All professionals from ACM member museums and business members are welcome to attend, except where noted. The hangouts by job function will be on hiatus in September but will be back in October. Watch of updates. As always, access information is posted in the ACM Member Resources community in Groupsite. If you haven’t joined the ACM Groupsite, email Membership@ChildrensMuseums.org.
Thursday, October 15, 2025 | 2:00 p.m. Education, Programs & Visitor Experiences
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 | 4:00 p.m. Exhibits & Facilities Management
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 | 4:00 p.m. Development, Marketing, Communications & Graphic Design
Thursday, October 29, 2026 | 4:00 p.m. Finance & HR
Children’s museums need more than attendance numbers to show impact. This encore presentation offers creative, accessible strategies for collecting and sharing meaningful data—especially for small teams without dedicated analysts. Presenters will share real-world examples of how to gather non-traditional data, organize it effectively, publish it for varied stakeholders, and empower staff and board members to communicate it consistently. Attendees will leave with practical tools to apply immediately. By making data part of your museum’s culture, you strengthen advocacy, build trust, and reflect the full story of your impact. Register here.
Lynnsey Childress-Wimp, Chief Operating Officer, Discovery Lab
Beth Housewert, Chief Growth Officer, Inspired Impact
Mackenzie Steele, Director of Marketing and Communications, Creative Discovery Museum
Caitlin Luttjohann, Vice President of Play and Learning, Kansas Children’s Discovery Center
Join ACM and Reagan Moore, Senior Museum Program Officer at the Institute of Museum and Library Services, for a look at IMLS’s current open grant calls for museums. Reagan will walk through Museums for America, Inspire Grants for Small Museums, Museums Empowered, National Leadership Grants for Museums, and the 21st Century Museum Professionals Program. She’ll cover what each program is looking for and how to find the right fit for your museum.
She’ll also share best practices and practical tips for developing a strong proposal and submitting it successfully. With FY 2027 applications due November 13, this is a timely chance to sharpen your approach and ask questions directly of IMLS staff. All are welcome, from first-time applicants to experienced grant writers.
Providing a positive field trip experience for school groups while balancing the needs of other visitors can be a challenge. Learn how four museums tackled common field trip challenges and guest concerns to enhance play and learning for all. Register here.
Hardin Engelhardt, Chief Learning Officer, Marbles Kids Museum
Jessie Janik, Student Learning Facilitator, DuPage Children’s Museum
Annie Gordon, Education Program Manager, Sciencenter
Lisa Garrison, Director of Education & Programs, Nido & Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum
Mindy (Porter) McLeroy, Chief Learning Officer, Scott Family Amazeum
