Cape Fear Museum has received a $19,000 grant from the GE Foundation and plans to use the funds to transform the museum's former retail space into a hands-on learning environment for families.

Learning modules will focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines, according to a news release from the museum.While specifics are not final, museum officials said the money will help renovate the space and purchase materials for the activities.

The GE Foundation is the philanthropic arm of GE. One of its areas of focus is helping people develop the skills they need to succeed in a global economy, the release stated.

In a separate release, the museum announced it has won awards for two of its recent exhibits. It received a 2015 Albert Ray Newsome Award from the Federation of N.C. Historical Societies for the exhibit Reflections in Black and White and a commendation from the Southeastern Museum Conference for Make It Work.

Reflections in Black and White, open through May 2017, features a selection of informal black-and-white photographs taken by black and white Wilmingtonians after World War II, prior to the Civil Rights movement. Newsome was secretary of the N.C. Historical Commission and a history professor at University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.

Make It Work, which was on display from December 2014 to October 2015, featured hands-on activities to show how simple machines make maritime work easier. The Southeastern Museums Conference is a networking organization whose goal is to foster professionalism, mutual support and communication among museums, according to the release.