August 7, 2008

ACM NEWS

ACM/Nickelodeon Children’s Museum Promotion Update
This October, 126 ACM member museums — which is more than half of ACM open museum members — will participate in a national promotion of children’s museums through Nickelodeon’s online Parents Connect GoCityKids Steals & Deals. Museum participants agree to honor a “buy one adult ticket, get one child ticket free” coupon for the month of October 2008. The coupon excludes discounts on museum events. For a list of museum participants listed by state, visit the Bulletin Board section of the ACM Members Only Web site. Additional information about the promotion will be emailed to museum participants in September. Contact ACM’s Program Officer, Communication, Diane Kopasz with any questions.

Side Note: Dozens and dozens of children’s museums were selected as “Best Museum” in their city in the 2008 Nickelodeon’s Parents’ Picks Awards. This summer thousands of parents from all over the United States logged on to Parents Connect to vote for the best family friendly resources in their city ranging from best dentist, park, library, camp to museum. Click below to search by city for museum winners:
http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/ParentsPicks/resultshome.htm

InterActivity 2009 Program Committee’s Olympic Effort
Olympic effort, you ask? Consider reviewing more than 130 session proposals in just two days and you understand the comparison. ACM and the 21-member Program Committee will be meeting August 11-12 in Philadelphia to review all proposals and begin defining the program for InterActivity 2009: Declare Your Impact! The Program Committee is comprised museum leaders and program managers from museums of small, medium and large size, from rural, suburban and urban settings. There are individuals representing emerging museums and museums located outside the United States. Learn who’s shaping this year’s conference and begin thinking if you or a staff member might be interested to serve on next year’s Program Committee. After all, it’s your conference!

Kids Dig Dirt! Update
In the past 45 days, more than 75 individuals have downloaded the Kids Dig Dirt! Green Paper. A majority of these downloads have been made by non-ACM members and include individuals representing Head Start agencies, public school educators, Girl Scout troops and public garden and conservancy organizations. The paper is a good tool to make visible and promote the value of children’s museums locally and nationally. Tell organizations in your community about your children’s museum resource — in other words, own the Green Paper and use it to build partnerships with organizations that seek to connect children to nature through outdoor play.

To download a free copy, ACM is asking individuals to register so that we can track its dissemination. So please, pass on the link to any organization that might be interested to partner with you.
http://www.childrensmuseums.org/programs/health.htm#latestdevelopments

Hand to Hand and ACM Forum Links are Live
Take advantage of the free versions of these popular ACM publications available through the Bulletin Board section of the ACM Members Only Web site. Read the lead article in the summer issue of Hand to Hand, which recaps the major points of Jim Collins’ keynote speech. Download a PDF of the complete third quarter issue of ACM Forum that features InterActivity photos and interviews about “The CEO’s Role as Community Leader” and “Instructing Staff in Meaningful Play.” Hard copies of both publications will arrive in members’ mailboxes beginning next week.

MEMBER NEWS

Congratulations to ACM’s Three Newest Open Museums!
> Introducing: Children’s Museum of the Treasure Coast (Stuart, FL)
August 2 http://www.childrensmuseumtc.com/

> Reintroducing The Children’s Museum of Portsmouth as:
Children's Museum of New Hampshire (Dover) July 23
http://www.childrens-museum.org/cmnh/

> Reintroducing: San Luis Obispo Children's Museum (CA) June 19
http://www.slokids.org

Despite Wind, Rain and Earthquakes, Children’s Museums Play On
Amazingly, no California member museums were impacted by the recent 5.4 earthquake. Children’s Museum of Brownsville bounced back after Hurricane Dolly swept through the southern tip of Texas. And while
The Children’s Museum of Houston (TX) did close as a precautionary measure earlier this week due to Tropical Storm Edouard, all is well. These museums employed their disaster protocols to ensure the health and safety of their visitors, staff and buildings. Be sure you have a disaster plan. Log on to the ACM Members Only Web site, select the Access link and look for the Disaster Planning Tool Kit link on the right side of the page.

A Birthday Celebration with Bells & Whistles
On July 17, the Long Island Children’s Museum (Garden City, NY) visited the New York Stock Exchange to ring-in the museum’s 15th birthday. In honor of the occasion, Museum Executive Director Suzanne LeBlanc rang The Opening BellSM. In keeping with the spirit of children’s museums, LeBlanc was joined by three children from the community to take part in the iconic ceremony that is viewed by 120 million folks worldwide. Click the link below to view an archived webcast of The Opening Bell.
http://www.nyse.com/events/1216203156903.html

New Additions to the ACM Reciprocal Membership Program Brochures
Texoma Children's Museum (Sherman, TX) and
Monterey County Youth Museum (CA) have joined the ACM Reciprocal Membership Program. Download an ACM Reciprocal Program Participants Brochure.

The Quick Reference ACM Reciprocal Brochure lists all participating museums by country and state, along with phone information. The PDF is formatted to print on standard-size paper (8.5” x 11”) and folds into a three-fold brochure.

