Data from this report was collected through a search of available literature. The research was supported by funding from the New York Life Foundation.
Experiencing the death of a loved one is a distressingly common reality for children. The most recent data from Judi’s House (an organization dedicated to providing comprehensive support services to grieving children and their families) indicates that one in twelve children in the US will lose either a parent or a sibling by the time they turn eighteen (Judi’s House, 2024). Rates of bereavement are even higher for children in racially and ethnically minoritized groups, and for those living in socioeconomically marginalized families.
Children’s museums can help facilitate bereaved children’s grieving processes. In support of this goal, this Trends report presents key research findings from the literature on bereaved children. As the first in a new series focusing on childhood bereavement, this report offers a foundation for bereavement interventions by explaining key concepts, highlighting bereaved children’s needs, and sharing general information on the kinds of experiences and supports that can help children overcome the grief associated with the death of a loved one
Children’s entertainment is more than just colorful characters and catchy jingles—it’s a powerful tool for education, creativity, and emotional growth. Teri Weiss, Executive Vice President of Television Development for DreamWorks Animation, knows this better than most. With a career spanning iconic shows like Dora the Explorer, Paw Patrol, and Gabby’s Dollhouse, Weiss has been a driving force in shaping content that both entertains and educates. In a recent episode of the ACM Podcast, Empowering Young Minds, Weiss sat down with host Arthur Affleck to discuss her journey, the evolution of children’s media, and how Gabby’s Dollhouse is helping kids embrace creativity, resilience, and the joy of learning.
Before Weiss became a leading name in children’s entertainment, she had a different career in mind. While studying international studies at Johns Hopkins University, she pursued internships in journalism, working with networks like ABC. But she quickly realized that hard news wasn’t for her. “I needed to spend my workday finding joy, making people laugh,” Weiss explains. That realization led her into the world of entertainment, where she discovered her passion for storytelling, creativity, and inspiring young minds.
Her early career included working at the Comedy Channel, a scrappy startup that would later become Comedy Central. That experience laid the groundwork for her pivot into children’s media. “I kind of fell into kids’ TV,” she admits, but working on shows like Sesame Street and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? made her realize the profound impact children’s content could have. “You’re creating friends for kids through the screen,” Weiss says, “but also giving them something to think about when the TV is off.”
One of Weiss’s latest projects, Gabby’s Dollhouse, has captivated young audiences worldwide. But it’s more than just a fun show—it’s built on a foundation of fostering a growth mindset in kids. “We spoke with early educators about barriers to literacy,” Weiss explains. “One of the biggest challenges wasn’t phonics—it was that kids were afraid to make mistakes when reading out loud.” This insight became a cornerstone of the show’s curriculum. Gabby, the main character, models resilience, creativity, and the idea that mistakes are a part of learning.
Each episode follows Gabby as she shrinks down into her magical dollhouse, where surprises await in each new adventure. The concept was inspired by the unboxing phenomenon, where kids eagerly watch others open mystery toys. “We thought—what if we unbox a story instead?” Weiss says. The interactive nature of the show encourages kids to think creatively and embrace problem-solving. “The more we can normalize mistakes as part of learning, the more confident kids will become.”
While Gabby’s Dollhouse has been a hit on streaming platforms, its impact is now extending into real-world spaces. The Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) has partnered with DreamWorks Animation to bring Gabby and her friends into children’s museums across the country. These interactive exhibits will allow kids to engage with the show’s themes through play, creativity, and hands-on learning experiences.
Weiss, who previously served on the board of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, understands the vital role these institutions play. “Museums provide kids with their first experience of hands-on exploration,” she says. “They’re a space where learning feels like play, and that aligns perfectly with what we try to do in our shows.”
As the landscape of children’s media evolves, Weiss emphasizes the importance of diverse storytelling and global perspectives. “Content is immediately global now,” she notes. “We have to think about what resonates universally while still embracing the specificity of different cultures and experiences.”
Another shift in kids’ entertainment is the way content is consumed. Gone are the days of scheduled programming blocks—kids now choose what to watch, when they want to watch it. “This means kids are engaging with content in a more personalized way,” Weiss says. Gabby’s Dollhouse, for instance, has grown with its audience. The show’s lead actress, Laila Lockhart Kraner, was 11 when they started filming; now she’s a teenager, and many of the show’s original fans have grown alongside her.
Looking ahead, DreamWorks has big plans for Gabby. More seasons are in the works, along with an exciting feature film set to release in September 2025. “We’re expanding Gabby’s world even further,” Weiss reveals. “We want to continue inspiring kids through creativity, storytelling, and a growth mindset.”
While great content is crucial, Weiss believes parents and caregivers play the most vital role in enriching children’s lives. “Ask kids what they think,” she urges. “It might seem simple, but sometimes a cartoon character is the first one to ask a child their opinion.” Encouraging kids to share their thoughts fosters confidence, curiosity, and a sense of value.
She also highlights the importance of incorporating creativity into everyday life. Whether through crafting, imaginative play, or hands-on learning experiences at children’s museums, giving kids opportunities to explore and experiment is essential. “Mistakes aren’t failures—they’re stepping stones to success,” Weiss reminds us.
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If you’re ready to dive into the magical world of Gabby’s Dollhouse, there’s no better time than now. Check out the show on Netflix, explore the hands-on exhibits coming to children’s museums, and mark your calendars for the upcoming feature film.
For more insights from Teri Weiss and a deeper dive into the power of children’s media, listen to the full podcast episode here.
Empowering Young Minds, the Association of Children’s Museum Podcast is available on all major listening platforms, including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and now YouTube!
The Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), New York Life Foundation, and Knology are pleased to announce a new collaborative project aimed at discovering how children’s museums can better support bereaved children and families in their communities. Called “Building Resilience Together: Strengthening Children’s Museums for Bereaved Families,” the project builds on the critical support children’s museums provide to individuals and communities dealing with loss and grief, whether due to disease, extreme weather events, gun violence, war, or other causes.
“Children’s museums have a great deal of experience when it comes to helping children and families cope with loss,” notes Arthur Affleck, ACM’s executive director. “As partners in their communities, these museums have an opportunity to influence attitudes and behaviors around loss and, in particular, to help children and families become more resilient in the face of present and future traumas. This project is part of a larger effort to support the development of trauma-informed policies, practices, and programs across the field.”
The collaboration will begin with an exploration of children’s museums’ current approaches to supporting bereaved families. Through a literature review, a survey, and listening sessions conducted with children’s museum professionals, ACM and Knology will document both the needs of bereaved children and the role children’s museums play in providing for these needs. To learn about how community members make use of cultural institutions when experiencing grief, loss, and trauma, the project team will also conduct listening sessions with families. The goal of this phase of the project is to identify effective practices for supporting bereaved families—and to devise strategies for making these practices more intentional and widespread across the children’s museum field.
“Based on the existing research,” says Knology CEO Christine Reich, “we know that children’s museums are safe places that offer bereaved children the opportunity to express their emotions, engage in creative activities, and spend meaningful time together with adults who love and take care of them. But there is also an opportunity to advance the range of ways these museums serve bereaved families by listening to them and learning more about the different supports they need. With this knowledge, children’s museums can deliver on their promise of being more inviting and welcoming for bereaved families.”
“Meeting children where they are—in their natural environment—ensures that every child has access to the support they need, particularly bereavement support, which is often an underserved and overlooked issue,” said Maria Collins, Vice President of the New York Life Foundation. “Children’s Museums are ideal spaces to offer meaningful grief support for children and families, blending comfort, conversation and joy in an environment where they feel safe to heal and flourish.”
On a broader level, the project seeks to create a group of bereavement experts in the children’s museum field, and to help the children’s museums’ field become a key community resource for families experiencing grief, loss, and trauma. By building the field’s capacities in these ways, ACM, the New York Life Foundation and Knology aim to help families dealing with loss move from bereavement toward resilience.
About Knology
Knology is a non-profit research organization that leverages social science to drive positive change. Knology’s approach to research is not just theoretical—we work alongside highly networked organizations (including professional associations, media creators, libraries, museums, game developers, and community groups) to simultaneously study and solve real world challenges in real time. Through research, evaluation, convenings, and capacity building workshops, our transdisciplinary team of social scientists, writers, and educators helps professionals improve their ability to facilitate understanding and advance public conversation. Our work empowers education and communications professionals through research-based insights, tools, and resources that can be used to amplify impacts and generate shared community understandings that open new pathways to action. For more, visit www.knology.org
About the ACM – Knology Partnership
ACM and Knology became partners in 2016. Through their work together, they have revolutionized ACM’s data collection to create a longitudinal dataset, allowing for multi-year analysis to identify trends. The ACM Trends Report series saw the partnership form a standardized 4-page research-to-practice field-wide reporting mechanism, allowing the field to use comparative data to advance museums’ financial stability, professional accountability, and service to their communities. There are currently seven volumes of the Trends Report series, with previous volumes focusing on the economic impact of children’s museums and the impact of the pandemic on the field. In 2022, the ACM Trends Data Hub was developed from the wealth of knowledge that emerged from the data analysis. The Data Hub allows museums to access their own data, compare their museum to field-wide averages, and benchmark their museum to other museums of similar scale or location throughout the U.S. In addition to the ACM Trends Program, which includes the reports and data hub, the partnership with Knology has expanded to include researching emerging trends in the field, such as online programming and evaluation support on other ACM initiatives.
About the New York Life Foundation
Inspired by New York Life’s tradition of service and humanity, the New York Life Foundation has, since its founding in 1979, provided over $440 million in charitable contributions to national and local nonprofit organizations.
Recognizing the critical need to provide greater support to grieving children and their families, the Foundation established childhood bereavement as a funding focus area in 2008 and has invested over $87 million to bereavement organizations across the nation. As the Foundation’s commitment to the bereavement field has grown, the team has not only served as a funder, but also as an active partner to a wide range of nonprofits, helping to raise public awareness about grief’s impact as well as build communication and collaboration among grantees.
The Foundation supports programs that benefit young people in other ways as well, particularly in the areas of educational enhancement and social justice. The Foundation also encourages and facilitates the community involvement of employees and agents of New York Life through its Volunteers for Good program and Grief-Sensitive Schools and Grief-Supportive Workplace Initiatives. To learn more, please visit www.newyorklifefoundation.org.
Credit: Sam Wasson Photography
At the Association of Children’s Museums, we are constantly inspired by the innovative work our members do to enrich the lives of children and families. Today, we’re excited to spotlight the Santa Fe Children’s Museum (SFCM) as they celebrate a momentous achievement: a $100,000 Leadership Grant awarded by the Life Center Foundation (LCF).
This generous grant—the largest in the foundation’s history—will enable the museum to renovate and transform its outdoor garden space, aptly named “The Life Center Foundation Discovery Garden.” This revitalized space will enhance the museum’s Seeds & Sprouts program, an initiative that fosters hands-on learning in gardening and environmental science. The project reflects the museum’s commitment to inspiring creativity, discovery, and community engagement while providing children with meaningful connections to nature and sustainable practices.
