PLAYBOOK - Mississippi Children`s Museum

Transcription

THE MCM
PLAYBOOK
SPRING 2016 • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 1
One of my favorite things to hear children say is “my museum.” A little boy writing this
would say at “his museum,” he could play in a magical place that has plants, sand, a
giant waterfall, and big, pink, talking mushrooms. He might not mention (or be aware
of) the connections he made between reading, science, and the natural world. However,
he might tell you that he went to Know to Grow, our new Literacy Garden program, where
he read a funny story about a curious earthworm, saw MCM’s earthworm farm, and
made up his own funny story to share.
SO MANY MEMORIES &
SO MUCH
FUN!
The parents who visit the museum tell us every day how the museum gives their families
a safe and imaginative space to make new memories and how much we have become
a part of their lives as their children gain new skills, make new friends, and become more
confident, curious, life-long learners. One mother recently shared how her sons with autism
have grown up at the museum where they have overcome many challenges. She values
the museum as an important resource in their journey. We hope to continue to be “their
museum” and are grateful to be part of their story.
While we feel we have succeeded at creating a space that values children and places
them at the center of their own learning experiences, we recognize that being able to be
“my museum” for generations of Mississippi children, we must look forward to new experiences, new opportunities, and, at the very least, new repairs to existing exhibits! We are
humbled and grateful for the Junior League of Jackson’s visionary gift of $1 million to
establish the Forget-Me-Not reserve fund, which will allow the museum to begin updating our treasured exhibits. We invite you to visit “your museum” in 2016 and share your
story with us.
Susan Garrard, Mississippi Children’s Museum President/CEO
PO BOX 55409
JACKSON, MS 39296
When the Junior League of Jackson’s museum development committee began master
planning for the Mississippi Children’s Museum (MCM), the conceptual framework was
Our People. Our Place. Our Story. Our World. Now after being open for five years,
MCM has lived into these taglines more than I think any of us imagined so long ago!
What does a place mean to the people who visit there? Is it inspiring? Fascinating? Fun?
Frankly, a story of the Mississippi Children’s Museum might not be all that interesting if it
only is described through statistics, or how much money was raised or needed. The experiences of the children and families who come to the museum make our story unique and
more importantly, how much those experiences are valued inspires and challenges us.
MCM
YEAR IN
PHOTOS
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Jackson, MS 39201
Permit No. 219
Learning in FULL COLOR
It is nearly 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon, and Noah McDavid is finally ready
to paint. He is an inquisitive 6-year-old who loves to explore and has been
at the Mississippi Children’s Museum (MCM) since 10:00 in the morning,
only leaving with his family for a brief lunch break.
“We’re visiting from Louisiana. It’s the kids’ spring break week,” says his mother, Laura. Noah sits down at a station in Outside the Lines, MCM’s art room,
and his mother helps him pour red, blue, and yellow colors on a paper plate.
He eagerly grabs paint brushes and follows the instructions to make a Monet painting by first laying a tape design down on the blank page.
“What color does this make now?” he asks. The young artist smears and
thoughtfully brushes the paint until the page is fully covered and all of the
colors are blended together. “He can only see about 10% of what he’s doing,”
his mom explains. Noah has a rare condition that leaves him color blind. The
primary colors he started with have no more or less definition for him than
when he started. “My dad (Noah’s grandfather) has the same thing––it’s
genetic,” McDavid explains, “but they both still live a full, normal life. It’s so
rare that there’s not even a name for it, but it’s similar to cone rod dystrophy.”
CONTENTS
LEARNING IN FULL COLOR
THE STORYTELLER
3
SOUNDS OF STEM
4
3
“ This is why
A SPECTACULAR FAMILY VISIT
THE LITERACY GARDEN
7
10
“I want to
share stories with
children that will teach them
VALUES OF
HUMAN LIFE
and have a moral which they
can apply to their own lives.”
14
BY THE NUMBERS
MCM-TO-GO
Programs and activities in Outside the Lines allow children of all skill levels
and abilities to exercise freedom of expression on a blank canvas of creativity, no matter what colors they see.
