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Children's Discovery Museum gets $500K gift from Compeer for ag exhibit

Four people holding a large ceremonial check and standing in front of an agricultural exhibit that includes a plastic cow and grain bin
courtesy
Jase Wagner, far right, president and CEO of Compeer Financial, announced a $500,000 gift to the Children’s Discovery Museum in Normal on Monday, June 2, 2025. Also pictured are, from left, Lauren Lurkins, Children’s Discovery Museum Foundation board member; Beth Whisman, Children’s Discovery Museum executive director; and Karen Schieler, manager of Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America and Giving.

The Children's Discovery Museum in Normal has received a $500,000 gift that goes a long way toward helping to pay for its planned agriculture exhibit.

Compeer Financial, a farm credit cooperative in Bloomington, is making the donation for the exhibit “From the Farm to a Healthy Me."

The exhibit is intended to give children hands-on experiences in various aspects of farming and nutrition. It will enable them to role-play as farmers, grocers and chefs. The exhibit will include an Ag Lab that uses STEM to demonstrate agronomy, weather and soil. It also will feature a grocery store and food truck and drone simulations.

“This exhibit helps connect consumers with where their food comes from and fosters greater awareness and appreciation,” said Jase Wagner, president and CEO of Compeer Financial.

Beth Whisman, executive director of the Town of Normal Cultural Arts and Children’s Discovery Museum, said the fundraising campaign is about $150,000 shy of its goal for the $2.8 million project that also benefited from a museum record $1 million gift from the McLean County Farm Bureau.

Whisman said some work on the new exhibit has begun, adding Compeer recently hosted its employees for a play night at the museum.

“It was a fantastic experience telling the adults all about our big plans while their kids played in the current exhibit, demonstrating how fun ag can be,” Whisman said.

The exhibit is scheduled to open early next year.

Artist rendering of an agriculture related exhibit for a children's museum. It includes images of corn stalks, clouds in the atmosphere and plants.
Courtesy
A mockup of the proposed Ag Lab section of the “From the Farm to a Healthy Me” exhibit. The lab will feature a drone simulator, soil sampling and more.

Eric Stock is the News Director at WGLT. You can contact Eric at ejstoc1@ilstu.edu.