The grant also celebrates SFCM’s four decades of service to the Santa Fe community, recognizing the museum as a pillar of inspiration and education for children and families. As Marjorie Miller-Engel, President of the Life Center Foundation, shared: “The garden renovation will create a vibrant, inclusive space where families can connect, learn, and play.”
Congratulations to the Santa Fe Children’s Museum and the Life Center Foundation for this incredible partnership! To learn more about their work, visit the Santa Fe Children’s Museum and the Life Center Foundation.
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For more information about SFCM and its nature-based programs visit: Santa Fe Children’s Museum https://santafechildrensmuseum.org/
For more information about the Life Center Foundation visit: The Life Center Foundation, Inc 460 Saint Michaels Drive, Suite 102, Santa Fe, NM 87505 lifecenterfoundation@gmail.com
Year Long Celebration of Creativity and Imagination with Gabby’s Dollhouse MEOWseum Discovery Days
DreamWorks Animation and the Association of Children’s Museums are launching a year-long partnership called Gabby’s Dollhouse MEOWseum Discovery Days, bringing the magic of the hit series Gabby’s Dollhouse to children’s museums across the country. Cue families everywhere singing, ‘Hey Gabby, take us to the museum!’
Celebrating the power of imagination, learning from mistakes and the joy of teamwork, Gabby’s Dollhouse MEOWseum Discovery Days activations will vary by location, with offerings ranging from a-meow-zing activity stations, scavenger hunts, story times, crafting and Gabby costume character appearances. The partnership kicks off at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the world’s first children’s museum, in New York on January 25. To date, the collaboration will be featured at more than 25 ACM member locations across eight states February to April, with additional locations and dates to be added throughout the year.
“ACM and DreamWorks Animation share key values as they relate to playful learning,” states Arthur G. Affleck, III, executive director of the Association of Children’s Museums. “Like children’s museums, Gabby’s Dollhouse emphasizes social-emotional learning and showcases compassion, curiosity, creativity, learning from mistakes and the joy of teamwork.”
“Gabby’s Dollhouse at its core celebrates growth mindset and failing fantastically, and the best way to learn is through play,” said Michael Vollman, EVP, Marketing for DreamWorks Animation. “Partnering with the Association of Children’s Museums is the perfect opportunity to bring this philosophy to life with Gabby’s fans across the country.”
Gabby’s Dollhouse is a hugely popular preschool series from DreamWorks now streaming on Netflix with a brand new season debuting February 17. The mixed media series unboxes a surprise in every episode before jumping into a fantastical animated world full of adorable cat characters that live inside Gabby’s dollhouse. Rooted in growth mindset, the series’ activity-based episodes encourage flexible thinking and learning from your mistakes. Gabby herself is positive, determined, embraces imperfection and celebrates her mistakes, turning them into opportunities for growth, true to her signature catchphrases “I failed…FANTASTICALLY!!” and “I can’t do it…YET!”
Families can find more information on local events at GabbysDollhouse.com. Current activations include:
January 25 Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Brooklyn, NY
February 1 Children’s Museum Houston, Houston, TX
February 2 The Doseum, San Antonio, TX
February 5 The Woodlands Children’s Museum, The Woodlands, TX
February 8 Temple Children’s Museum, Temple, TX
February 15 Explora, Albuquerque, NM
February 16 Santa Fe Children’s Museum, Santa Fe, NM
February 22 Children’s Museum Tucson/Oro Valley, Tucson, AZ
February 23 Children’s Museum of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ
March 1 Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert, Rancho Mirage, CA
March 2 The New Children’s Museum, San Diego, CA
March 9 Pretend City Children’s Museum, Irvine, CA
March 11 San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, Escondido, CA
March 15 Cayton Children’s Museum, Santa Monica, CA
March 16 Southern California Children’s Museum, Pasadena, CA
March 20 Sacramento Children’s Museum, Rancho Cordova, CA
March 22 Modesto Children’s Museum, Modesto, CA
March 23 Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, San Jose, CA
March 28-29 Children’s Creativity Museum, San Francisco, CA
March 31 Children’s Museum of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, CA
April 4 KidsQuest Children’s Museum, Bellevue, WA
April 5 Hands On Children’s Museum, Olympia, WA
April 6 Gilbert House Children’s Museum, Salem, OR
April 12-13 Discovery Children’s Museums, Las Vegas, NV
April 19 Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, UT
April 21 WOW! Children’s Museum, Lafayette, CO
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION’S GABBY’S DOLLHOUSE
Since the debut of DreamWorks Animation’s hit series Gabby’s Dollhouse, kids around the world have been having one big sprinkle party with Gabby and her friends. Created by celebrated storytellers Traci Paige Johnson and Jennifer Twomey and now streaming on Netflix, Gabby’s Dollhouse is a mixed media preschool series that unboxes a surprise before jumping into a fantastical animated world full of adorable cat characters that live inside Gabby’s dollhouse. Rooted in growth mindset, Gabby’s activity-based episodes encourage flexible thinking and learning from your mistakes. The show has charted as a top 10 TV series in 63 countries on Netflix and has become a top preschool brand across the globe, inspiring an award-winning toy line, publishing, home, apparel, and more, as well as original music, a top-rated app and a growing YouTube channel visited by millions of fans weekly. Gabby’s Dollhouse continues to expand through Universal Destinations & Experiences theme parks, global fan experiences, live events and much more, including Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie heading to theaters September 26, 2025. Any adventure can unfold when we play in Gabby’s Dollhouse!
ASSOCIATION OF CHILDREN’S MUSEUMS
ACM is the foremost professional society supporting children’s museums in developing rich environments that stimulate children’s natural playfulness, curiosity, and creativity. With nearly 500 members in all 50 states and in 19 countries, ACM champions children’s museums and together enrich the lives of children worldwide. As a global leader, advocate, and resource for the field, ACM and our member organizations strive to build a better world for children and serve over 30 million visitors annually. Started in 1962, ACM recently marked its 60th year of impactful service to children, families, and children’s museums.
What does it mean to be a person of character? Dr. Arthur Schwartz, President of Character.org, explores this question deeply in his discussion with Arthur G. Affleck, III on the ACM Podcast: Empowering Young Minds. Through his expertise and passion for character education, Dr. Schwartz unveils how moral development influences individuals, communities, and society as a whole. This blog dives into the key takeaways from his conversation, shedding light on the transformative power of character-building at every stage of life.
Dr. Schwartz’s dedication to character education began with an unforgettable experience during his tenure at the School District of Philadelphia. Witnessing a young student lose hope sparked a profound question: How does a 15-year-old come to such despair? This question led him to Harvard University, where he studied adolescent moral development. His journey didn’t stop there—it expanded to a broader focus on virtues like grit, altruism, and gratitude through his work at the John Templeton Foundation and collaborations with thought leaders in positive psychology.
From the start, his mission has been clear: equip individuals with the moral courage and habits needed to make decisions that align with their values.
What is character? Dr. Schwartz defines it simply yet powerfully: Doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, for the right reasons. It’s not just a matter of performing good deeds but embedding those actions into one’s identity and habits. Schwartz emphasizes the importance of character beyond individual development—it’s essential for nurturing stronger families, ethical workplaces, and robust educational systems.
In his leadership at Character.org, Dr. Schwartz promotes a vision where character isn’t isolated to schools but woven into all aspects of life. His holistic approach includes engaging parents, fostering character in afterschool programs, and encouraging workplaces to adopt principles like “hiring for character and training for skills.”
Dr. Schwartz highlights that character education is most effective when it begins early and extends across various environments. His organization focuses on creating “Schools of Character” guided by 11 principles of effective character education. These principles emphasize shared leadership, community involvement, and sustained commitment to values.
One standout initiative is Character.org’s Growing Goodness project, which showcases how early childhood programs foster character across four key domains:
Each domain reinforces the idea that character-building is a collective effort involving teachers, parents, and community members.
One of the most innovative applications of Dr. Schwartz’s framework is its integration into children’s museums. Supported by the Lilly Endowment, this initiative transforms museums into hubs for fostering intellectual character and curiosity. These spaces inspire children to ask questions, explore their creativity, and develop a love for learning.
Dr. Schwartz envisions museums leveraging universal principles like the Golden Rule, encouraging both children and caregivers to embody.
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Character.org is a non-partisan organization that advocates for character education whose mission is to provide global leadership, voice, and resources for developing character in families, schools, and organizations. Character.org is comprised of educators, researchers, business and civic leaders who care deeply about the vital role that character will play in our future. Their work empowers people of all ages to practice and model core values that shape our hearts, minds, and choices.
Fostering Character Through Children’s Museums aims to help children thrive during childhood and develop into engaged, responsible, and caring adults. Since November 2023, ACM, through a multi-year $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc. (the Endowment), is working to engage and support a cohort of 23 children’s museums* that have received planning grants from the Endowment.
Empowering Young Minds, the Association of Children’s Museum Podcast is available on all major listening platforms, including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
Foto © Achim Bieniek
We are excited to share that Salon Stolz has received the 2024 Austrian Inclusion Award and has been nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award EMYA 2025.
Salon Stolz was awarded the Austrian Inclusion Award 2024 in the Leisure & Culture category with the following justification:
“Salon Stolz in Graz offers an inclusive exhibition about the composer Robert Stolz, which is also accessible to people with different impairments, for example through tactile objects and sign language.”
In cooperation with Lebenshilfe Austria and Austrian Lotteries, eight innovative organisations and initiatives were honoured for their commitment to a more inclusive society and the removal of barriers for people with disabilities.
Further Information: https://www.lebenshilfe.at/inklusion/inklusionspreis/
42 European museums have been nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award 2025. Salon Stolz is part of the prestigious international group alongside the second Austrian museum, the Wien Museum. The winning museum will be chosen on 24 May 2025.
Further information: https://europeanforum.museum/news/emya2025-nominees-are-now-announced
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The Salon Stolz aims to bring Robert Stolz and his extensive oeuvre into the present day and to make the passionate composer and conductor known to the target group of children and families.
Our exhibition consists of seven interactive stations that give visitors a playful understanding of the subject of music. Visitors can, for example, play melody memory, build sound stories or conduct the Graz Orchestra with VR glasses.
The highlight of the museum is the dance theatre “Melodia”. Two dancers take visitors on an enchanting journey through the life of Robert Stolz, which is retold through dance. Dancing along is expressly encouraged.
Museums today are at a crossroads, evolving from places where history is preserved into dynamic spaces that foster learning, spark creativity, and build community. They have become essential hubs of education and engagement, particularly for underserved populations. But the journey of transformation for these institutions is not without challenges. In the most recent episode of Empowering Young Minds, Laura Huerta Migus, Deputy Director for Museum Services at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), explored the current state of the museum field, the challenges museums face, and their role in shaping a brighter future for communities around the world. Her insights shine a light on the vital work museums do and the strategies they need to adopt in order to thrive in an ever-changing world.
At the heart of Laura and Arthur’s conversation is the recognition that museums are no longer just buildings filled with artifacts. As Laura notes, they are dynamic institutions that play a pivotal role in the educational and cultural fabric of society. These spaces offer much more than a window into the past; they provide essential services that help foster curiosity, inspire creativity, and encourage learning.
