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Idaho Museum of Natural History seeks operating funds to sustain 'mobile museum' outreach after three‑year grant
Summary
The Idaho Museum of Natural History received a three‑year $180,000 grant to purchase a van and fund part‑time outreach; the museum requested ongoing state operating funds to sustain and expand the mobile outreach after the grant ends.
Analyst Kevin Campbell briefed the committee on the Idaho Museum of Natural History, which he said has 8.2 authorized full‑time positions and cares for more than 1,500,000 artifacts. The museum seeks general fund support for operating expenses connected to a new mobile outreach program funded initially by a private grant.
Museum director Leif Tapanilla told the committee the museum received a $180,000, three‑year grant from the David B. Jones Foundation to purchase a van (in year one) and provide two years of part‑time educator funding. He said the vehicle will allow the museum to travel roughly 6,000 miles annually to schools and libraries statewide, with a particular focus on rural communities. "The idea with this line item is it's a partial request for sustainability funds. This project will end at some point... by the termination of this grant, we want to see this mobile museum program continue and flourish," Tapanilla said.
Why it matters: The museum argues sustaining the project beyond the grant will expand access to museum education across Idaho’s many rural counties. Lawmakers asked for clarity on how the museum measures program outcomes beyond visitor counts; Senator Goode suggested outcome metrics that capture educational impact rather than only foot traffic. Tapanilla acknowledged the measurement challenge and said the museum will continue to tell qualitative stories and seek ways to quantify impact where feasible.
The committee recorded no formal action during the presentation. The museum director highlighted other museum contributions — collections stewardship, loans to national institutions and training for students — and noted the museum had been invited to loan an Idaho bison specimen to the Smithsonian for the 250th anniversary celebration.
Ending: The museum’s FY2026 request for partial operational support for the mobile outreach will be considered in the workgroup’s upcoming budget deliberations; the director offered additional detail about grant timing and the program’s intended statewide reach.
