Annual Appeal 2022

Eli Whitney Museum

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Building Bridges
For 2023


At the Eli Whitney Museum, 2022 has been a year of bridging gaps and forging community connections. Over the summer, a local bridge engineer visited one of our camps. Campers learned how bridges are constructed, especially how materials and history can inform the design. When the East Rock Road Bridge reopened in 2015, new and old components were combined. The historical appearance of the bridge was prioritized, with new structures reinforcing its safety. The Eli Whitney Museum is a historic site with a contemporary emphasis on innovation.


This year, we buttressed our relationships with CPEN, IRIS, the New Haven Museum, the New Haven Free Public Library, Preservation Connecticut, and the Yale-China Association, among others. Participating in events and programming beyond our campus has introduced our work to more members of the community, clearing a pathway for more to feel welcomed into our space.

Over the past year:

  • We served over 14,000 children through school programs.
  • 631 individuals attended summer camps from 96 zip codes.
  • We employed 94 apprentices from 26 zip codes.

What’s next? Our workshop continues to make our materials, tools, and models more accessible. New upgrades to our ceramics workshop will provide more opportunities for apprentices to learn techniques in ceramic fabrication.

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

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.


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