5
12
FUTURE LOOK
As a certified teacher and mother of three young boys, Noah, Silas, and
Asher, McDavid gets creative when teaching her sons daily activities––from
learning basic colors to naming the planets in the solar system.
8
SPRING CALENDAR
DONORS
hands-on
learning is
so important! ”
4
THE LEFLEUR MUSEUM DISTRICT
FACES OF MCM
Color blindness affects millions of children and is most prominent in males.
Conditions are usually inherited by the child’s mother or father and range
through a spectrum of deficiencies. “This is why hands-on learning is so important,” Noah’s mom laughs. She praises her son’s work after the painting
is finished and finds her other son, Silas, molding a “clay statue” on a table
nearby. “Sometimes, it’s the best way they learn!”
Jerry Jenkins
15
16
Storyteller, djembe drummer and MCM visiting artist, Jerry Jenkins sees the creation of
art and the sharing of culture as profoundly important activities for human society,
especially for children. He eloquently articulates a perspective which supports the value
of MCM’s commitment to actively engaging children with arts and cultural heritage.
PUBLISHED BY
Mississippi Children’s Museum
Editorial Director & Writer Meemie Jackson
Editorial Assistant & Writer Chellese Hall
Design Director Kellye McMillan
Design Assistant Marion Steckler
Photographer Lindsay McMurtray
2015-2016 MCM BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Hon. James E. Graves, Jr., Chairman
Margaret Cupples
Donna Bruce
Karen Bush
Dr. Frederick Barr
Bill Bynum
Hope Bynum
Bill Cooke
Oleta Garrett Fitzgerald
2 | MISSISSIPPI CHILDREN’S MUSEUM | SPRING 2016 • PLAY BOOK
John Fletcher
Beth Hansen
Melanie Hataway
Martin Jue
Ashley Meena
Melanie Morgan
Sunny Sethi
Ex-Officio Members
Susan Garrard, President/CEO
“Art is a part of human society. If art is removed from society, the creative mind starts
to die and the humanitarian mind starts to die,” says Jenkins. Art, for him, not only serves
as a source for human innovation but also as a touchstone for people to develop a
deeper understanding of themselves and compassion for others around them.
“I want to share stories with children that will teach them values of human life and have
a moral which they can apply to their own lives,” says Jenkins. “In my workshops, I want
parents and children to engage with each other. I want there to be a mutual exchange.
My stories are interactive so everyone can play a part. When I can put parents into a
playful mode, it amazes their children and lets them have fun together but also creates
a space where they can learn from each other,” explains Jenkins.
Jenkins brings his audience into the action of his stories. He gives out hats so they can
dress up like characters. He also gets them to try out drumming and acting out the
action. He asks questions like, “What would you do?” By doing all of this, he calls upon
their emotional intelligence and gets them to explore different points of view and different ways of problem solving.
Ultimately, Jenkins hopes that his workshop will help parents think more deeply about
themselves not only as caregivers but also as role models and that children will better
appreciate everything that their parents are trying to do and trying to teach them. He
also hopes that his audience will find the experience to be cathartic.
“I want them to leave here feeling like everything that is frustrating them is gone,” says
Jenkins. “I hope they will be inspired to do something that is creative and that will be of
benefit to others.”
Sounds of
STEM
Science. Technology. Engineering. Math.
At MCM, fun is not only seen on a daily basis, but it is
heard in the loudly ringing bell of a shrimp boat or in this case, the
shrill buzz of a homemade kazoo.
Every third Tuesday of the month, MCM’s Programs Team gets ready for Tinker with
Tuesday, a monthly program focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Children participate in an activity which incorporates an experiment
or project that explores a scientific or mathematical principle. Today they are using recycled paper towel rolls, wax paper, rubber bands and a pair of scissors to discover how
sound vibrates across a surfaces.
Children show up immediately and beam at the table full of items, barely able to contain
their curiosity. “I’ve learned as a teacher,” Lydia Rowland explains, “children want something
quick that they can learn from. It doesn’t always have to take a lot of time.”
