PDAC: Submission #671 | Dayton Development Coalition

Submission information

Project Details

1. To which Review Panel are you submitting your project? Quality of Life

2. Project title SunWatch: Fortifying Education through an American Indian Site

3. Short description Support educational programs at and through SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park. The requested funds will provide 1) waived fees for all education programs and general admission for five years, 2) a dedicated staff member to develop relevant educational programs and facilitate public programs, and 3) in-depth evaluation and co-creation of culturally relevant educational resources.

Organization Details

4. Organization making the request Dayton Society of Natural History

5-8. Address 2600 DeWeese Parkway
Dayton, Ohio. 45414-5499

9. County Montgomery

10. Recipient organization SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park

11-14. Address 2301 West River Road
Dayton, Ohio. 45417

15. County Montgomery

16. Organization type Non-profit

Organization Contact Details

17. Name Tracey Tomme

18. Title Tracey Tomme

19. Organization Tracey Tomme

20. Telephone 7196419940

21. Email ttomme@boonshoftmuseum.org

22-25. Address 2600 DeWeese Parkway
Dayton, Ohio. 45414

26. County Montgomery

27. Additional contacts Laura Kochan, Grants Manager, DSNH, 620.664.0909, lkochan@boonshoftmuseum.org

Michael Westendorf, CFO, DSNH, 937.275.7431, mwestendorf@boonshoftmuseum.org

Location Details

28. City Dayton

29. County OH

30. Congressional district Ohio 10th

Financial Details

31. Funding request 1000000

32. Total Cost 1800000

33. Other sources of funds SunWatch is supported for operations and facilities by the Dayton Society of Natural History. It currently has some funds raised through admissions of approximately $16,000 per year and Gift Shop sales. The deficit is covered from operational funding and donations at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery.

Other funding for capital projects to increase accessibility of the site include: National Endowment for the Humanities matching grant ($172,000), Kettering Philanthropies ($225,000), Houtz Family Foundation ($75,000), Private Donations ($40,000), and continued administrative and facility support through the Boonshoft Museum ($288,000).

34. How the funds will be used Administration or Operations

35. Do you have matching funds raised or committed? If yes, explain in question #36. If no, skip to question #37. No

36. If yes, please provide additional information. (Or, budget document can be uploaded, see question 37) {Empty}

37. Budget Yes

Budget File Upload

sunwatch-budget.pdf (43.34 KB)

38. By what date will you be ready to spend the funds Immediately

39. Programs/grants for which this project would qualify Department of the Interior

Community Details

40. Community Need SunWatch in Dayton, Ohio is a unique site that offers educational, scholarly, and cultural opportunities. Its history weaves throughout the history of the region from its earliest days as a 13th century village of the Fort Ancient people village to digs by avocational archaeologists; from a salvage project to research excavations to the present immersive, reconstructed village and interpretive center.

Today, SunWatch stands as a National Historic Landmark and continues to influence the archaeological discipline and curious minds interested in history and culture. The highly immersive experience of the reconstructed American Indian village provides a unique opportunity for visitors to learn about the Fort Ancient culture while also connecting with past peoples in a tangible way and finding a gateway to learning about contemporary American Indian lives, cultures, and stories.

Educational programs from toddlers to adults are inspired by SunWatch and are delivered both at the site as well as on-line. These programs help students of all ages understand the importance of differing cultures, the people of the Miami Valley 800 years ago, taking care of our environment, archaeological techniques, astronomy, games, pottery, and include career fields such as archaeology, engineering, scientist, and naturalist.

Students are able to walk the original 13th century footprint of the village, hear stories told by historians while inside reconstructed houses, while being guided through an exploration of history, culture, and community. The site is truly inspirational and an important one-of-a-kind educational tool and treasure of the Dayton region.

41. Previous Funding: Has the requesting organization received Congressionally earmarked funding in the past? If so, please provide a brief project description, year funded, amount, and Congressional sponsor. No

42. Direct new jobs created 1 to 10

43. Existing jobs retained? 1 to 10

44. Sustained permanent jobs? 1 to 10

45. Please explain how you determined the job creation listed in questions 42-44. Addition of one full time educator

46. Using your best guess, of the jobs created over the next 10 years, what will the average salary be? $25,001-$50,000

47. Is your project a workforce development program? No

48. If yes, does your program center on one of the ten JobsOhio targeted industries? {Empty}

49. Counties in which jobs will be created Montgomery

Additional Details

50. Letters of endorsement, supporting materials, additional information. You can submit ONE PDF file that does not exceed 10 pages.

Attachments.pdf (1.71 MB)

51. Is there opposition to the project? No

52. Name of person filling out this form. Tracey Tomme

53. Telephone number of person filling out this form. 17196419940

54. Email of person filling out this form. This is where notification will be sent that the form was received. ttomme@boonshoftmuseum.org

55. Do you want your project to be considered as a Community Project in the fiscal year 2025 –2026 State Capital Budget Bill? {Empty}

56. If your project type is on the list of ineligible projects (see above), please offer an explanation why your project could be eligible. If your project is not on the list, answer the question by stating that your project is not on the list of ineligible projects. {Empty}

57. Has your organization received state capital budget funding in the past? If so, provide a brief project description, year funded, and amount. {Empty}

58. Does your project have a connection with, or provide some benefit to, a state agency that has bonding authority? Please check all that apply from the following list: {Empty}

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