Children’s museums, in particular, have been pioneers in shaping the visitor experience. These institutions encourage children to interact with their surroundings in ways that are both educational and fun, breaking down barriers to learning by making it hands-on and accessible. But there’s a gap that many institutions face—between delivering inspiring programs and managing the operational demands that sustain these spaces. One of the key points that Laura raises is that, while many museums excel at creating community-focused programs, they often struggle to manage their operational needs effectively. This reality is not new, but it’s become more pressing in today’s complex landscape.
There is a growing list of challenges that museums face today, ranging from funding shortages to dealing with natural disasters, demographic changes, security threats, and even political tensions. The museum sector, like so many others, was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced closures and led to a drastic reduction in visitor numbers. While some institutions have since reopened, many are still struggling to return to pre-pandemic attendance levels.
Additionally, as Laura explains, the philanthropic landscape has shifted dramatically. Museums can no longer rely solely on traditional sources of revenue, such as donations or ticket sales, to keep their doors open. They must now think more strategically about sustainability and innovation. This means moving away from short-term fixes and instead developing long-term business models that support both their educational mission and their financial needs.
Beyond financial struggles, museums are also grappling with societal and political changes. Laura points to several incidents where museums have faced bomb threats, digital disruptions, or have been caught up in the so-called “culture wars” over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In certain areas, even mentioning DEI can provoke controversy, and this has put additional strain on institutions trying to navigate an increasingly polarized environment.
Despite these daunting obstacles, Laura and Arthur are optimistic about the potential of museums to emerge stronger and more resilient. Museums have always been adaptive, and now, more than ever, they are being called upon to rethink their operations and their role in the community.
Museums for All— an initiative that highlights the power of accessibility in creating lasting community impact. Launched in 2014, Museums for All was designed to make museums more accessible to low-income families, allowing them to visit participating institutions either for free or for a small fee. The program has been a tremendous success, with millions of visits facilitated and over a thousand museums participating across the United States.
This initiative is a prime example of how museums can redefine themselves in the public eye, moving away from being perceived as elitist spaces and toward being inclusive community hubs. Laura emphasizes that the program didn’t come from a top-down directive; it was born out of the needs and feedback from the field itself. This grassroots-driven approach reflects a growing recognition that museums need to engage with the communities they serve, rather than simply providing content in a one-sided way.
The Museums for All initiative is more than just a ticketing program. It challenges long-held assumptions about who museums are for, helping to break down barriers of class and education. As Laura explains, children’s museums have long been at the forefront of this shift. They were among the first to create spaces where all children, regardless of their background, could learn through play and hands-on engagement. Museums for All takes this concept further, helping museums across the country reimagine their relationships with the communities they serve.
Leadership plays a crucial role in navigating the complexities of the modern museum landscape. Laura’s insights on this topic are both practical and inspiring. She acknowledges that, for many years, museums have focused heavily on developing and delivering content, often without paying enough attention to the business side of things. But the pandemic has forced a reckoning. Museums now have to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, balancing their roles as educational institutions with the realities of running a complex business.
This is particularly challenging for smaller institutions, many of which lack the financial and operational resources of larger museums. However, the field is starting to see a shift, with more leaders recognizing the need to strengthen their organizational infrastructures. Laura noted that the current moment represents a period of growth—a shedding of old ways of thinking in favor of new strategies that will ensure museums’ long-term sustainability.
One project that highlights this shift is the Museum Lab for Museum Professionals, a collaborative effort between the Association of Children’s Museums and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. This initiative aims to provide museum professionals with the training and tools they need to adapt to today’s challenges. By investing in professional development, museums are preparing their staff not just to survive in the current climate but to thrive.
Museums are at a turning point. They are evolving into dynamic, inclusive spaces that foster learning, creativity, and community engagement. But they need the support of their communities to continue this important work.
Whether you’re a regular museum-goer or someone who hasn’t visited a museum in years, now is the time to reconnect with your local museum. Not only do these institutions offer enriching experiences, but they also provide essential services to their communities, helping to bridge gaps in education, equity, and access.
So, the next time you’re looking for a place to explore, learn, or simply enjoy some time with family, consider visiting a museum. Support the programs that make museums more accessible, like Museums for All, and advocate for the continued funding and sustainability of these vital spaces.
To hear more about how museums are transforming communities and navigating today’s challenges, listen to the full podcast episode here.
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Empowering Young Minds, the Association of Children’s Museum Podcast is available on all major listening platforms, including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
The impact of early math literacy is crucial for supporting children’s development and setting them up for a bright future. By starting early, making math fun, and meaningfully involving parents/caregivers—all areas in which children’s museums excel—we can create a world where everyone feels confidence in their abilities to do math.
ACM is excited to announce a new partnership with the Simons Foundation, Nurturing Numeracy Skills & Math Literacy in Children’s Museums, to engage and support a cohort of smaller children’s museums (annual operating budgets of less than $1 million) to develop ideas, strategies, activities, and resources. This program is funded by Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society & Culture division.
“For many people, math can be a difficult subject to engage with,” Ivvet Modinou, senior vice president of Science, Society & Culture, said. “Our goal is to support museums and caregivers to work together to find inventive, accessible ways of engaging and supporting children in their math literacy journeys.”
ACM, the foundation and participating museums will work together to create experiences—programs, activities, events, exhibit components, etc.—which will advance numeracy skills, and math literacy and confidence in children.
“ACM is thrilled to be a strategic thought partner to the Foundation and to the participating museums, working to enable the museums as they convene and co-create,” Arthur G. Affleck, III, executive director of ACM said. “The innovation and unique perspectives of small children’s museums serve as inclusive models for building experiences and building relationships to the communities we serve.”
More information about the initiative and the application process will be available on or around September 20.
How can museums best tailor their programs to families and children? And what are inspiring cases? ACM Executive Director, Arthur G. Affleck III, was a guest for ICOM TALK introducing the world of American children’s museums together with five museum directors who inspire with their programs for children and families.
Carter Arnot Polakoff, President & CEO @ Port Discovery Children’s Museum
Denise R. Adusei, Executive Director @ Bronx Children’s Museum
Rayanne Darensbourg, Chief Executive Officer @ Children’s Museum Houston
Dené Mosier, President & CEO @ Kansas Children’s Discovery Center
Joseph Hastings, Co-Executive Director @ Explora
Watch the video conversation here:
“There are more than 400 children’s museums in the world serving millions of families, but every institution is unique. Children’s museums are known for being joyful spaces for learning and play, and much more than just places to visit. In fact, all children’s museums—regardless of size—function as local destinations (featuring designed spaces such as exhibits), educational laboratories (via programming), and act as community resources and advocates for children.”
– ACM Executive Director, Arthur G. Affleck, III
Boston Children’s Museum in partnership with BostonMoms.com recently surveyed parents about how their children are playing and their perceptions about the role of play in their children’s development. Results of the survey, conducted between March and July 2024, show that Massachusetts families highly value play and see it as essential for their children’s health. 89% of those completing the survey said play was essential to their child’s healthy development, and 88 % said it was essential to their child’s learning.
Parents also said their children have ample time to play, with only 12% indicating their child did not have enough time to play. However, a significant number, 38%, said they do not have enough time to play with their child, and 37% said their child did not have enough opportunities to play with other children.
Results showed children are engaging in varied kinds of play activities during a typical week, from pretend play (57%), outdoor play (91%), playing with other children who were not siblings (70%), playing with pets or animals (45%), playing alone (92%), playing with adults (87%), at home activities such as cooking and gardening (67%), and doing arts and crafts (65%).
Other key findings from the survey include:
• 97% agreed (72% strongly) that play is strongly linked to getting along and working with others.
• 70% agreed (30% strongly) that physical safety is a big concern when thinking about where and how their child plays.
• 80% agreed (36% strongly) that safety, in respect to negative or harmful messages that their children could experience, was a big concern.
• 96% agreed (57% strongly) that it is good for their child to take age-appropriate risks while playing.
• 76% agreed (39% strongly) that technology is taking away from traditional kinds of play.
“The survey is a useful data point in understanding how children are engaging in
play, and the attitudes of families about play. Play is alive and well and families understand its
importance, even as traditional forms of play are challenged by technology, and
the demands of full schedules.”
–Carole Charnow, President and CEO of Boston Children’s Museum
As noted in a 2018 article in the journal “Pediatrics” published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, “The definition of play is elusive. However, there is a growing consensus that it is an activity that is intrinsically motivated, entails active engagement, and results in joyful discovery. Play is voluntary and often has no extrinsic goals; it is fun and often spontaneous. Children are often seen actively engaged in and passionately engrossed in play; this builds executive functioning skills and contributes to school readiness (bored children will not learn well). Play often creates an imaginative private reality, contains elements of make believe, and is nonliteral. Play is fundamentally important for learning 21st century skills, such as problem solving, collaboration, and creativity, which require the executive functioning skills that are critical for adult success.”
701 people completed the anonymous online survey promoted and conducted by the Museum and BostonMoms.com between March and July 2024. 92% were from Massachusetts, with 51% from Greater Boston, and 24% from the City of Boston. The complete survey results can be found at https://bostonchildrensmuseum.org/playsurvey2024/
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About Boston Children’s Museum
Boston Children’s Museum engages children and families in joyful discovery experiences that instill an appreciation of our world, develop foundational skills, and spark a lifelong love of learning. More information about Boston Children’s Museum can be found at www.BostonChildrensMuseum.org Become a fan of the Museum on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Hours and Admission
The Museum is open Wednesday–Sunday from 9:00am–4:00pm. Advance tickets/reservations are highly recommended, especially during weekends, holidays, and school vacation weeks. Adults, $22, children (1–15) and senior citizens, $22; children under 12 months and Museum members are always free.
About BostonMoms.com
BostonMoms.com is a mom-owned and operated digital media company that provides locally focused FREE resources for moms and families in Greater Boston [BostonMoms.com]. Passionate about motherhood and our communities, Boston Moms and its parent company, Wicked Good Mom Media, strive to connect area moms to stories, relevant resources, local businesses, can’t-miss happenings, and most of all — each other!
ACM is pleased to share that its members are leading the way in strengthening parent–child bonds and improved behavior of parents during incarceration. Recently Children’s Museum of Manhattan and Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia were published in Curator: The Museum Journal.
ABSTRACT
A large and increasing number of children in the United States are systematically rendered invisible due to the effects of parental incarceration, forced to navigate a correctional system that does not often take their particular needs into account. This trauma can put children at risk of long-term developmental consequences that can be lasting across generations.
Two children’s museums, among others, are developing unique partnerships to mitigate this negative impact. The Children’s Museum of Manhattan has an ongoing partnership with the NYC Department of Correction to reunite incarcerated parents at Rikers Island with their children for an afternoon at the Museum. Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia, Washington, is partnering with the Washington Department of Corrections to redesign the children’s area of visiting rooms in three correctional facilities.
Anecdotal evidence of strengthened parent–child bonds and improved behavior of parents during incarceration show that early indications of both efforts are positive.
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To read the full article, please visit the Wiley Online Library, here.
