ACM Initiative: Diversity in Action
Diversity Initiative began in 2004 with the formation of the Diversity Committee. The Committee is comprised of ACM Board members, ACM staff and other children's museum professionals committed to advancing the inclusiveness and diversity of children's museums. To this end, the Committee took a number of steps to stimulate change in the field.
Click on any of the links below to learn more about the Committee's activities. Want more information? Contact ACM.
The Need for Diversity Statements Diversity in Action Showcase InterActivity Diversity Scholarships Suggested
Readings Museums and Diversity Initiative
The Need for Diversity Statements
The mission for all children's museum comes down to being the "town square for children and families, where play inspires creativity and lifelong learning." As a town square, a children's museum is a place open to all community members. That implies that the children's museum is a welcoming institution for people of all backgrounds.
So why is it important for a children's museum to have a diversity statement? Quite simply, because implications and good intentions are not enough. A diversity statement tells the community at large that the institution will take action and assume accountability.
Is there a one-size fits all diversity statement? No. There are approximately 350 open children's museums around the world, however, each is distinct in its setting, its exhibits and the ways in which each museum reaches out, listens and includes its community.
To help museums create a diversity statement that fits their museum, ACM and the Diversity in Action Commitee has been working with members at InterActivity conferences on draft pledges, polling members on diversity priorities and creating diversity templates. This work has been and continues to an on-going, open process. Anyone wishing to send ACM its museum diversity pledge or constructive feedback about creating a pledge may email ACM.
ACM Diversity Statement Diversity Pledge Template Enacted Museum Diversity Statement
ACM Diversity Statement
On April 27, 2005, the ACM Board approved the ACM Diversity Statement, provided below. We encourage member institutions to download the entire statement for dissemination to museum staff and as a guide in developing individual diversity statements.
The Association of Children’s Museums is an international professional organization representing children’s museums and institutions dedicated to serving children. Our mission is to build the capacity of children’s museums to serve as town squares where play inspires creativity and lifelong learning. The Association and its members are committed to honoring, practicing and promoting diversity, and believe that children’s museums have unique opportunities to do so by:
Engaging children and families in exploring and appreciating their own cultures and the diverse cultures and lifestyles of others.
Enhancing children’s cultural competency, their skills and ability to be active and successful in an increasingly diverse and global society.
Playing an active role in building inclusive communities through exhibits, programs, advocacy and partnerships that reflect and celebrate our diverse communities.
Enhancing staff and organizational capacity to attract, welcome and serve a diverse audience and membership.
Modeling diversity-in-action for children by ensuring that our boards and staff at every level reflect and benefit from our diverse communities. top
Diversity Pledge Template
Goal: Have a diverse, cross-section of individuals in communities across the United States understand that their children's museum seeks to be inclusive and welcoming to all children and families.
Strategy: Provide ACM children's museums resources, recommendations and tools to access, improve and communicate their commitment to diversity.
Tactic: Provide a Diversity Pledge Template, which is written in plain language that individual museums can customize and promote at their museum.
Diversity Pledge Template
Download the Word version of this template
Diversity is at the heart of the work that children's museums do to create new town squares where play inspires lifelong learning. To insure that our town square accurately reflects the communities that surround and support our museum, are run by a staff and are governed by a Board representative of these communities, we, insert museum name here, pledge:
To put diversity into action in all aspects of our museum, in our operations, in our exhibits, in our communications and marketing efforts, in our programs and educational offerings;
To foster inclusion on our Board and actively support increased leadership roles for our staff with diverse backgrounds;
To focus externally, engage, listen and respond to all members of our community.
Enacted Museum Diversity Statement
Creative Discovery Museum (Chattanooga, TN)
The Board of Directors approved the following Diversity Statement October 22, 2007.
The Creative Discovery Museum's vision is to be a community museum in the truest sense of the word: A place where children and families from all backgrounds come together to play and learn, a place that truly stimulates the curiosity and creativity of every child. As a community museum, we believe that embracing diversity at all levels is important and we pledge:
To put diversity into action in all aspects of our museum, in our operations, in our exhibits, in our communications and marketing efforts, in our programs and educational offerings;
To foster inclusion on our boards and staffs and actively support increased leadership roles for our staff with diverse backgrounds;
To focus externally, engage, listen and respond to all members of our community.
Diversity in Action Showcase
The Diversity in Action Showcase was created to give ACM colleagues a venue to share their current efforts and work in promoting diversity.
Read the below summaries to learn how museums are addressing diversity through partnerships, programs, exhibits, events and employee development.
