April 4, 2008

ACM NEWS

Museum Membership Directory Updated with 2008 Data
ACM reminds all members that the Membership Directory is now available exclusively online via the ACM Members Only site. With a few simple clicks, members can access museum data regarding finances, facilities, attendance, membership and programming on more than 200 open children's museum throughout the world.

To access this valuable resource, please visit the below page and logon:
https://members.ChildrensMuseums.org/public/

Get Ready for Denver!
InterActivity 2008 is less than three weeks away! Get a sneak peek of this year's program by viewing the InterActivity 2008 Program at a Glance. This feature gives conference participants a condensed overview of the entire InterActivity program. As you will see, InterActivity 2008 offers the most expansive program to date!

Let's Play Resource
We’re packing up for Denver soon and bringing special items for all ACM members registered for InterActivity 2008. We captured great information from several play scholars in the second quarter issue of ACMForum, who will be speaking at InterActivity. Learn what researches have to say about:
• How play improves a child's executive function and self-regulation skills;
• Research that supports the theory that play deprivation correlates to childhood obesity; and
• Contemporary obstacles that prevent a child from playing.

Hard copies will be mailed to the main contact at your organization within the next week. The online version is now posted on the ACM Web site for all staff to read. www.ChildrensMuseums.org/docs/2Q08ACMForum.pdf

Don't Forget Your SuperShuttle Coupon!
SuperShuttle runs between the Adams Mark Denver, soon to be Sheraton, and the Denver International Airport. With the ACM discount, the round trip is $30 or $19 one way per person.

SuperShuttle Discount and Payment Options
• You may prepay online at www.SuperShuttle.com and enter the discount code G2B4Y.
• Alternatively, you may download a coupon and present it at the SuperShuttle count at Denver International Airport with payment.

Happy trails to you...

Two Must Read Hand to Hand Issues
By now, all Hand to Hand subscribers and the main contact at your museum have received the Winter issue, "Children's Museums & the Web" issue. The main article, The Big Picture about the Small Screen, written by Brad Larson of Brad Larson Media, is now available online in the Members Only Bulletin Board section for all staff to read. The Spring issue of Hand to Hand, "Children's Museums: Clean & Safe Places to Play" will be mailed before InterActivity.

PBS Sprout Let's Go Show Status
As announced in the March E-Update, ACM is working with PBS Sprout to provide content for its “Let’s Go Show: Season 2” microsite. This is an exciting opportunity to promote and brand children’s museum as educational and fun institutions with a broad audience (35 million Sprout viewers). ACM would like to thank all 31 museums who sent in an application to work on this project.

Here are the matched museums and their discovery topics. The museums and their content will be featured on the Sprout Web site in June.

1) KidSenses Children's InterACTIVE: How does sound travel?
2) Children's Museum of Pittsburgh: How is paper made?
3) Kohl Children's Museum of Greater Chicago: How does a museum sort its objects?
4) Brooklyn Children's Museum: How do you tell time?
5) Children's Museum of Virginia: How does surface, friction and wheels effect train locomotion?
6) KidsQuest Children's Museum: How can something liquid change into something solid?
7) Boonshoft Museum of Discovery: Why do animals have different heartbeat rates?
8) Omaha Children's Museum: How do clouds form?
9) Habitot Children's Museum: How can one use shapes to build things?

To read more about the history of this project or for more updates, visit the Bulletin Board section of the ACM Members Only Web site.

ACM Reciprocal Program Changes
ACM would like to announce two new additions to the Reciprocal Program:
Impression 5 Science Center (Lansing, MI)
Phelps Youth Pavilion (Waterloo, IA)

Don't forget to download the updated Reciprocal Program brochures on the ACM Web site! Scroll down to the Participating Museums header for two download options.

Is your museum interested in becoming a Reciprocal Program participant? Contact crajakaruna@ChildrensMuseums.org for program guidelines and an application for Reciprocal Program membership.

MEMBER NEWS

Congratulations to Phelps Youth Pavilion (Waterloo, IA), which will have its grand opening to the public April 5-6. The 37,000 sq. ft. facility is an addition to the Waterloo Center for the Arts and features more than 40 exhibits and activities geared toward children aged 12 and younger. The museum is part of a downtown revitalization project that includes four other museums.