For more information about Hands On Children’s Museum, please visit https://www.hocm.org/
For more information about the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, please visit https://cmom.org/
By: Stephen Wisniewski
Collaborations between small, often under-resourced, children’s museums and much larger institutions can often challenge the way we think about resources, practices, and about what and who we value, both in terms of institutions and audience. One major gulf in experience that I noticed was our understanding of immersion, a key concept in children’s museums that reflects our values and assumptions.
“Immersion” is, in many ways, taken for granted as the goal of an exhibit experience. The term seems to permeate both the internal and public-facing language of institutions, as well as promotional pitches for every designer and product aimed at children’s museums. Of course, “immersion” can have a variety of meanings, but one could argue that, more often than not, it means resources—and lots of them.
Because of its ubiquity, and its squishy but commonly understood meaning, the concept of “immersion” can offer a window on multiple important discussions in the children’s museum field: it can be an illustration of the many ways that resources are structurally inaccessible to small museums; it can illuminate the ways we exemplify larger museums as a standard for all institutions; and it can be a practical challenge and an opportunity to inspire engagement no matter what resources you happen to have access to.
This came up frequently as I designed exhibits with colleagues from large museums: full structures, walls, complex narratives, electronic screens, predetermined visitor paths, sounds, and smells were all proposed as elements that could produce immersion. Of course, all of those things can be powerful elements of an exhibit experience, but they also require significant resources to envision, implement, and maintain. It also always helps to have high ceilings and nice, big doors. From the unspoken need for an empty, dedicated gallery space to house an environment to staff, maintenance, and material resources, this immersive ideal is realistically only available to a very limited number of institutions. Structural barriers, as well as unspoken assumptions about what achieving “immersion” might look like, often serve to functionally exclude small and under-resourced museums from conversations about impactful, high-quality exhibits. This is just one of the ways our field can forget about resource disparities.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that small museums can’t and don’t already do innovative, engaging, and immersive exhibits on par with the most expensive traveling experiences. It just means we do them differently.
One of the most unexpected successes of the FFACES exhibits was an element that seemed almost too simple to be noticed: a small, freestanding wooden bridge with a slight arch in the middle and a graphic koi pond underneath. It didn’t do anything, and it wasn’t necessarily part of any larger built environment, but every visitor under five years old seemed to gravitate to it, and often stayed there. This, to me, is an example of a small museum approach in practice. This simple element actually re-centers the exhibit experience on children, instead of competing with adult sensory preferences and perceptions of value. We found that children were compelled by the suggestion of a larger world outside of the bridge: how do we re-center the experience on allowing children to imaginatively fill in those spaces rather than on a resource-intensive built environment? The bridge can physically exist in any museum space, no matter how small or temporary, but the experience remains powerful for children and accessible for small museums.
It might seem obvious, but also bears remembering: children are small. It doesn’t always take a lot to nudge their perspective into new and exciting territory, or immerse them in an experience, no matter how mundane that experience might seem to an adult. Sometimes, it just takes a walk from point A to point B with a tiny hill in the middle, or a unique textural experience, or the invitation to fill a blank canvas. Remembering that fact as adults and as designers—and valuing it as highly as multi-million-dollar environments, without considering it a compromise—can be very difficult. But I believe that embracing those immersive possibilities can produce better exhibits, as well as expand what kind of institutions and experiences we value as a field.
5 Key Takeaways:
Challenging Assumptions About Immersion: Collaborations between small and large children’s museums highlight differing understandings of “immersion,” often assumed to require significant resources, yet achievable through simple, child-focused elements.
Resource Disparities: The pervasive concept of “immersion” underscores the structural barriers and resource disparities faced by small museums, making high-quality exhibits seem attainable only by larger institutions.
Redefining Exhibit Standards: The field often exemplifies larger museums as the standard for all institutions, which can marginalize smaller museums and their innovative approaches to engaging children with fewer resources. Instead, when prioritizing the outcome of the immersive experience, small museums offer innovative and attainable solutions.
Child-Centric Design: Successful exhibits, like the simple freestanding wooden bridge, demonstrate that immersive experiences can be achieved by re-centering the exhibit on children’s perspectives and imaginative engagement rather than on expensive, resource-intensive environments.
Valuing Simplicity and Imagination: Embracing simple,
imaginative elements as valid and impactful forms of immersion can produce better exhibits and expand the appreciation of diverse museum experiences, regardless of the institution’s size or resources.
About the Contributor:
Stephen Wisniewski has worked with and in small children’s museums for 20+ years primarily designing and building exhibits. He is currently an independent consultant specializing in small museum operations, exhibit design, and content. Stephen has a PhD in American Culture with expertise in Museum Studies and Cultural Studies, as well as an extensive background in visual art, DIY design and building projects, and independent art and education spaces—but mostly likes to make cool things for kids to play with.
This blog post is the second in a series of small museum perspectives that emerged from the ACM Freeman Foundation Asian Culture Exhibits Series (FFACES). Introduced as a traveling exhibit model, FFACES has been effective, with a total of twelve impactful exhibits created for two national tours. Each tour reached 3.4 million people—or 6.8 million visitors—total. The latest new round of the FFACES features modular exhibits about East Asian cultures for museums, which can be used in galleries and in outreach events. These new exhibits have a smaller footprint (500–1,000 square feet), and museums can rearrange them to fit in smaller or larger spaces. By remaining at the museum and in the community, the modular exhibit’s content becomes a part of children’s long-term memories, and can create a deeper experience than the temporary attraction of a traveling exhibit.
What U.S. industry sees more than 55 million K-12 students come through its doors every year? MUSEUMS!
According to the American Alliance of Museums, 55 million students visit museums each year through school-trips alone. In addition, more than 75% of museum educational budgeting is spent on K-12 education (American Alliance of Museums 2024). This captive audience can be capitalized on through collaborations with colleges and universities, specifically with a focus on promoting public health. Beyond K-12 education, museums offer a large value to public health, including awareness around disease prevention and surveying the public about their perceptions and concerns surrounding healthcare (Behera and Roy 2018).
Children’s museums, specifically, are dynamic spaces that are designed to engage young people, promote critical thinking and creativity through hands-on activities and interactive exhibits. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, children’s museums have begun new partnerships with a variety of community partners including, government agencies, and social and health organizations. Surprisingly, one underutilized collaborator is colleges and universities. In a 2023 trend report by the Association of Children’s Museums, museums reported their frequency with various collaborators and universities were named less than 50 times, with the highest ranked category garnering a total of 150 times (Association of Children’s Museums 2023).
In the 2023 Understanding Museums’ Collaboration Goals ACM Trends Report, museum leaders reported the goals for collaboration, these goals were then grouped into three primary categories: healing, learning and community. This report indicated that universities were only identified in the learning category as collaborators (Association of Children’s Museums 2023). Partnerships with college and universities offer a unique opportunity to leverage the expertise of researchers, educators and students to support the development of programs that emphasize health and wellness across all three primary goals.
Healing
Increasing Community Health & Wellbeing
Focusing on public health, these collaborations can educate young people, their schools, families, and communities on a variety of topics tailored to their community’s needs. Through exhibits and collaborative educational programs, young people can learn about healthy eating, nutrition, exercise, proper hygiene, disease spread and prevention. Public health and other health related faculty can work alongside museum leaders to identify the issues facing the community in an effort to ensure programs are meeting the needs to the community at large.
Tackling Community or Social Issues
College students and educators can serve as mentors and offer support groups for a variety of issues. Peer support groups and mentor-mentee meet ups held at the museum can break down communication barriers while providing children with a consistent support system. Peer support programs focused on children with chronic illnesses or disabilities, children with autism-spectrum disorder, children of military families, or even those interested in a certain career field, can serve as a professional development tool for the college students while also supporting the goals of the museum and the children.
Addressing Traumatic and Tragic Event
Youth mental health and wellbeing is a major public health concern for the United States. According to the CDC (2024), homicide and suicide are the #2 and #3 leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States. Creating safe spaces for children is not something that can be developed by a single entity. Museums can work with college and universities to offer educational sessions about recent events, which can be led by faculty and students who have experience in the area or stories to share. In addition, students can host hands-on interactive sessions as a form of art therapy, where students can express themselves through a variety of mediums.
Learning
Enhancing Formal / Informal Education
Colleges and universities can utilize these partnerships to research and validate the effectiveness of educational programs being offered. Through this data collection they can refine, improve and expand these programs over time, therefore furthering the reach and impact to the public. This also ensures that the resources being allocated for projects are being maximized and evaluated regularly.
Through offering training and professional development for museum staff and other local educators and hosting events which equip them with skills, knowledge and the confidence to deliver public health content, colleges and universities can empower museums to deliver high-quality programming to the students that visit daily.
Developing Virtual Programming
Colleges are no stranger to offering high level educational programs on virtual platforms. Most institutions offer online courses or programs, especially in the wake of Covid-19. In addition, ongoing advances in technology in healthcare presents a unique opportunity to educate children in virtual healthcare settings through the use of augmented reality and virtual reality. Colleges and universities can offer professional development and provide guidance on moving programming to virtual spaces. Students specializing in health science, computer programming, digital media and design and computer science can work alongside museum leadership to assist in the logistics needed to design user-friendly programming that is engaging to children.
Developing In-Person Exhibits / Programs
Museum leaders can invite educators to provide professional insight into exhibits to ensure they are relevant and updated based on current trends and research. College faculty can also work with students to develop and offer educational workshops or long-standing exhibits. Students can work with museums leaders and faculty to tailor these workshops based on the needs of the community.
Community
Reaching New Audiences
Colleges and universities partner with local schools to offer informational sessions and recruit students to attend their institutions. By working collaboratively, museum and college leaders could expand their outreach by connecting schools and communities with each other. Utilizing pre-existing relationships to promote museum programs, exhibits and educational offerings, will help drive traffic to the museum, as well as expanding partnerships with other community partners such as health systems and non-profit organizations. In turn, promoting the college or university at the museum through programming and exhibits will also advertise their commitment to education, specifically around science and health. It will also showcase the expertise and experiences that their students and faculty possess.
Reaching Traditionally Underserved Audiences
Museum leaders can work with college students to assist in outreach efforts to underserved audiences. Through shared collaborations with local non-profit agencies, students can assist in letter-writing campaigns, community service events and community health fairs. College faculty and students can partner with the museum to bring the museum to the classroom and offer educational programs at schools and community centers where transportation may be a barrier to access.
Conclusion
As museum leaders begin to focus and develop their programming framework on the three primary areas of collaboration, I challenge them to work alongside colleges and universities to support these goals. Colleges and universities around the country see record high interest in public health degrees, developing longstanding partnerships can prove to be mutually beneficial and have the potential to have long-term impacts on the community (Leider et al. 2023).
By working together, universities and museums, have the potential to not only elevate their collaboration goals, but also educate young people and promote healthy habits and a public health mindset. If universities and museums strengthen their collaboration across all three goals and work to ensure learning is fun and accessible, we can empower children to take ownership of their health and the health of those around them.