She punctures a small hole in the middle of the paper towel roll for each child, and
each young visitor places a square sheet of wax paper around one open end of the
paper towel roll. The last step is to secure the sheet with a rubber band and in
one blow, the kazoo is born! The fun begins as children blow on their handmade musical instrument. “They can’t see it, but they learn that the
vibrations from their vocal chords bouncing off of the wax paper
make the buzzing noise,” say Rowland.
“CHILDREN WANT SOMETHING QUICK
THAT THEY CAN LEARN FROM-It doesn’t always have to take a lot of time.”
a spectacular
holiday
family visit
Nearly 15% of the Mississippi Children’s Museum’s annual
visitors come from cross country road trips, holiday visits
to family, or spur-of-the-moment outings with out-of-town
guests. The Russell family is no different as they traveled
from New Orleans through Jackson on their way to North
Mississippi for a Polar Express train ride and discovered
MCM along the way.
“We thought, ‘Hey, that’s a great reason to go to Jackson
a day early!’” says Jessy Russell. They arrived just in time for
the kick-off weekend of MCM’s second annual Holiday
Spectacular to taste five gourmet birthday cakes, dance with
snowflakes, take pictures with Santa, and, of course, participate
in the other ‘normal’ activities inside the museum. “We did our
names on the big Scrabble Board; it was the coolest thing––our
last name then all of our first names,” Lorri Russell says.
Parents of a toddler and 6-year-old, the Russells appreciated all that
the museum has to offer compared to the other museums they have visited before. “It was beautiful with a lot of really interactive things for the kids
to do,” Lorri says.
Although the museum celebrated its fifth birthday in December of 2015, this is only the
second year MCM has hosted Holiday Spectacular, with even bigger and better details,
musical guests and treats than before, including an inaugural Birthday Cake Bake-Off. Five
metro area bakeries––Cakes by Iris, That Special Touch, Campbell’s Bakery, Sticky Sweets
Cakes & Treats, and Lulu’s Sweet Shop––competed to see who baked the best designed and
best tasting cakes. Visitors got to vote on their favorites. This year, Cakes by Iris took
both the Golden Whisk and Golden Cake Knife awards.
“Yes, the cakes were amazing. I looked online to see what y’all were doing
and I thought, ‘We have to go!’” Lorri explains. “We had a blast!” At the
end of their journey, the Russells had only one more thing to add: “We’ll
be back! Merry Christmas, y’all!”
The
Literacy Garden
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?
With books and dreams and dress up things and sound waves all in a row...
The opening of MCM’s Literacy Garden on June 27, 2014 realized a long anticipated dream
to build an outdoor learning and play space to enhance the museum’s experiences. This
outdoor gallery was designed to encourage language and reading skills development among
children 0-8 years old.
Whimsical, literary-inspired sculptures, innovative technology, and native plants, along with
an edible garden, combine to pull children into the creative, limitless world of stories and
imagination. The Literacy Garden is intended not only to meet children’s need for outdoor
play and to create a space where they and their caregivers can become collaborative learners but to expose them to elements which are critical for language and literacy acquisition
so they can become the heroes of their own stories.
When literacy is mentioned, it is easy to think in terms of the skills that are actively employed
during the act of reading, but it is less obvious to think about the ones that children must
master before ever beginning to learn to read. Early deficiencies in these areas lead to far
greater learning gaps later on.
Robert Poore and Rob Anders of Native Habitats brought their landscape architecture and
garden design expertise to this project. Native Habitats designed the Tall Tale Tree House
which is a life-sized sculpture that is part naturalistic representation of a bald cypress tree
and part futuristic canopy. This structure gives children the opportunity to climb to the top
for a bird’s eye view of the expanse below.
“One of the classic landscape design techniques which we employed to inspire curiosity is
‘conceal and reveal,’” says Blanchard. “With this, we created little pockets of perspective
within the garden so that as you move around the space, some areas are intentionally hidden
from view and when you enter them, they suddenly open up to reveal entirely new vistas.”
This is particularly evident as you follow
the Topsy-Turvey Pathway
through the garden.