The Standard ACM Reciprocal Brochure lists all participating museums by country and state, along with address and phone information. The PDF is formatted to print on standard-size paper (8.5” x 11”) and can be folded down the center as a two-fold brochure or folded again in half as a four-fold brochure.

IMLS Museums for America Program
Kudos to this year’s grant recipients! The Museums for America program is the United States’ largest federal funding program for museums. Museums of all types, from art to botanic gardens, 154 in all, will share $16.9 million in grant funding. Below is a list of the 10 ACM grant awardees and brief description of their projects.

> The Children’s Museum of Denver (CO) will design a new public Playscape featuring interactive bubble play.
> Orpheum Children’s Science Museum (Champaign, IL) will institute a Learning Environment Awareness Program (LEAP) geared toward middle-school-aged children.
> Shedd Aquarium (Chicago, IL) will implement a new model of interpretation in their exhibits—affective transformation, a method of visitor engagement that uses emotional experiences with nature to cause a shift in conservation attitudes.
> Children’s Discovery Museum (Normal, IL) will create a new exhibit, “Imagination Theatre” that will include a performing arts stage, puppet theater and operable technical board for dramatic play experiences.
> Discovery Center Museum (Rockford, IL) will support the Fit Families initiative, a local community coalition to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to combat childhood obesity.
> Iowa Children’s Museum (Coralville) will build an interactive exhibit about the science of aviation, “Take Flight.”
> Louisiana Children’s Museum (New Orleans) will support an interactive exhibit and programming entitled “New Orleans: Proud to Call It Home,” incorporating elements of urban planning, architectural design and construction.
> Strong National Museum of Play (Rochester, NY) will begin a two-year collections planning project to guide and develop the institutional collecting plan for the next 10 years.
> Discovery Center (Murfreesboro, TN) will launch “Playspace2” to expand and enhance an early childhood hands-on exhibit area and will develop a mentor program for parents and caregivers.
> Creative Discovery Museum (Chattanooga, TN) will design and create “Good for You,” a health exhibit that teaches children and families about the importance of eating healthy foods and leading an active life.

OPPORTUNITIES

9th Annual Lights On Afterschool is Thursday, October 16
Have you started planning your Lights On Afterschool event? For the second year in a row, New York City’s landmark Empire State Building will be lit a vivid yellow in honor of Lights On Afterschool day. This year’s celebration will mark the 10th anniversary of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers federal afterschool initiative. Visit the Afterschool Alliances Web site for planning tips, links to new tools and Afterschool Alliance posters.

New this year, the Afterschool Alliance is pleased to announce a partnership with Color-Ons. The company is creating Lights On Afterschool-themed iron-on template artwork for children to decorate as they see fit. The Color-On applications work with any kind of crayon. For pricing and production information, click here. You can also order free samples by contacting Color-Ons at cq@mach3ww.com
or 800-247-5988.

2008 Boys & Girls Club Day for Kids is Saturday, September 20
This is a great opportunity to galvanize national attention on the importance of spending meaningful time with children. ACM is serving as an Honor Roll partner and encourages all museum members host an event or participate in a celebration with local Boys & Girls Clubs and other community groups. Planning for and participating in these events can include family picnics, street carnivals, parades, back to school rallies, ice cream socials. For program and planning ideas, visit http://www.dayforkids.org/.

Email ACM’s Program Officer, Communication, Diane Kopasz, if you are hosting an event so that she can have it incorporated into the Boys & Girls Club’s Making Memories Family Activities Calendar.

Deadline Approaching for Mid Atlantic Association of Museums’ FellowshipsMid Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) will award up to six fellowships to its annual meeting, scheduled October 26-29, 2008, in Washington, DC. The purpose of the fellowship is to make attendance at the annual meeting affordable for promising graduate students, emerging professionals and first-time meeting attendees. Each fellow will receive: $500 towards transportation, meals and lodging; free registration; and a one-year membership in MAAM. Applications are due August 22.

For full eligibility requirements and to complete an application download:
http://www.midatlanticmuseums.org/Documents/MAAM_2008_Fellowship_Letter.doc

CLASSIFIED

There are 7 grant and award opportunities on the National Grants and Awards Calendar. Here are some highlights with upcoming deadlines:
> National Gardening Association and Gardener’s Supply — October 15
> National Endowment for the Humanities, Picturing America — October 31
> Institute of Museum and Library Services, Museums For America — November 1

There are 19 openings on ACM Museum Jobs section. Here are some of the latest postings:
> Minnesota Children's Museum [Vice President of Development] (St. Paul)
> Children's Museum of Maine [Education Director] (Portland)
> Boston Children’s Museum [Senior Projects Director, Family Learning] (MA)
    
There are 55 exhibits on ACM Exhibits MarketPlace. Exhibits are organized by square footage. Here are some of the latest exhibits available for rent:
> “Living in Space”— 1,200 sq. ft.
> “Body Carnival: The Science and Fun of Being You” — 2,250 sq. ft.
> “How People Make Things, Inspired by the Mister Rogers’ Factory Tours” —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.