The latest issue of Hand to Hand, “The Power of We: Local/Regional Support Networks Flourish” is now available! Read each article on the ACM blog, and find the full issue PDF in the Hand to Hand Community on ACM Groupsite.

This issue shares stories from local and regional museum groups, ranging from long-running networks to those formed in the past year, as well as local cross-sector groups serving children and families.

In addition to the universal issues facing our field, experiences can vary widely from location to location. The pandemic intensified our need for connection and collaboration—and local and regional networks came together to address local issues, pool resources, and share in community.

Read the issue to learn more about these inspiring networks!

The Power of We: Local/Regional Support Networks Flourish

Northwest Association of Youth Museums: Regional Network Powerhouse
Alissa Rupp, FAIA, FRAME | Integrative Design Strategies
The Northwest Association of Youth Museums has thrived since its start in 1989 by embracing collaboration over competition.

Guerilla Networking: Connecticut Children’s Museums Organize to Pursue State Funding
Jen Alexander, Kidcity Children’s Museum
Connecticut’s nine children’s museums came together to advocate for statewide funding in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Supporting Leaders | Building Healthy Organizations: An Interview with Darren Macfee, Museum Roundtable Facilitator
Interviewed by Mary Maher
For more than twenty years, the Museum Director Roundtables have been a model of supporting leaders as they navigate the ups and downs of the nonprofit world of children’s museums.

Hive Minds and Transient Networks
Sam Dean, Scott Family Amazeum
Located in Northwest Arkansas, the Scott Family Amazeum recognizes the value of collaboration across sectors, participating in networks with community leaders, business leaders, creatives, and more.

Collaborate to Advocate: The Power of Collective Voice
Michael McHorney, Children’s Museum of Eau Claire; Deb Gilpin, Madison Children’s Museum; Anne Snow, Children’s Museum of LaCrosse; Andrea Welsch, Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac
The state of Wisconsin has the most children’s museums per capita in the United States. As a state-wide museum network, Wisconsin Children’s Museums demonstrates the power of strategic solidarity to support each other and advocate for children and families.

Community Education Network Supports Children and Institutions during the Pandemic
Rachel Carpenter, Children’s Discovery Museum; Hannah Johnson & Candace Summers, McLean County Museum of History; Shannon Reedy, Miller Park Zoo; and Dr. Diane Wolf, Bloomington Public Schools District 87
Many organizations serving children in Bloomington/Normal have come together to leverage resources and better serve learners and educators in Central Illinois.

Kindred Spirits: Q&A among Seven Regional Museum Networks
Africa Play Network, NorCal Small Museum Cohort, Louisiana Children’s Museums, North Carolina Science Network, Ohio Children’s Museums, Small Museums Collaborative, Virginia Children’s Museums
Learn more about seven regional museum networks around the world, and what each is able to accomplish by working together and embracing collaboration.

Hand to Hand is the quarterly publication of the Associations of Children’s Museums (ACM). ACM champions children’s museums worldwide. Follow ACM on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.