About the Contributor
Trish Lemmerman, Ed.D, MPH
School of Pharmacy and Health Services, Fairleigh Dickinson University
www.linkedin.com/in/patricialemmerman | www.fdu.edu/fdu-health/
Trish Lemmerman, Ed.D, MPH has worked in higher education for over 17+ years. Through her experience she has worked with both undergraduate and graduate students across all fields. Over the past 8 years, she has worked alongside graduate students in the fields of pharmacy, physician assistant, occupational therapy, social work and public health. For the past year, she has also been working collaboratively with a local children’s science museum, Liberty Science Center, to offer educational programming, mentorship opportunities, and bridge the gap between higher education and children’s museums.
Liberty Science Center is a 300,000 square foot learning center located in Jersey City, New Jersey,. It is home to 12 exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, live simulcast surgeries, hurricane- and tornado-force wind simulators, K-12 classrooms and labs, teacher-development programs, and the Western Hemisphere’s biggest planetarium—the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium and LSC Giant Dome Theater.
We are proud to announce that Miami Children’s Museum has launched the Museum Playful Learning Collective, a groundbreaking national partnership of more than 10 museums aimed at examining the impact of formal museum preschool education on school readiness among children. This initiative, funded in part by a generous grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, seeks to answer critical questions about the advantages of museum-based preschool education, the alignment of curriculum with museum programs, and the best methods to measure kindergarten readiness.
The Museum Playful Learning Collective was officially launched at the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance’s summer conference during a panel titled “Unifying Museum Education: Leveraging Environments for Children’s Education.” This panel explored key questions such as integrating early learning programs with existing museum exhibits, unique opportunities provided by museum programs, and the collaboration between museum educators, classroom educators, and curators.
The collective aims to identify commonalities among these varied institutions and redefine early childhood education in museums, ensuring every child has the opportunity to embark on a transformative educational journey. Through interviews, surveys, observations, and child data, the project will articulate the benefits and impacts of museum schools on early learning, sharing these insights with the broader fields of early childhood education and museums.
“As the only museum-based K-5 school in the country, it was a natural fit for Miami Children’s Museum to take a leadership role in launching the Museum Playful Learning Collective and spearheading this vital research. This initiative represents an unprecedented collaboration among museum educators, enabling the sharing of best practices, curriculum support, and innovative educational strategies. This collaboration with children’s and science museums aims to integrate them into the formal world of learning and establish themselves as integral educational institutions. Notably, it will also provide a pathway for museums to cement their importance in early childhood education.”
–Deborah Spiegelman, CEO of Miami Children’s Museum
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For more information about the Museum Playful Learning Collective, please visit https://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org/museum-research.
Participating partners include The Creative Learning Center (Miami-based traditional preschool partner), Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, Boston Children’s Museum, The Strong National Museum of Play, The Children’s Museum, Great Explorations, Thinkery, The Woodlands Children’s Museum, Fort Worth Science and History Museum, Explora, and Bay Area Discovery Museum.
Data for this report was collected through a search of available literature. This research was supported by the Institute for Museum and Library Services.
The world is designed for mobile media, including smartphones and tablets, and young children are already using these tools in a range of settings. This ACM Trends report summarizes what is currently known about the ubiquity of mobile media in young children’s lives, including the caregivers’ decisions about their children’s use. We end with a consideration of how children’s museums might take advantage of current uses. This report builds on ACM Trends 7.1, which explored general principles of digital media that supports powerful learning.
This report is based on a review of the research literature. We read dozens of empirical reports and peer-reviewed articles about early childhood media use, from university researchers and organizations like Sesame Workshop, PBS KIDS, Common Sense Media, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Fred Rogers Institute, and the American Association of Pediatrics. One challenge in reviewing this research is a lack of consensus definitions. That means we took a broad view and included any research about media content for young children delivered over the internet, from synchronous digital programming and live video calls to games and apps.
The Association of Children’s Museum (ACM), the world’s foremost professional society supporting and advocating on behalf of children’s museums, and those who work at and otherwise sustain them, together with the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh (CMP), is pleased to announce the MuseumLab for Museum Professionals (MLMP) 2024 cohort project awardees. An eight-month professional learning program, MLMP is designed to spark creative innovation that will make museums nimble in proactively adapting to our communities’ changing needs. Five outstanding project prototypes and implementation plans developed by MLMP participants from children’s museum were selected among the inaugural cohort.
• Play-Goh Travel Activity Set –Traci Buckner, Executive Director, Akron Children’s Museum
• A Tale of Two Projects: The Disk-O and the Chaotic Reveal – Daniel Guyton, Traveling Exhibits Manager, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)
• Mobile Museum Pods – Brennon Land, Executive Director, Alaska Children’s Museum
• The Brainstorm – Savita Madan, Makerspace Coordinator, Kidzu Children’s Museum
• Willow Whispers: The Joy of Connection – Rachel Towns, Director of Exhibits, Miami Children’s Museum
Each project was awarded $2,000 to be paid to their respective museums with a notation that it is to further the implementation of their projects.
Hosted through a collaborative partnership of ACM and CMP and guided by a steering committee of established leaders in the museum field, MLMP melded synchronous in-person and online learning with personalized coaching from experts. The program was developed to guide children’s museum professionals as they turned deep questions into actionable implementation plans. Through MLMP, participants received customized support in prototyping and budgeting those plans within their organizations and beyond.
A volunteer selection committee anonymously reviewed the plans at ACM’s annual conference, InterActivity: Flourish!, on May 17, 2024. Like the cohort, they represent small, medium, and large museums, a variety of positions and experience, as well as geographic locations.
• Cindy DeFrances, Executive Director, Lynn Meadows Children’s Museum
• Madai Favaro, Manager, Program Team & Delivery, Glazer Children’s Museum
• Robin Gose, EdD, CEO, MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration and Innovation
• Roxane Hill, Executive Director, The Regnier Family Wonderscope Children’s Museum of Kansas City
• Lauren Kaye, Special Projects Manager, Children’s Museum Tucson
• Margo Malter, Director of Exhibits, Long Island Children’s Museum
• Conrad Meyers, Head of Facilities & Exhibit Production, Bay Area Discovery Museum
• Kimberly Stull, Chief of Building & Making, DuPage Children’s Museum
• Vi Tran, Exhibit Designer, Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
Play-Goh Travel Activity Set (Buckner)
Play-Goh offers an opportunity for children to learn through play when traveling. Buckner’s Play-Goh was inspired by the partnership the Akron Children’s Museum developed with the Akron Canton Airport. The museum was presented with the opportunity to increase its presence with items for young travelers placed in retail space, which is how Play-Goh came to life. The process used for developing and testing the Play-Goh idea included multiple ideation sessions with museum educators, parents of young children, and the MLMP cohort members. As a result, Play-Goh was identified as a STEM-centered activity set that offers multiple uses and new experiences. This project matters because it extends the museum’s reach beyond its walls. The project also fulfills one of the four Akron Children’s Museum pillars: STEM education. The museum wants to be part of the solution for parents who want activities for their children to use creativity through play and think critically when outside of a formal learning setting. Visiting the museum on a regular basis may not be viable for most families; Play-Goh offers an informal learning opportunity to occur wherever the child is.
A Tale of Two Projects: The Disk-O and the Chaotic Reveal (Guyton)
The MLMP process for Guyton was a lesson in the art of pivoting based on time and resources therefore yielding two concepts. The Disk-O—still in ideation—is a multi-layered exhibition that experiments with using a unified form factor of manipulative play-pieces to offer expansive, immersive opportunities for inquiry-based experiences at varying developmental stages. This exhibition will explore the benefits of cross-pollination of integrated play pieces, creating opportunities for deep learning, and discovery. The Chaotic Reveal is a visually pleasing and intriguing exhibit that can utilize any type of visual media to create a layered interactive experience with a depth of possibility. A passive engagement experience with no electrical or mechanical feedback, this exhibit relies on the user’s curiosity and drive for discovery for engagement. The Chaotic Reveal has seen two rounds of prototyping and is poised for various implementations both within the museum walls and out.
Through these initiatives, the aim is to bridge the gap between early childhood exploration and more advanced educational experiences, ensuring that every visitor’s journey through the museum is both enlightening and enchanting.
Mobile Museum Pods (Land)
Alaska Children’s Museum started as a low budget mobile museum-without-walls by partnering with local organizations and providing activities at a few events—which has quadrupled over time. The need for something easy to transport and set-up while remaining unique and engaging quickly emerged. The solution was a concept for a self-contained modular mobile museum pod system that uses flight-case style boxes that are designed to be interactive outside and in, with specific themes so that they become an “exhibit in a box.” When open, the boxes themselves create the museum “walls” and can be mixed and matched for different occasions and audiences. The final version of the pod project will be an exhibit system that can be customized through collaborations with artists to create unique mobile exhibits that combine art and education. This allows the museum to create more custom exhibits, engage and uplift local artists, lend exhibits to other museums, offer children’s museum pop up programming to Rural Alaska communities, and provide a scalable option for any museum, library, school or other institution needing movable, semi-permanent exhibits and activities.
The Brainstorm (Madan)
The Brainstorm is a multifaceted, interactive antechamber to a Makerspace that inspires creative ideation and intentionality in maker-based learning experiences through four cohesive mechanical and digital exhibit elements. Makerspaces have become a quintessential part of informal education environments because they provide an excellent venue for young learners to develop and improve a myriad of skills pertinent to their interests, goals, and future outcomes. However, these opportunities could be significantly more impactful with The Brainstorm, which seeks to provide young learners with more meaningful experiences through personalized scaffolding, real-world context based problem solving, and opportunities to collaborate and be inspired by peers.
Each of the four elements in this antechamber allow guests to contribute to a communal ‘Brainstorm’ of ideas through multimodal, adaptive, and interactive exhibits that can then be used as a jumping off point for Makerspace creations by emphasizing a child’s potential for creating in an impactful way. Research indicates that learning is better internalized when done in a real-world or personally relatable context. By creating a space for Makers to dream big, be inspired by their peers, make connections between ideas, and anchor these ideas in meaningful work, not only are they given the best chance at a profound learning experience, they are supported in becoming tomorrow’s leaders, changemakers, and innovators.
Willow Whispers: The Joy of Connection (Towns)
This project is an extension on a prototype called “The Joy Box” which evoked joy by connecting items with the senses. The Joy Box morphed into an experiential sensory willow tree focused on the themes of joy, memory, and connection. Willow Whispers is envisioned as an immersive, sensory, and contemplative exhibit through which guests are invited to lay amongst the roots of a large willow tree in zero gravity moonpod like beanbags, look up to see the rhythmically pulsing lights and hear the soothing sounds of high vibrational music, while experiencing a soft rain fall of bubbles and light scent. Additionally, guests will create a memento of their experience by writing, drawing, or stamping their own creations on a ribbon that they can tie on the tree or take with them. An opportunity for delight and healing, the exhibit creates a space to be present in a memorable, meaningful, and much-needed way.
A complete list of all the MLMP participants and a program overview may be found at www.ChildrensMuseums.org/mlmp.
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Arlington, Va.—The Association of Children’s Museum (ACM), the world’s foremost professional society supporting and advocating on behalf of children’s museums, and those who work at and otherwise sustain them, is pleased to name its new and returning Board of Directors for 2024. The new members were elected as a slate by the ACM Membership and revealed during its annual conference, InterActivity 2024: Flourish!, held from May 15-17 in Madison, Wisconsin.
