Award Programs
ACM manages several award programs as a means to celebrate and recognize individual and collective efforts that benefit child development and the children's museum's ability to make a lasting impact individuals, families and communities.
Great Friend to Kids Award
The Great Friend to Kids Award was initiated in 1991 by the Association of Children’s Museums to honor individuals or institutions that have made a national and/or international impact to strengthen the education and lives of children. The Award is presented annually at the Association of Children's Museums' InterActivity conference.
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Learn how to nominate a Great Friend to Kids Award candidate and to see a list of past recipients.
MetLife Foundation & Association of Children's Museums Promising Practice Award
Since 1999, ACM has received a grant from the MetLife Foundation to develop the Promising Practice Award. The award honors ACM-member children's museums for developing innovative and creative practices; promotes management that supports alternative programming; builds a body of knowledge of exemplary programs; and establishes models for the advancement of the children's museum field. Awards and grants are presented annually at ACM's InterActivity conference.
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Learn how U.S. and international ACM-member children's museums may apply for a Promising Practice Award.
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Search the MetLife Foundation Research & Practice Exchange for summaries of award-winning and honorable mention practices.
Promising Practice Replication Award
In 2004, MetLife Foundation and ACM established the Replication Award, which annually provides a restricted grant to a former Promising Practice Award recipient to create an online toolkit and InterActivity training session so that other children's museums may learn how to create a similar, museum-tested, award-winning program in their own communities. Awards and grants are presented at the InterActivity conference.