How a Local Children's Museum Partnered with One of America's Largest Military Bases
The Children’s Museum at JBLM. Photo by Emmalina Krist
Military families in Washington State gained a new way to engage with the arts when Greentrike Children’s Museum joined forces with Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). Together, they're showing how local arts programs can enrich life on military bases.
Based in Pierce County, Washington, JBLM is the largest joint base in the United States. The 63,000-acre installation is home to 110,000 people, including 40,000 active duty service members and 60,000 family members. Greentrike is opening doors for creativity and connection in this large military community.
The Sparks art program is at the center of their work. It's a program where military families play and learn together at the Greentrike Children’s Museum at JBLM. Museum artists lead the program, giving families a place to be creative and connect. In 2024, Greentrike received a Creative Forces Community Engagement grant for this program.
To learn more about the work, we talked with Greentrike's Alyssa Tongue and Rolfe Bautista. Tongue leads education experiences at Greentrike, and Bautista runs communications. In this story, they shared insights, challenges, and the impact of their work. They also told us how Greentrike and JBLM created a special place for military families to enjoy art.
A partnership years in the making
By working with families at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Greentrike saw a chance to help children and parents learn through their dedicated art and play programs. They moved slowly, recognizing that working with one of America's biggest military family bases takes time.
The process began in 2008 with a program called Play to Learn. Through this program, Greentrike brought arts and play to families across Pierce County, Washington. This early work taught them valuable lessons on making programs that work for all families. As Tongue explains, they began to see that play helps put families on equal footing.
"Greentrike observed the benefit of neutral spaces for families," Tongue said. "These playful, creative environments proved especially valuable for military families reuniting after long deployments or training."
The experience also reinforced their inclusive approach to access. As Tongue noted, "It underscored our commitment to our Pay As You Will admission model, which removes financial barriers for families accessing play and connection."
Over time, Tanya Durand, Greentrike's CEO, built trust with base leadership. Thanks to these good relationships, Play to Learn came to JBLM. Then came a more ambitious vision: opening a children's museum right on the base. In 2021, Greentrike made history by doing just that. This new museum became home to the Sparks program.
The partnership aligned well with the military’s family readiness programs at JBLM. These services help military families navigate challenges and thrive in military life. Greentrike's focus on creative learning complemented these services and added something special.
As Bautista noted, “At Greentrike, we aim to provide consistent experiences for all our families. The Sparks program at the JBLM Children’s Museum enables Greentrike to deliver a suite of programming to the military community. It’s a location accessible to family members who live and work on the base.”
A new home for creativity
Sparks launched at the Greentrike Children’s Museum of Tacoma before expanding the program to the JBLM location. During each 90-minute session, military families would explore and create art together. With Creative Forces funding, the program was offered four times each month on the base.
The program provided wraparound support for military families in a judgment-free environment with many entry points to ensure that everyone felt welcome.
The museum's layout makes it easy for families to feel at home. Three main areas—a gallery of playscapes, a lobby, and dedicated program rooms—give families options on how they want to engage with the museum and Sparks. The program draws diverse participants, from homeschooled families to military spouses. Plus, word-of-mouth recommendations help it continue to grow.
The key to Sparks' success is listening to what families need. Through surveys, interviews, and reflections, they've built trust within the Washington State military community.
“Greentrike’s programs and spaces have been created and shaped by the needs of our community,” Tongue explained. “The Children’s Museum at JBLM opened because the community and partners needed a place where families could play and strengthen their connections.”
Participants praise the program, calling it a vital resource. One military parent shared, “We were moved here on a compassionate reassignment1 in January. Having this children’s museum has made it easier for me to bond with my son in a safe environment where he can socialize and engage with other kids.”
A child and their caregiver try out scrape painting together during a Sparks workshop in the Art Studio at the Children’s Museum at JBLM. Photo by Emmalina Krist
A steadfast commitment
Partnering with a military base can bring unique challenges. Base leaders typically change every two years, so building relationships is ongoing work. "It requires patience and a commitment to stewardship," Tongue explained. But Greentrike's responsive approach has helped the program thrive despite these transitions.
As Bautista said, “Good communication begins with understanding your audience, or those whom you serve. And once that work starts, it's vital to share the opportunities, program responses, and impact with key stakeholders.”
For organizations considering similar partnerships, Greentrike offers simple advice: stay flexible and listen. Bautista went on to say, “Greentrike was founded in response to the need for high-quality environments for children to play. Forty years later, our listening and partnering with the community drive our improvements to our museums and programs.”
Tongue added that staying open-minded is crucial. “The Sparks program fosters opportunities for our educators to connect deeper with families. They can share the joy of artistic expression, identify new areas of interest and opportunity, adapt to meet families' needs, and explore partnerships with other community organizations.”
A model for future collaboration
Greentrike has kept military families’ needs at the center of their work, building on what families like and not limiting what they can do. Tongue said, “The Sparks program will continue to grow. It will evolve through a dedication to stewardship, connection, and access for children and their adults.” Bautista agreed, highlighting the importance of listening and staying responsive, “Community feedback is invaluable. It informs the environments and programs we create and the relationships that we foster.”
The partnership between Greentrike and JBLM shows what's possible when art and military family life collide. Thanks to Sparks, military families have a place to be creative and make connections. Their success lights the way for other arts programs that want to support military families.
Tongue emphasized that this ground-breaking work has always been a team effort. “Only by working together with children, families, and partners can something like this be built and sustained,” she said. “Greentrike is proud to be the first children’s museum on a military base. This partnership has created unique opportunities for us and others to support military families."
[1] A compassionate reassignment is a reassignment of a soldier to another duty station prior to his or her scheduled permanent change of station (PCS). It normally occurs in response to a family emergency, hardship, or other situation in which a soldier’s presence at another duty station is warranted.