The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn (IL) was one of twenty two organizations given the Annual Award for Business Excellence by the Business Ledger, a business journal that covers suburban Chicago. Recipients of the award were recognized for business achievement, growth and community involvement. The museum was awarded for the educational programs category.

The Frankfort Children's (IL) has been awarded a gift of $50,000 from i-mag-jen Charities, Inc., and a $50,000 matching gift from the J. Edward Mahoney Foundation. Currently in the emerging phase, the museum is a downtown revitalization project for the city of Frankfort and will reside in a 6,700 sq. ft. space.

OPPORTUNITIES

Target Local Store Grants
The Local Store Grants program offers grant amounts typically ranging from $1,000-$3,000 for programs in three areas: arts, early childhood reading and family violence prevention. Each of the three areas has its own online application form. Applications are being accepted through May 31, 2008, for programs that will take place between October 1, 2008, and September 30, 2009. Apply online at www.target.com/grants

ACM Ally Events
Take advantage of hosting a community event tied to an ACM allied organization. All allies offer online resources to help you plan a successful event, including media relations support. Additionally, email ACM to let us know if you are hosting an event in conjunction with any of these organizations.

April 13-19: Week of the Young Child
Event Resources: www.naeyc.org/about/woyc/

April 21-27: TV Turn Off Week
Event Resources: www.tvturnoff.org/

April 25-27: National Youth Service Day
Event Resources: http://ysa.org/NatlGYSD/tabid/59/Default.aspx

Afterschool for All Challenge 2008
Afterschool Alliance and advocates from across the United States are meeting in Washington, DC, May 13-14, to help grow support for afterschool programs. The program will feature two full days of activities, including a Youth Advocacy track, training and networking sessions, events meetings with members of Congress and staff. City officials, superintendents, school board members and afterschool providers will have the chance to share ideas and strategies for ensuring the growth of quality afterschool programs.

More information is available at www.AfterschoolAlliance.org.
Questions? Call 202-347-2030 or email challenge@afterschoolalliance.org.

BRIDGES: A Museum/Community Partnership Conference
The Franklin Institute (Philadelphia, PA) will bring together museum and community pairs from 25 partnerships to explore best practices for developing and sustaining a shared vision of engaging underserved families in science enrichment activities. BRIDGES is specifically designed for programs whose primary audience is family groups.

BRIDGES will provide opportunities for participants to share triumphs and tragedies and build an ongoing community of practice. A dynamic keynote speaker, poster sessions and breakout discussions will form the basis for building a new museum/community network for science programs that serve families. Apply by May 1, 2008 at www.fi.edu/BRIDGES.

Communicating the Museum Conference
The Communicating the Museum Conference will explore the following areas: Audience Research and Development, Advertising, Programming and New Media. Each area will be broken down into keynote speeches and interactive sessions, with the goal of deconstructing success stories so that museums may apply them to future communication strategies.

The conference will take place June 25-28 in Venice, Italy. For registration and other information, please visit: www.CommunicatingTheMuseum.com/registration.html

Free Health Lesson Plans Available
A.T. Still University has partnered with the Institute of Museum and Library Services to create lesson plans that align with many state curriculum requirements for K-8 lesson plans. For more information visit www.HealerWithin.org

CLASSIFIED

There are 14 grant and award opportunities on the National Grants and Awards Calendar. Here are some upcoming deadlines:
Ronald McDonald House Charities - Grants to Aid Children - April 28
World of Children - World of Children Awards - April 30
American Forest Foundation - Project Learning Tree - April 30
National Endowment for the Humanities - Challenge Grants - May 1

There are 15 openings on the ACM Museum Jobs section. Here are some of the latest postings:
The New Children's Museum [Education Curator] (San Diego, CA)
Children's Museum of the Arts [Finance & Business Manager] (NY, NY)
Discovery Gateway [Director Guest Experience] (Salt Lake City, UT)

There are 68 exhibits on the ACM Exhibits Marketplace. Here are some of the latest postings:
"Children Just Like Me" - 2500 sq. ft.
"Toys: The Inside Story" - 1,500 sq. ft.
"Attack of the Bloodsuckers!" - 2,000-2,500 sq. ft.

All E-Updates are available online. We welcome member contributions: press clippings, exhibit information, major announcements. Please forward all materials for the E-Update and ACMForum to acm@ChildrensMuseums.org.