March 12, 2026 / News & Blog
What does it take for a children’s museum to truly stand out in its community? For the leaders featured in this episode, the answer is not one single program or exhibit. Instead, it is a combination of thoughtful leadership, deep listening, and a commitment to serving families in ways that are both creative and inclusive.
In a recent conversation, Arthur Affleck speaks with three museum leaders whose institutions received the 2025 ACM Outstanding Practice Award: Drew Jensen of the Duluth Children’s Museum, Dr. Mort Sajadian of Amazement Square in Virginia, and Jennifer Farrington of Chicago Children’s Museum. Each leader brings a different perspective shaped by their community, their background, and the scale of their organization. Yet their stories share a common thread. Children’s museums succeed when they remain deeply connected to the people they serve and when they continuously adapt to meet evolving community needs.
Their discussion offers valuable insight not only into how their museums operate, but also into how thoughtful leadership and innovative programming can inspire institutions across the field.
One of the first topics explored in the conversation is leadership style. While the three leaders represent museums of very different sizes and histories, their approaches share a surprising amount in common. Rather than focusing on hierarchy or top-down decision-making, each emphasizes collaboration, openness, and shared ownership of ideas.
At Amazement Square, Mort Sajadian describes a leadership philosophy rooted in clarity and accountability. Expectations are high, but so is transparency. Team members are encouraged to understand not just what decisions are made, but why they are made. This approach creates an environment where staff feel empowered to contribute ideas and take ownership of the museum’s direction.
Jennifer Farrington echoes that sentiment from her experience leading Chicago Children’s Museum. She sees leadership as an ongoing dialogue. Ideas evolve through conversation, and decisions improve when multiple perspectives are considered. For her, a museum does not belong to any single leader or staff member. It belongs to the community that surrounds it.
Drew Jensen brings yet another perspective from the Duluth Children’s Museum, where a small team means leadership often happens side by side with frontline staff. His style reflects a form of servant leadership, one in which leaders remain closely connected to the daily experiences of families and children. Spending time on the museum floor allows him to stay grounded in the mission and maintain strong relationships with both staff and visitors.
Together, their perspectives highlight an important truth about children’s museums. Successful leadership often begins with listening.
Exhibits are the heart of every children’s museum. They are where imagination meets learning and where families experience the museum’s mission firsthand. In the conversation, each leader shares how their institutions approach exhibit design and development.
For Jennifer Farrington, creativity is most powerful when it grows from a disciplined process. Chicago Children’s Museum intentionally creates space for diverse ideas and perspectives during exhibit planning. Designers, educators, caregivers, and community voices all contribute to shaping the final experience. This structured approach allows for bold creativity while ensuring that the exhibit remains aligned with the museum’s goals.
Mort Sajadian emphasizes intentionality and mentorship within the exhibit design process at Amazement Square. Because the field often attracts professionals from varied backgrounds, the museum focuses on nurturing talent and helping staff develop their ideas. Team members are encouraged to observe other museums, explore new approaches, and bring their insights back to their own institution.
Drew Jensen highlights the value of informal feedback. While strategic planning and community input are essential, some of the best ideas come directly from conversations with families visiting the museum. A simple interaction at the welcome desk or a suggestion from a parent on the floor can spark an idea for a new activity or improvement.
What emerges from their stories is a shared philosophy. Exhibit design is not just about building something visually engaging. It is about creating environments where children and caregivers can learn, experiment, and connect.
The leaders also share examples of exhibits that capture the spirit of playful learning.
At the Duluth Children’s Museum, one surprisingly simple exhibit has become a favorite. A clear tube powered by air allows children to send objects soaring upward. Young children experiment with scarves or lightweight materials, while older children build their own creations using everyday supplies like pipe cleaners and sticks. The exhibit becomes a playground for creativity and problem solving.
Chicago Children’s Museum takes a different approach with its art studio, one of the institution’s original spaces. The studio is flexible and responsive, adapting to the needs of visitors each day. A quiet morning with toddlers may focus on gentle exploration, while a busy weekend might feature visiting artists or projects inspired by cultural events. The space reflects the museum’s commitment to creativity and community connection.
At Amazement Square, the James River exhibit transforms local geography into an immersive learning experience. A large-scale model of the nearby river allows visitors to explore the flow of water, navigate historical bateaux boats, and experiment with storm simulations that demonstrate the water cycle. The exhibit connects science, history, and place, reminding visitors that learning can grow directly from their local environment.
Each example shows how children’s museums blend play and learning in ways that feel natural and engaging.
Beyond exhibits, the conversation highlights the important role that community partnerships play in expanding a museum’s reach.
For Drew Jensen, schools are among the museum’s most important collaborators. Field trips bring students into the museum, but outreach programs also bring the museum directly into classrooms. These partnerships ensure that children who cannot easily travel to the museum still experience hands-on learning.
Chicago Children’s Museum has taken school partnerships even further through its Curiosity Classroom initiative. In this program, the museum helps transform classrooms into mini children’s museums filled with interactive learning materials. Teachers receive professional development and support to integrate playful learning into their daily instruction.
At Amazement Square, partnerships with educators shaped the development of more than two dozen curriculum-aligned programs. Teachers help design learning experiences that connect directly to state educational standards, ensuring that museum visits reinforce classroom learning.
These collaborations demonstrate how children’s museums extend far beyond their walls.
Perhaps the most powerful part of the conversation comes when the leaders discuss the programs that earned them the ACM Outstanding Practice Award.
The Duluth Children’s Museum was recognized for its Discovery for All program, which provides free memberships to families who qualify for public assistance programs. By removing financial barriers, the museum ensures that every child has the opportunity to play and learn.
Chicago Children’s Museum received recognition for its Curiosity Classrooms, which bring playful learning environments directly into schools. The initiative shows how museums can deepen their impact by embedding their expertise in community settings.
Amazement Square was honored for its Everyone Special program, which focuses on accessibility for visitors with disabilities, particularly those on the autism spectrum. Through extensive staff training and thoughtful program design, the museum has created an environment where all families feel welcome.
Though these programs differ in focus, they share a common goal. Each seeks to ensure that children’s museums remain inclusive spaces where every child can thrive.
As the conversation concludes, the leaders reflect on what makes children’s museums unique within the broader museum world.
Mort Sajadian points out that children’s museums helped pioneer the idea of education within museum settings. Decades ago, many museums focused primarily on collections and exhibitions. Children’s museums introduced the concept of interactive learning and engagement, influencing institutions across the cultural sector.
Jennifer Farrington offers a powerful reminder about the responsibility that comes with serving young audiences. Children deserve exposure to a wide range of ideas, experiences, and opportunities. Museums must resist the pressure to narrow their focus and instead embrace the full spectrum of learning.
Drew Jensen reflects on the creativity and dedication he sees across the field. From small institutions to large museums, each is finding unique ways to support families and strengthen their communities.
Together, their reflections reinforce the importance of the work happening in children’s museums every day.
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This article offers only a glimpse into the insights shared by Drew Jensen, Mort Sajadian, and Jennifer Farrington. Their conversation explores leadership, exhibit design, accessibility, and community partnerships in far greater depth.
To hear the full discussion and learn more about the innovative work happening in children’s museums across the country, we invite you to listen to the complete episode of Empowering Young Minds.
🎧 Listen to this episode of Empowering Young Minds now
Empowering Young Minds, the Association of Children’s Museum Podcast is available on all major listening platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music!