Diversity in Action Showcase Descriptions
The Power of Children Exhibit
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN
Jennifer Robinson
Vice President, Experience Development
Phone: 317-334-3834
“The Power of Children Gallery” at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis takes visitors on a journey through the lives of three children — Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges and Ryan White — who faced profound trials and emerged as heroes of the 20th century. The exhibit exemplifies for children and adults that every individual can make a difference, and empowers each visitor to thoughtfully pledge an action that will effect positive change in society and the community in which they live.
Pledges take on a Web 2.0 community shared experience when visitors type them up and upload them to The Promising Tree, both an environmental structure with screen leaves displaying promises and a post-museum online activity. Visitors can post the progress and outcomes of pledges they have made long after the visit.
A Marshal's Perspective—
Accompanying Theater Piece to “The Power of Children Exhibit”
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN
Eric Olson
Gallery Manager, The Power of Children
Phone: 317-334-3170
Theater and social change sounds pretty edgy, but it actually is a great way to take the edge off a potentially uncomfortable topic. A Marshal’s Perspective provides its audience with a way to emotionally engage with the Ruby Bridges story. The performance utilizes a variety of props, visual aids and interactions with audience members in the re-created classroom of Ruby Bridges.
PlayGym at Howard School
Creative Discovery Museum
Chattanooga, TN
Jayne Griffin
Director of Education
Phone: 423-648-6064
PlayGym is a caregiver and child play program for children aged 4 months through 3 years that has traditionally been offered at the museum for a program fee.
The museum has recently partnered with Howard School to reach inner city high school students/teen parents who are a part of an early childhood learning academy and daycare at Howard School. PlayGym is presented onsite at Howard School and allows teen parents to experience effective play interactions with their children.
The Children’s Photography Show
Duke Energy Children's Museum
Cincinnati, OH
Tony Lawson
Director
Phone: 513-287-7000 (ex. 7201)
In some communities, there are two parts of town and “never the twain shall meet.” The Children’s Photography Show is showing that there is a way to unite groups with differences simply by providing a visual introduction. The Children’s Photography Show brings art education to students at two inner-city schools, highlighting the works of 19th century Cincinnati photographer and abolitionist J.P. Ball and providing technical instruction for students to take photographs in their neighborhood. Students later curate their own photography show under the theme of “What Makes Your Neighborhood Beautiful?” for all museum visitors, no matter what side of the tracks they live on.
X-treme Adventures Summer Camp
Explorations V Children's Museum
Lakeland, FL
Brenda Paul
PR Director
Phone: 863-687-3869
Angie Watson
Visitor Services Manager
Phone: 863-687-3869
Since summer of 2006, the museum has partnered with Lakeland Housing Authority to provide scholarships so that resident underserved children would not miss out on summer camp. Because of their partnership, Lakeland’s African American, Hispanic and Caucasian children are able to participate in hands on activities, crafts, sports, games and creating new traditions with friends at the museum.
Passport to Discovery
Garden State Discovery Museum
Cherry Hill, NJ
Monica O’Malley
Educational Programs Manager
Phone: 856-424-1233
January through April is neither dull nor dreary at the Garden State Discovery Museum, because that is time when the colorful Passport to Discovery Program takes place. The museum doubled the length of its traditional multicultural public program series and used actual child-sized customized passports to encourage repeat visits to discover different cultures. During the annual series, children and families can explore communities and cultures, climates and colorful clothing by participating in food and craft activities, enjoying dance performances and lively demonstrations and encountering authentic objects from many world cultures.
KICKstart Program
Long Island Children's Museum
Garden City, NY
Jeanmarie Walsh
Be Together, Learn Together Program Manager
Phone: 516-224-5809
Designed to reach children “early and often” before the critical fourth grade testing year, KICKstart offers children the opportunity to experience an interactive learning environment. Through KICKstart, more than 35,000 children have visited the museum on guided field trips.
In addition to museum visits for KICKStart participants, the program also provides free family memberships to the museum, “Family Night” outreach programs in the community and “Community Nights” at LICM. These components provide on-going access to the museum and its programs and help create a museum-going culture for these families. Launched in 2002, KICKstart is funded through a $3.5 million, five-year grant from the international computer software company CA, with additional community support provided by JPMorganChase Foundation.
World at Play
Grand Rapids Children's Museum
Grand Rapids, MI
Scott Andersen
Marketing/PR Manager
Phone: 616-235-4726 (ext. 204)
Using the approachable theme of play, Grand Rapids Children’s created a temporary exhibit, “World at Play” to introduce children and families to what play looks like in Ghana, Italy and Vietnam. In conjunction with outreach programming, the exhibit explores a streetscape and vendors in Reggio Emilia, Italy, the smells and materials unique to a Vietnamese kitchen and the sounds and lighting of nighttime stories around a fire in Ghana.