World Awareness Children's Museum

History and Mission:

The World Awareness Children’s Museum (WACM) originated as the International Arts & Culture Association (IACA) in 1985 with the vision of collecting and sharing international youth art to promote positive images of diverse cultures.  IACA augmented this unique collection of children’s art with educational artifacts from around the world and also organized the annual International Festival of the Adirondacks from 1985 to 1995.

To preserve this growing prestigious collection, the Board of Regents of the New York State Department of Education granted a charter to the World Awareness Children’s Museum in 1995.  We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization funded by private individuals, membership, museum admissions, fundraisers, government grants, and donations from foundations and corporations.

Today, the museum includes four components seeking to advance the mission:

To inspire curiosity and foster understanding and appreciation of worldwide cultural diversity.