GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Greensboro Children's Museum is starting its summer programming with pride as the focus.
About 26 % of LGBTQ adults in North Carolina are raising children, according to the Movement Advancement Project.
Knowing family structures can vary, the museum has three daily activities for the month of June surrounding family pride.
The first program is story spark.
The museum staff read a book that illustrates the diversity of family units and how love is what’s most important.
In the science lab, kids use a prism to show how light is refracted to make a rainbow, symbolizing pride.
At their art studio, love rocks are decorated with inspiring messages that guests can take with them or leave at the museum for others to enjoy.
Jadarius Mccoy, the museum's team leader said helping youth better understand what they're already exposed to is important.
.“They're exposed to it anyway so why not be it in an environment where we're committed to being engaging and developmental for the child,” Mccoy said. “You're going to interact with people from all walks of life the longer you live. We want people to understand okay you’re different in this way but we can still work together and create.”
Mccoy said they aim to spark new interests in youth through the stem elements of the programs as well.
“There's everyday application to science, art, and reading comprehension,” Mccoy said. “Hopefully we plant the seed for education today and they take that into their community and into their schools."
There are no extra fees to participate in family pride programs they are included with admission.
It's programs like ‘Family Pride’ that landed Greensboro a perfect score for inclusivity for the LGBTQ community.
The city received a perfect 100 points in the latest National Human Rights campaign municipal equality index.
Greensboro was also one of the first cities in North Carolina to pass a non-discrimination ordinance.
“Greensboro is one of the most diverse places in North Carolina to me,” Mccoy said. “We're going to take a look at families and their structures and how they change but how the core theme of a family is love and not necessarily what that familiar structure looks like.”
The museum changes its theme monthly.
July’s theme is 'celebration of summer'.