The High Desert Museum in Bend will be building six new classrooms to expand its educational programming thanks to a recently awarded grant.

U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley allocated a $750,000 federal investment from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to Oregon museums including the High Desert Museum, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and the Portland Art Museum.

The High Desert Museum will use its $238,840 grant to build a new “learning hub,” said Dana Whitelaw, museum executive director. This means building six new classrooms in addition to three classrooms in the 42-year-old museum.

The aim of the learning hub is to provide learning opportunities for the public, families, K-12 students and teachers. It stems from the museum’s goal to grow with a growing community, said Whitelaw.

It will be the space the museum needs to provide relevant and compelling learning for the community, according to Whitelaw. The museum’s education offerings include materials and classes on the animals, ecosystems and cultures of the High Desert.

The funding speaks to a strong museum sector Oregonians can be proud of, said Whitelaw.

“I think a really significant contribution that this museum has always done is to grow and be a resource for the Central Oregon community,” Whitelaw said. “We always want to be thinking, what is this community going to need from its museum in the next 10 to 20 years?”

The learning hub expansion is in the design phase, according to Whitelaw, and is slated to open in the next couple of years.