Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum

THE AIR ZOO WILL RESTORE THE CONDITION OF A WWII WARPLANE, THE DOUGLAS DAUNTLESS SBD-1 (1612), FOR MUSEUM EXHIBITION AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. UTILIZED FOR TRAINING IN WWII AND LATER RECOVERED FROM LAKE MICHIGAN, THE HISTORIC WARPLANE WILL UNDERGO EXTENSIVE CONSERVATION WORK UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF MUSEUM STAFF. PROJECT STAFF WILL ENGAGE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS AS THEY CONDUCT EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE ACTIVE CORROSION AND REBUILD ELEMENTS OF THE PLANE. INFORMED BY STAFF EXPERIENCE WITH SUCCESSFUL RESTORATIONS OF PREVIOUSLY SUBMERGED AIRCRAFT, THE PROJECT WILL INCLUDE COMPREHENSIVE CORROSION REMOVAL, INSTALLATION OF METAL SHEETING AND STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS, AND CLEANING AND PAINTING TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF FUTURE CORROSION.

THE AIR ZOO WILL EXPAND ITS ONGOING PROGRAM OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION TRAINING FOR ITS STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS. AS ONE OF 14 NATIONWIDE SITES TO BE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION'S TRUTH, RACIAL HEALING AND TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE, THE MUSEUM WILL CONTINUE ITS COMMITMENT TO BECOMING A MORE CULTURALLY-COMPETENT, DIVERSE, AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE CONTINUED TRAINING FOR 14 KEY DIRECTORS AND MANAGERS, WHILE ALLOWING THE MUSEUM TO IMPLEMENT THE FIRST STAGE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION TRAINING FOR AN ESTIMATED 110 FULL AND PART-TIME STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS. STAFF WILL SPEND A MINIMUM OF TWO HOURS PER QUARTER COVERING THE TOPICS OF ABLEISM, RACISM, LGBTQ RIGHTS, AND POVERTY WITH THE SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY EXPERTS. SIMULTANEOUSLY, MANAGERS WILL UNDERGO A TWO-DAY RESTORATIVE JUSTICE TRAINING. SEVEN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WILL SUPPORT THE PROJECT, INCLUDING THE KALAMAZOO PUBLIC LIBRARY, WHICH WILL SERVE AS THE MUSEUM'S ORGANIZATIONAL MENTOR.