Newly joining the ACM Board as At-Large Members for three-year terms are:
· Stewart L. Burgess, PhD, Executive Director, The Children’s Museum of Memphis
· Kelly McKinley, CEO, Bay Area Discovery Museum
· Charlayne Murrell-Smith, VP External Relations & Corporate Development, Boston Children’s Museum
· Caroline Payson, Executive Director, Providence Children’s Museum
Joe Cox, President & CEO at Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was welcomed as Board President for the 2024–2026 term, succeeding Joe Hastings, Co-Executive Director, Explora! The Science Center and Children’s Museum of Albuquerque.
“The ACM Board of Directors represents the ACM membership as leaders in the children’s museum field,” said ACM Executive Director Arthur G. Affleck, III. “This governing body of volunteers guides and advises the association and our strategic work to elevate the children’s museum community, lift up children and families, advance the field through advocacy, policy, and research, and strengthen the organization.”
ACM’s work is guided by its strategic plan—approved by the Board and introduced in January 2023—and evaluated through the two overarching lenses of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI), and environmental resiliency and regeneration.
More about the ACM Board leadership:
New Board President:
Joe Cox has served as the President and CEO of the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, since February 2018. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Museum connects more than 450,000 visitors to inspiring science annually. He has worked in the museum field for more than 20 years having previously served as the President of the EcoTarium Museum of Science and Nature in Worcester, Massachusetts (2012–2018) and as Founding Executive Director of the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, Florida (2004–2012) where he led a campaign to raise more than $25million to build the Museum. Joe has a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science from St. Mary’s University in London with a focus on environmental law and paleoquaternary biogeography and completed his Masters in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester. Joe was the recipient of a
Smithsonian Fellowship in Museum Practice based at the National Zoo and National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. He completed the Getty Museum Leadership Institute at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. Joe is past Chair of the Florida Association of Museums Foundation.
New At-Large Board Members:
Stewart L. Burgess, Ph.D is a developmental psychologist specializing in early learning who has spent the last two-plus decades designing and implementing child-centered curriculum, creating innovative educational spaces, and leading parent and teacher education workshops.
While completing his master’s degree in Experimental Psychology he conducted original research on the problem-solving abilities of young children and was a member of the team responsible for creating and norming the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (MacArthur CDI), the first and foremost assessment of early language development and the largest-scale longitudinal study of infant and toddler language acquisition that has ever been undertaken. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine, where he was named a UC Board of Regents Dissertation Fellow for his research on the effects of emotion on memory in young children. While at UCI, he served as a graduate student researcher in support of the prominent large-scale longitudinal study of cross-cultural achievement led by Stevenson and Chen. Dr. Burgess went on to become the Lead Researcher and Managing Editor of Brilliant Beginnings in Long Beach, California, where he co-authored Toddler Next StepsTM, a book for parents and educators which earned the National Parenting Seal of Approval and two Director’s Choice awards for outstanding quality in parenting and professional development materials (Early Childhood News).
After serving on the board of trustees for the Children’s Museum of Memphis for four years, Dr. Burgess now serves as its Executive Director where he is spearheading educational updates to exhibits and programing, working to position the museum as a meaningful educational anchor for the community, and launching educational outreach for children and families in need of educational access. These efforts include significant partnerships with large-scale non-profits with access to families from lower income neighborhoods and significant marketing in the form of newspaper columns, news interviews, and online articles promoting the importance of early learning that have been accessed by millions.
Kelly McKinley is the CEO of the Bay Area Discovery Museum, a children’s museum at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito, California. She previously served as Deputy Director of the Oakland Museum of California where she oversaw collections, conservation, curatorial, interpretation, exhibition design and production, and evaluation and visitor research. Other professional roles have included Executive Director of Education and Public Programming at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, Canada, and senior roles at Bruce Mau Design in Toronto and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Kelly has lectured internationally on museum leadership and taught in the graduate museum studies programs at the University Toronto, Bank Street College in New York, the University of San Francisco, and the graduate curatorial studies and criticism program at the Ontario College of Art and Design University in Toronto. She has served on the board of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the Museum Education Roundtable and EdCom (the AAM professional network for museum educators) and the editorial board of Curator: The Museum Journal. Her writing and work has been featured in recent publications including What is a Museum: Perspectives from National and International Museum Leaders (eds. Quinn and Peña Gutiérrez for ICOM-US); The Inclusive Museum Leader (eds. Catlin-Legutko and Taylor, 2021) and Museums Involving Communities: Authentic Connections (Kadoyama, 2018).
Charlayne Murrell-Smith is the Vice-President of External Relations & Corporate Development at Boston Children’s Museum. She joined the Museum in 1996 to oversee communications and development and is currently responsible for the corporate, civic, government, and community work to advance its mission, programs, public profile, and financial health. She also manages the Museum’s community engagement staff and initiatives befitting the children and families of Boston and beyond.
Prior to joining the Museum, Charlayne was Director of Client Services and Strategic Planning for the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, where she was responsible for the coordination and delivery of programs and services to Chamber members and served as Chief Operating Officer. She has also served as Project Vice President and General Manager of the Wishnow Group, Inc., a public affairs consulting company specializing in local and national social issues campaigns; Community Affairs Director of WHDH-AM and WZOU-FM; and was a guidance counselor in the Cambridge and Newton Public Schools.
A native of Denver, Colorado, Charlayne holds degrees from Wellesley College and Northeastern University. Her current affiliations include the Boards of Directors of Boston Children’s Chorus, Friends of Martin’s Park, Inc, Meet Boston, Seaport TMA, The American City Coalition, Third Sector Holdings, and the YMCA of Greater Boston. She is also on the advisory boards of Boston Harbor Now and the Greater Boston Chamber’s Women’s Network and Hospitality and Tourism Leadership Council.
Charlayne and has been recognized for her civic involvement and leadership including a Pinnacle Award for achievement in non-profit management from the Women’s Network of the Greater Boston Chamber, EXTRAordinary Women of Boston by the Mayor’s Office of Women’s Advancement, and Leading Women by the Girl Scouts of Eastern MA.
Caroline Payson previously served as the Director of Education of the Smithsonian CooperHewitt National Design Museum for 11 years. In that role, she was responsible for conveying the importance of design and design thinking in everyday life education programs for audiences including teachers, students, professional designers, scholars and the general public. Major initiatives included the website’s Educator’s Resource Center (400 standards-based lessons in all curriculum subject areas and videos modeling best practices); Design-in-the-Classroom, the Harlem Design Center; and National Design Week. The Museum’s annual outreach and impact included 25,000 students, family events for 5,000, after school programs for 1000 students, public programs attended by 1,200 people and a school tour program for 6,000 students.
Additionally, Caroline Payson has a long history of community-based work and other programs that extend beyond museum walls including workshops across the US. Current projects include a mental health initiative that includes children of incarcerated parents and a 5G project funded by Verizon that includes AR/VR.
A complete list of the ACM Board of Directors can be found on the ACM website.
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Data for this report was collected through a review of existing literature. This research was supported by the Institute for Museum and Library Services.
When designed well, virtual programming and online experiences can facilitate meaningful learning moments in early childhood.
This ACM Trends report focuses on these digital media as one educational tool in the museum toolkit. Several well-regarded early childhood organizations have endorsed particular uses of media even for very young children, and we explore the principles and the research behind them before turning to criteria that can help identify when media is the right tool. ACM Trends 7.2 will build on this report by looking at empirical questions that must inform design: how often children use media, which children use media, and where children use media.
This Trends report reviews the research findings and concludes with practical advice for children’s museums seeking to design meaningful digital media experiences for young children.
Data for this report comes from two surveys. That pertaining to children’s museums’ collaborations with libraries was collected through the Spring 2023 ACM Member Collaborations survey. The dataset contains information from 59 member institutions. Data on library collaborations with museums was collected through a NILPPA survey of US libraries conducted in 2022. This dataset contains information from 314 libraries. Research for both of these projects is supported by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (Grant #s: MG-251839-
OMS-22; MG-80-19-0042-19; LG-250153-OLS-21).
Libraries and museums have a shared mission as sites of informal learning.
Both museums and libraries are in the process of expanding the ways they serve their communities, going beyond informal learning to become sites for convening, health and wellness, and other community needs. As their roles change, there are new opportunities for museum-library partnerships. To help children’s museums leverage their existing library partnerships (or form new ones) in support of newly emerging goals, this Trends Report offers a library centered perspective on what makes partnerships effective. What are libraries looking for in a prospective community partner? What do they value in their collaborative relationships? And what are new ways children’s museums can work with libraries to support broader community goals?
The survey also offered insights into the goals children’s museums are pursuing through collaboration. Though varying considerably, museums’ collaborative goals are connected to three broadly shared aims: (1) healing; (2) learning; (3) community. In what follows, we discuss how these findings can help children’s museums understand, approach, and evaluate collaborative work. Our hope is that sharing this information will not only stimulate dialogue around collaboration and partnership, but also help children’s museum leaders plan new collaborative programs and begin the process of building relationships with new partners.
To address these questions, we explore findings from two recent IMLS-funded field-wide surveys: (1) the Spring 2023 ACM Member Collaborations Survey (whose results we discussed in ACM Trends Report 6.3); (2) a 2022 survey conducted by Knology and the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office (ALA PPO) as part of an IMLS-funded project called “National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment” (NILPPA.org). Both surveys included questions about collaborative programming, and their results offer insights into how libraries and children’s museums can expand and strengthen their partnerships in support of shared institutional and community goals.
ACM Executive Director
Join us as we explore innovative practices and groundbreaking research shaping the future of children, unlocking potential for lifelong learning, discovery, and social-emotional development. Whether you’re a parent, educator, museum professional, or simply someone who believes in the transformative power of childhood, Empowering Young Minds has something for you. Tune in monthly for inspiring stories, practical tips, and a healthy dose of laughter as we rediscover the joy of learning through play.
Episode 1-3 are now available online featuring interviews with Jean Margaret Smith, Dr. Leah Austin, Dr. Frederic Bertley, and Joe Cox.
Here’s what you can look forward to on future episodes:
INSPIRING CONVERSATIONS: We’ll chat with educators, museum curators, researchers, and passionate advocates who champion the rights of all children to a healthy, safe, and equitable future.
DEEP DIVES INTO PLAYFUL LEARNING: Discover how museums ignite curiosity, spark critical thinking, and nurture creativity through interactive exhibits and engaging programs.
ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS: Learn practical tips and strategies to bring playful learning experiences into your own homes, communities, and classrooms.
CELEBRATING DIVERSE VOICES: We’ll amplify the voices of children and families from all backgrounds, ensuring every child’s unique perspectives and experiences are heard.
THE FUTURE OF EARLY LEARNING: Exploring innovative trends and technologies shaping the way we engage young minds.
By: Stephen Wisniewski
Recognizing the depth and usefulness of a small museum approach, and centering it in our field, can allow us to see much more expansive possibilities by thinking and practicing from the bottom up, rather than seeing compromise and limitation from the top down.
