Glassmaking will soon become a bigger classroom tool for students across New York’s Southern Tier.
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced $1 million in federal funding for the Corning Museum of Glass to expand education programs and develop new STEAM curriculum for K-12 students in underserved school districts. The funding was just signed into law as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending bill.
The money will support new lessons that use glass and glassblowing to teach science through art. The museum plans to expand school-based tours and increase access for students from historically underserved districts.
“The Corning Museum of Glass is a crown jewel of the Southern Tier’s arts and tourism economy,” Schumer said. He said the funding will help students experience glassmaking while learning science and the history of Corning.
Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the funding will open doors for more students. “These federal dollars will expand educational opportunities for students across the Southern Tier,” she said.
The museum already offers curriculum-based tours tied to art, history, and science. In 2023, its Education Department served 5,479 students from 143 schools across 135 school districts.
Roughly 20 to 30 percent of schools return each year. The new funding will also support a pilot program to provide transportation so students from underserved districts can visit, including schools outside the Southern Tier in areas like the Capital Region and New York City.
The museum aligns its lessons with New York State learning standards. Programs include workbooks and classroom materials that help teachers continue lessons after students leave the museum, covering topics like chemistry, physics, earth science, and glassmaking.
The funding was secured through a congressionally directed spending request submitted by Schumer and Gillibrand through the U.S. Department of Education.
Schumer has previously backed the museum with federal support, including pandemic-era relief that helped keep nearly 200 staff members employed.
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