. Its contributions have benefited the University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska State Museum and its branch museum at Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park, and University of Nebraska at Omaha. The family has also provided support to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, among other Nebraska organizations.

            The University of Nebraska Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization raising private gifts to support the University of Nebraska for more than 77 years. In 2013, donors provided the university with $236.7 million for scholarships, medical and other research, academic programs, faculty support and facilities. Campaign for Nebraska has raised more than $1.5 billion for the university and concludes Dec. 31, 2014. For more information, visit http://campaignfornebraska.org.

Writer: Robb Crouch