When I joined the FFACES project as a small museum advisor, I didn’t know what to expect. Of course, I understood the basic contours and goals of the project—to adapt a traveling exhibit series that had previously visited mostly very large, well-resourced institutions so it could be permanently installed in smaller children’s museums and underserved areas—but it also seemed like I was entering an entirely different world.
Like many of us in small museums, I had never considered hosting a traveling exhibit. As the sole member of our exhibits team, I occasionally saw promotional materials or received email offers for them. However, the rental fees were often triple our annual budget. Additionally, the reality of our facilities made it clear that traveling exhibits were not designed to be accessible to us in the first place—with no loading dock, small doorways, and limited exhibit and storage space, most traveling exhibits were both financially and logistically impossible.
Moreover, I doubted whether the large exhibits I encountered would align with our audience and mission.
Conversations with colleagues from larger institutions revealed stark differences in our perspectives and terminologies. We lacked shared understandings of terms like “immersion” and “consumables,” highlighting the communication gap between our worlds. It became evident that adapting large exhibits for small museums required more than just scaling them down. This project offered an opportunity to completely reimagine the design and fabrication process, placing small museums at its core.
I believe that this reframing is part of a larger conversation that should be happening across the field; one that encourages us to think critically about resources, practices, and about what and who we value, both in terms of institutions and audience. Most importantly, this reframing recognizes small museums as not simply a limited version of a larger museum, but as fully formed, sophisticated, innovative institutions that can serve as models for any museum.
So what does it mean to think from a small museum perspective? It’s tempting to answer this question with a clear set of practical guidelines, since from the outside, it might seem that much of what defines a small museum is resource or facility limitations.
How do you accommodate weird, repurposed spaces?
Limited electrical outlets?
No tech support or regular maintenance?
In fact, designing to a set of “rules” for small museums is perhaps not even useful, because the diversity of small museums is so wildly broad—it’s difficult to apply standardized design principles to a 1,000 square-foot strip mall storefront and also a barely renovated Victorian house. Rather, it is far more useful to holistically reframe our thinking about exhibits and operations to be expansive and from the ground-up, using broadly inclusive principles and resource-conscious creativity.
One common small museum consideration that seems to consistently surprise larger museum colleagues is that most small children’s museums don’t have the staff resources to facilitate activities, or even restage them regularly. On a busy day, most exhibits on my museum’s floor might not have any staff attention for hours, or even until after closing. This represents one of the most illuminating examples of something that might seem like a practical limitation, but actually reveals a core strength of small museums, which is the embrace of a truly self-guided, discovery-based approach. Small museums by necessity need to provide experiences that work for a wide range of ages, that are intuitive with minimal instructions and signage, can work without being reset or maintained for long periods of time, and can maintain engagement with repeat visitors over multiple visits and many years. That’s not just difficult, that’s almost magical. And we’re able to do that magic because we are small, not in spite of it.
Designing for low/no technology, no facilitation, and low maintenance is not a constraint or a compromise, but an opportunity for museums of any size. Choosing materials that can safely remain on an exhibit floor without daily laundering benefits both those who do—and don’t—have an on-site washing machine. Consciously using exhibit pieces that have the lowest possible replacement rate and cost benefits the staff at any museum. Recognizing that “special exhibit fees” make our institutions exclusionary benefits all visitors. A small museum perspective is accessibility in practice.
Advocating for the importance of a small museum perspective, and not just for consideration of small museums per se, is important beyond a single phase of this project. And that perspective can ultimately give us more inclusive models for building experiences and building relationships to the communities we serve.
5 Key Takeaways:
Reframing Perspectives: Recognize the depth and usefulness of a small museum approach by reframing perspectives from the bottom up, rather than seeing compromise and limitation from the top down. This shift allows for more expansive possibilities in thinking and practicing within the field.
Adapting to Challenges:
Small museums often face unique challenges such as limited resources, space constraints, and minimal staff support. However, these challenges can be opportunities for creativity and innovation in designing exhibits and operations.
Embracing Self-Guided Exploration:
Small museums excel in providing self-guided, discovery-based experiences due to limited staff resources. This approach fosters engagement across a wide range of ages and encourages intuitive exploration with minimal instructions or facilitation.
Opportunities for Accessibility: Designing for low/no technology, minimal facilitation, and low maintenance isn’t a constraint but an opportunity for museums of any size. Prioritizing materials with low replacement rates and inclusive pricing structures promotes accessibility for all visitors.
Advocating for Inclusivity: Advocating for the importance of a small museum perspective extends beyond individual institutions. It promotes more inclusive models for building experiences and relationships with the communities served, benefiting the broader museum field.
About the Contributor:
Stephen Wisniewski has worked with and in small children’s museums for 20+ years primarily designing and building exhibits. He is currently an independent consultant specializing in small museum operations, exhibit design, and content. Stephen has a PhD in American Culture with expertise in Museum Studies and Cultural Studies, as well as an extensive background in visual art, DIY design and building projects, and independent art and education spaces—but mostly likes to make cool things for kids to play with.
This blog post is the first in a series of small museum perspectives that emerged from the ACM Freeman Foundation Asian Culture Exhibits Series (FFACES). Introduced as a traveling exhibit model, FFACES has been effective, with a total of twelve impactful exhibits created for two national tours. Each tour reached 3.4 million people—or 6.8 million visitors—total.The latest new round of the FFACES features modular exhibits about East Asian cultures for museums, which can be used in galleries and in outreach events. These new exhibits have a smaller footprint (500–1,000 square feet), and museums can rearrange them to fit in smaller or larger spaces. By remaining at the museum and in the community, the modular exhibit’s content becomes a part of children’s long-term memories, and can create a deeper experience than the temporary attraction of a traveling exhibit.
The Association of Children’s Museums recently worked with The New York Times on an article highlighting the emphasis and importance of children’s programs in museums in the United States! The article dives into the trends within non-children’s museums and discusses the work of various children’s museums across the country, highlighting quotes from Arthur Affleck and ACM member museums. You can read the full article in The New York Times here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/27/arts/design/museums-childrens-programs.html
ACM is pleased to share that the association’s executive director, Arthur G. Affleck, III, has been honored by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) with a 2024 Advocacy Leadership Award.
The award, which was presented during AAM’s Museums Advocacy Day on February 26, 2024, is presented annually to advocates who demonstrate exemplary leadership in their advocacy for the museum field.
“As Executive Director of ACM, Arthur brings a passion for education and equity as well as a proven record of accomplishment in the nonprofit sector,” says Brooke Leonard, Interim CEO/chief of staff at AAM, of the recognition. “Arthur’s commitment to elevating children’s museums and enriching the lives of children and families has led ACM to new levels of activity, visibility, and impact.”
Arthur joined ACM as Executive Director in January 2022, to lead the association which serves more than 470 members in 50 states and 11 countries. Under his vision and leadership, ACM has expanded programs, established new partnerships, and prioritized advocacy at all levels of government and across the museum field as critical for not only children’s museums, but for museums of all types. This work is guided by ACM’s new strategic plan, introduced in January 2023. The plan includes four aligned priorities which include elevating the children’s museum community, lifting up children and families, advancing the field through advocacy, policy, and research, and strengthening the organization. ACM’s participation in AAM’s annual Museums Advocacy Day, as well as the concentrated strategic initiatives, research, and professional development, reflect the importance of amplifying the field and championing issues that effect it.
Upon receiving the award, Arthur shared the recognition with the ACM Board of Directors, professional staff, and members of the field, and emphasized, “this award belongs not just to me, but to my colleagues at ACM and the countless individuals and organizations dedicated to advocating for museums and their essential role in our society so that we may all better support children and families.”
“This award belongs not just to me, but to my colleagues at ACM and the countless individuals and organizations dedicated to advocating for museums and their essential role in our society so that we may all better support children and families.”
Arthur Affleck, upon receiving the award, shared the recognition with the ACM Board of Directors, professional staff, and members of the field.
ACM, together with our partnering host museum, Madison Children’s Museum, will convene children’s museums professionals across the world at InterActivity 2024: Flourish!, May 15-17.
A highlight of every InterActivity, the opening plenary session highlights a keynote presentation that leverages expert knowledge in a related field to address the issues and opportunities confronting children’s museums. This year, the opening plenary will feature three small talks speakers framing lively short presentations around the conference theme, highlighting the ways museums, communities, and the children we serve can flourish in an ever-changing world.
Lynda Barry
Cartoonist and Professor of Interdisciplinary Creativity
Drawbridge: Making Comics with Kids
How old do you have to be to make a bad drawing? Most people give up on being able to draw at about the age of eight or nine when they realize they can’t draw a nose or hands in a representational way. There is another kind of drawing that can leap right over this problem of good and bad, which can allow us to experience a way of making pictures that set the conditions for discovery and insight and can be used by anyone of any age. What might it be? Can drawing with kids bring mutual benefit?
Creativity Sparks a Flourishing Spirit
Lynda Barry has worked as a painter, cartoonist, writer, illustrator, playwright, editor, commentator and teacher and found they are very much alike. The New York Times has described Barry as “among this country’s greatest conjoiners of words and images, known for plumbing all kinds of touchy subjects in cartoons, comic strips and novels, both graphic and illustrated.” She earned a degree from Evergreen State College during its early experimental period (1974-78), studying with painter and writing teacher
Marilyn Frasca. Frasca’s questions about the nature of images and the role they play in day-to-day living have guided Barry’s work ever since. In 1979 while pursuing a career as a painter, Barry began drawing a weekly comic strip incorporating stories considered to be incompatible with comics at the time. Stories, as Barry puts it, “that had a lot of trouble in them.” Widely credited with expanding the literary, thematic and emotional range of American comics, Barry’s seminal comic strip, Ernie Pook’s Comeek, ran in alternative newspapers across North America for thirty years
Richard J. Davidson, PhD
William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Founder & Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Founder and Chief Visionary for Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc.
The Science of Wellbeing: Teaching and Training for Healthy Minds, Brains, and Bodies
Just like being physically in shape means regular exercise, supporting one’s emotional well-being begins with a training program – for the mind. In this talk, world renowned neuroscientist, Dr. Richard J. Davidson discusses the scientific concept of neuroplasticity and how research in the lab confirms that well-being is a skill that can be taught. By learning and practicing the skills associated with awareness, connection, insight, and purpose – anyone can have a healthier mind, despite their external circumstances. Based on four decades of contemplative neuroscientific research, Dr. Davidson outlines a path to well-being for anyone in this highly relevant talk.
Human Flourishing & Well-being
Davidson received his PhD from Harvard University in Psychology in 1976. Davidson’s research is broadly focused on the neural bases of emotion and emotional style and methods to promote human flourishing including meditation and related contemplative practices. He has published over 573 articles, numerous chapters and reviews and edited 14 books. He is the author (with Sharon Begley) of “The Emotional Life of Your Brain” published in 2012 and co-author with Daniel Goleman of “Altered Traits” published in 2017. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2006. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2017 and appointed to the Governing Board of UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) in 2018. In 2014, Davidson founded the non-profit, Healthy Minds Innovations, which translates science into tools to cultivate and measure well-being.
