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The Forir Education Program
The Dream
The Forir Education Program was established in 2023 in honor of the institute's founder and director Matt Forir. Matt grew up attending impoverished inner-city Title I schools in Jennings, Missouri. At an early age, he realized education was his best way out of poverty. He began educating himself in an area he was most passionate about, paleontology.
Throughout his life, Matt has been determined to help kids like him find hope for a better life through education. His dream came true in 2004 when the Missouri Institute of Natural Science was established. Since then, MINS has helped educate thousands of students through its field trip program.
The Mission
The Forir Education Program provides educational opportunities to students in Title I schools by subsidizing the cost of attending field trips to the Missouri Institute of Natural Science.
For schools in the surrounding area, the bus fee to send 50 kids on a local field trip averages $170. Since Title I schools enroll a high number of students from economically challenged homes, many of the students simply cannot afford the cost. The program's goal is to give those children an opportunity they may not have otherwise.
How to Apply
Become a Donor
The Missouri Institute is a 501(c) non-profit that relies on donations and volunteers to keep the museum running and free to the public. The Forir Education Program is an important way we can give back to the community, but we need your help to do so.
If you or your organization would like to become a donor to the Forir Education Program, simply click the Donate button below. Donors may choose the amount they would like to contribute. If they wish, they can specify a Title I school that will receive their donation. All donations are tax-deductible.
Additionally, donors may place a banner in the museum acknowledging their contribution to the Forir Education Program.
For more information, please Contact Us