Annual Appeal 2021

Annual Appeal 2021: Gearing Up

Gearing up
For 2022

One year ago, the future of the Eli Whitney Museum & Workshop was uncertain. With great sadness, we closed our doors to the public, unsure when they would reopen. As our Director Bill Brown and Principal Designer Sally Hill retired, one chapter ended and another began.

We knew that teachers needed our help. Students needed learning experiences beyond their computer screens.

There was a call to action. We retooled our programs to be taught online. We re-envisioned our summer camps to take place outdoors on our historic campus using strict safety protocols. And recently, we opened our doors to the public.

The community believed in our mission through a challenging time. We redesigned some of our most popular projects. With support from the Anni and Josef Albers Foundation, we placed projects in the hands of every student at King-Robinson Magnet School in New Haven.

We planned a summer of outdoor workshops knowing that the pandemic still posed many uncertainties. Nature became our classroom. We observed our world from new distances. We slowed down and stayed present.

539 Unique Campers
17 Educators (9 Guest Educators)
80 Apprentices
40 Apprentices per day on average
143 Chairs and Stools Built
1,200 Face Masks Used
408 Boats Made
0 COVID cases

What’s next? Our workshop is adapting to make our materials, tools, and models more accessible. A new laser-cutter will be available to the public on weekend hours for a behind-the-scenes look at what we do.

Your donation to the Annual Fund supports our ability to adapt as we invest and build in the greater community.

Funding Distribution

Funding Distribution

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How your generosity counts

15% – The Design Fund
Supports the development of new and refinement of old designs. We design to know ourselves. We design to know our neighbors. We design to know the world.

25% – The Apprentice Fund
Supports training and development. Apprentices start in 8th grade and stay through high school. Eighty-plus apprentices learn by doing. They actively participate in production, design, maintenance, and teaching. They are role models who leave our program as leaders.

48% – The Open Workshop Fund
Supports those in need. Our programs should be accessible to all. Your support eliminates or reduces the cost to those in need.

12% – The Jack Viele Fund
Supports any child who has faced hardship through any type of illness, distress, or misfortune. Apprentice leaders show empathy and inspiration that move young explorers brightly through difficult times.

Eli Whitney Museum