Charles Hua
Founder and Executive Director of PowerLines, Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office, and Research Affiliate at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
negative space
Discussing his climate journey—from first learning about climate change and the importance of taking initiative from his second teacher to launching a campaign for Madison Metropolitan School District to become the nation’s then-largest school district with a 100% renewable energy goal to now serving in the Biden-Harris Administration and advising on clean energy policy—Charles Hua will illustrate how the thoughtful mentorship and support he received along the way has shaped him into the person and leader he now aspires to be.
Environmental Flourishing
Charles Hua is the Founder and Executive Director of PowerLines, Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office, and Research Affiliate at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Previously, Charles advanced building electrification policy with Rewiring America. In college, Charles was appointed to serve on the Harvard Presidential Committee on Sustainability, where he helped develop and write Harvard’s sustainability plan and organized the inaugural Harvard Climate Summit. Charles has advised Fortune 500 companies and international NGOs on sustainability issues and serves on the Board of Directors for environmental nonprofits Slipstream, Energy News Network, and Clean Wisconsin. Born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, Charles organized a campaign that successfully petitioned his school district to become the largest in the U.S. at the time with a 100% renewable energy commitment. For his work, Charles has been recognized by the White House as a 2018 U.S. Presidential Scholar, by the Aspen Institute as a Future Climate Leader, and as an Energy News Network 40 Under 40 honoree. Charles holds an A.B. in Statistics and Mathematics from Harvard College.
Barry, Davidson, and Hua will present on Thursday, May 16 at the Opening Plenary session at InterActivity 2024. For more details about the entire conference, view the preliminary program. Registration is now open.
Data for this report comes from two surveys. That pertaining to children’s museums’ collaborations with libraries was collected through the Spring 2023 ACM Member Collaborations survey. The dataset contains information from 59 member institutions. Data on library collaborations with museums was collected through a NILPPA survey of US libraries conducted in 2022. This dataset contains information from 314 libraries. Research for both of these projects is supported by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (Grant #s: MG-251839-
OMS-22; MG-80-19-0042-19; LG-250153-OLS-21).
Libraries and museums have a shared mission as sites of informal learning.
Both museums and libraries are in the process of expanding the ways they serve their communities, going beyond informal learning to become sites for convening, health and wellness, and other community needs. As their roles change, there are new opportunities for museum-library partnerships. To help children’s museums leverage their existing library partnerships (or form new ones) in support of newly emerging goals, this Trends Report offers a library centered perspective on what makes partnerships effective. What are libraries looking for in a prospective community partner? What do they value in their collaborative relationships? And what are new ways children’s museums can work with libraries to support broader community goals?
The survey also offered insights into the goals children’s museums are pursuing through collaboration. Though varying considerably, museums’ collaborative goals are connected to three broadly shared aims: (1) healing; (2) learning; (3) community. In what follows, we discuss how these findings can help children’s museums understand, approach, and evaluate collaborative work. Our hope is that sharing this information will not only stimulate dialogue around collaboration and partnership, but also help children’s museum leaders plan new collaborative programs and begin the process of building relationships with new partners.
To address these questions, we explore findings from two recent IMLS-funded field-wide surveys: (1) the Spring 2023 ACM Member Collaborations Survey (whose results we discussed in ACM Trends Report 6.3); (2) a 2022 survey conducted by Knology and the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office (ALA PPO) as part of an IMLS-funded project called “National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment” (NILPPA.org). Both surveys included questions about collaborative programming, and their results offer insights into how libraries and children’s museums can expand and strengthen their partnerships in support of shared institutional and community goals.
It can be tough to discuss difficult topics with kids, but having candid conversations can help your child understand and cope with disturbing current events. ACM partnering organization Nickelodeon put together Nickelodeon’s Guide to Talking to Kids About Difficult Current Events. This guide was created to help parents, educators, and caregivers prepare for conversations with children about current events.
In addition, Nickelodeon recently shared the interview on CBS Mornings with Jamie Howard, PhD, Sr. Clinical Psychologist at Child Mind Institute, who shares age-appropriate tips for parents for navigating questions that kids may have about what is happening in Israel and in Gaza.
Traumatic and tragic events in the news can deeply affect the children and families the children’s museum field serves. As community resources and advocates for children, children’s museums can help build socioemotional supports for children and those who love and care for them.
Click here to access all the Trauma Resources curated by ACM >
Nickelodeon today announced the return of its global Worldwide Day of Play (WWDoP) campaign, in partnership with the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM). Worldwide Day of Play will take place Sept. 30, 2023. Part of Nickelodeon’s Our World, a brand-new global initiative, with the goal of inspiring kids and helping to provide them with tools to strengthen their individual and collective agency. To date, events are planned by children’s museums and other organizations across the U.S., the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and more.
“Through Worldwide Day of Play, Nickelodeon has fueled a generation who values playing and being active,” said Jean Margaret Smith, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Nickelodeon. “The Association of Children’s Museums is the perfect partner to help us mark the return of this beloved annual event as an anchor program for the Our World initiative, allowing us to showcase the importance of play and the role it can play in building confidence and helping to upskill kids around the globe.”
“Play is a powerful experience that enriches people’s lives in museums, schools, homes, and beyond,” states Arthur G. Affleck, III, executive director of the Association of Children’s Museums. “ACM is pleased to partner with Nickelodeon to amplify the importance of play on wellbeing and healthy brain development, and to make learning more effective and joyful for children and adults. As children’s museums, we believe in the power of play and we strive to nurture more play and playful learning to enrich the lives of children everywhere.”
The Association of Children’s Museums, an Our World coalition member, is partnering with Nickelodeon to bring Worldwide Day of Play activations to affiliates around the globe on September 30th, reaching more than 1.8 million kids and caregivers. Museums participating in Worldwide Day of Play have the opportunity to feature custom Nickelodeon activities that help highlight the importance and transformative power of active play. Participating ACM locations will also feature a varied array of activities, including Mess Fest! at Sacramento Children’s Museum, Play Fair! at Children’s Museum Curacao, Toys and Games from Franklin’s Early Days at the Franklin Area Historical Society (OH), and Slime Time at the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum (FL). Families can check www.childrensmuseums.org/dayofplay/ for information on activities going on in their city, town or area.
In addition to partnering with ACM to host grassroots events globally, Nickelodeon will begin rolling out messaging encouraging kids and families to get up and get active this Worldwide Day of Play (Sept. 30) across its linear, social and digital platforms Thursday, Sept. 29. Kids and families can also visit www.childrensmuseums.org/dayofplay to get tips on ways to celebrate play and access toolkits to help plan their own WWDoP activities. Additionally, Nickelodeon has teamed up with Our World partner Aspen Institute to create the “Worldwide Day of Play Playbook” that amplifies youth voices and demonstrates how play can be a powerful tool in skill building.
Worldwide Day of Play is part of Nickelodeon’s global Our World initiative and is centered in the brand’s longstanding commitment to promoting active play and healthy lifestyles. Since its 2004 inception, thousands of WWDoP events have been held across the U.S., and in Argentina, Colombia, Belgium, Mexico, Brazil, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Germany, Italy, Russia and more. Additionally, more than $3 million in grants and scholarships have been awarded to national and local organizations to promote active play.
About Association of Children’s Museums (ACM)
ACM is the foremost professional society supporting children’s museums in developing rich environments that stimulate children’s natural playfulness, curiosity, and creativity. With more than 470 members in all 50 states and in 16 countries, ACM champions children’s museums and together enrich the lives of children worldwide. As a global leader, advocate, and resource for the field, ACM and our member organizations strive to build a better world for children and serve over 30 million visitors annually. Started in 1962, ACM recently marked its 60th year of impactful service to children, families, and children’s museums.”
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 44th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon is a part of Paramount’s (Nasdaq: PARA, PARAA) global portfolio of multimedia entertainment brands.
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Data for this report was collected through a Spring 2023 ACM member survey on collaborations. The dataset contains information from 59 member institutions. Previous pandemic-era survey data on collaborations conducted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic supported instrument sevelopment. This research was supported by the Institute for Museum and Library Services
Children’s museums are part of an ecosystem of community services designed to enrich children’s lives through the provision of informal learning experiences. That ecosystem functions best when the various institutions comprising it are working together, sharing their resources and capabilities to more effectively connect with and serve their audiences.
We saw evidence of this during the height of the pandemic. As reported in Trends Report #4.8, #4.10, and #4.11, children’s museums adapted to the constraints imposed by COVID-19 by forging partnerships with new collaborators and expanding existing collaborations. The public health crisis inspired children’s museums to join forces with an incredibly diverse array of community organizations, including formal educational institutions and health and social service providers. These collaborations led not only to new
programs, but also to broader conceptions of community service and fresh insights into how children’s museums can deliver on their mission.
This edition of the ACM Trends series provides an update on our pandemic-era research. As of Spring 2023, 95% of children’s museums have re-opened their doors, and to understand how this transition is impacting their collaborative work, we administered a survey focused explicitly on this topic. Fifty-nine ACM members completed this survey. Their responses indicate that the resumption of in-person activities has not diminished children’s museums’ eagerness for collaborating with partners across a wide range of service vectors. Moreover, just as was true at COVID-19’s peak, programs focused on health and wellbeing remain a core part of their collaborative efforts.
The survey also offered insights into the goals children’s museums are pursuing through collaboration. Though varying considerably, museums’ collaborative goals are connected to three broadly shared aims: (1) healing; (2) learning; (3) community. In what follows, we discuss how these findings can help children’s museums understand, approach, and evaluate collaborative work. Our hope is that sharing this information will not only stimulate dialogue around collaboration and partnership, but also help children’s museum leaders plan new collaborative programs and begin the process of building relationships with new partners.
With the waning weeks of the summer of 2023, children continue to make the most of every moment at Please Touch Museum (PTM) in Philadelphia. This is especially true for rising kindergarteners, who are getting ready to pack their backpacks, find their cubbies, and meet new friends. And the 80 children and their caregivers who participated in PTM’s Kindergarten Readiness Experience this summer are well-prepared for new adventures in learning. The program was recently featured in The Inquirer, highlighting the importance of social and emotional skills in preparation for kindergarten.
PTM’s Kindergarten Readiness Experience is advancing how children prepare to transition to kindergarten, ensuring they enter the classroom on their first day full of creativity, compassion, confidence, and curiosity. Entering kindergarten is a milestone for young children and families. PTM remains committed to supporting the journey from home to school by building the critical social-emotional skills needed for a successful transition.
The Kindergarten Readiness Experience was also highlighted in the American Alliance of Museums’ recent reaccreditation report, which specifically cited the program as worthy of study by other museums. Together, these remarkable endorsements help celebrate yet another way in which PTM changes a child’s life as they discover the power of learning through play.
“There’s a lot of research to suggest that if a child is ready for kindergarten, they’re going to do better in the future academically and socially [and] emotionally.
– Alyssa Liles-Amponsah, the senior director of community programs and inclusion at the Please Touch Museum via The Inquirer
It’s so important to intervene as early as possible with children and make sure they have all the skills they need to be successful in kindergarten so it sets their trajectory on a positive pathway.”
