MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Milwaukee Public Museum has started its annual initiative, Summer Connections, providing 450 K-8 grade students in Milwaukee with free educational programming and museum access.

According to a Wednesday, July 12 press release, this outreach represents the highest level of engagement since the inception of the program over a decade ago.

MPM Public Programs Coordinator, Erin Goff noted, "Summer Connections is meant to build upon itself," emphasizing the layered approach towards education that involves MPM educators leading workshops, exploratory museum visits, and a free year-long MPM family membership for participants.

The privately funded grant program aims to serve under-resourced communities, in partnership with local organizations like the Neighborhood House of Milwaukee and Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, to ensure broader access to the museum's resources.

Twenty Summer Connections outreach visits and field trips are planned over the next two months.

More information can be found by visiting the museum online here.