The Literacy Garden was planned around six pre-emerging literacy skills which include enhancing phonological awareness (actively listening to sounds), letter recognition (knowing
the shape and sounds of the alphabet), vocabulary (learning new words), narrative skills
(telling stories), print awareness (reading), and print motivation (loving reading and books).
Each of these elements are interwoven throughout the garden in both direct and subtle ways.
“When we developed the Literacy Garden, we placed children at the center of the design,”
says Alicen Blanchard, retired Director of Education. “We asked, ‘What do children find
fascinating?’ and let that drive the concept.”
Blanchard worked with industrial designers Nuno Goncalves Ferreira and Erin Hayne of
NunoErin Studios to concept artistic and interactive features within the garden. They created a Fairytale Mushroom Forest with electronic mushrooms of varying sizes which offer interactive stories, games, and auditory experiences under their caps. They continued the visual and auditory focus with the Rhythmic Sound Story Sculpture which is a network of
interactive sculptural pillars shaped like sound waves that create an immersive soundscape
for children to explore.
One of the other technological wonders incorporated into the garden is the Dancing Waters
Wordfall, a digital water curtain from Spain which is the first of its kind in the United States.
It is programmable so that shapes and letters are formed in the sheets of water it releases.
With letters that almost seem to magically appear, the Wordfall easily captures the attention
and becomes a focal point for children to visually explore shapes.
“We not only wanted to incorporate the whimsical, we also wanted to integrate the art cohesively with the natural,” says Blanchard. “The shapes that we used for the exhibits relate
back to the natural elements of the garden. Even the colors that we chose for the color
palette, our ‘color story’, are drawn directly from the colors of the plants themselves.”
“We placed children at the center of the design, and asked
WHAT DO CHILDREN
FIND FASCINATING?”
Inscribed with the lines from the garden’s inspiration poem, the path winds among
the exhibits with each curve revealing something new to discover and do.
One of the other elements which Native Habitats also designed is the Jack and
the Beanstalk Edible Garden. Inspired by the popular fairytale, this installation
features a metal sculpture shaped like a giant beanstalk. Situated within a lush
mist-filled hideaway among raised vegetable garden beds, the beanstalk provides
space to cultivate climbing vegetables and herbs.
Native plant expert and Associate Professor at Mississippi State University, Robert Brzuszek led a team of graduate students from the Mississippi State University Department of Landscape Architecture to develop an ecological landscape
management plan. They not only selected the plants that would be cultivated in
the garden but also created a framework for their care and upkeep which includes
following organic growing practices.
“There is so much that can be said in an area like the Literacy Garden. We decided to highlight
nine different exhibits within the gallery to focus our efforts,” says McMillan. “The main signs
feature a simplified rhyme and a ‘did you know’ section. Smaller signs pose questions, guide the
experience, and feature nouns, verbs, and adjectives that describe the space.”
“Of course, within the design process, we also had to keep MCM’s identity in mind--the signage
had to be youthful and playful but modern! We accomplished this with the use of oversized
letters like “A” for the amphitheater and “M” for the mushroom forest, and chose vibrant hues
within our color story,” says McMillan.
Being able to go through this process has allowed for more in-depth evaluation which helped
the exhibit team make adjustments in the garden and fine-tune the space. This has given MCM
the opportunity to develop a better and more rewarding place-based experience.
“Gardens offer so many learning opportunities. We wanted the Literacy Garden,
like the rest of the museum, to be a platform for interdisciplinary learning. At
MCM, we focus on health and STEM in addition to literacy. What better way to
teach children about botany, biology, and good nutrition, than giving them an
opportunity to play in the dirt to see how food is grown,” says Blanchard.
“We employed a design technique called
CONCEAL AND REVEAL
to inspire curiosity.”
In October 2014, MCM received a grant from the Institutes of Museum and
Library Services (IMLS) to finish the final phase of the garden’s development
which included creating exhibit signage and messaging, completing formal exhibit evaluation and remediation, and developing and piloting garden programming. Being awarded an IMLS grant is a major honor since the application
process is highly competitive.
MCM brought in Lynn Dietrich, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Early Childhood Initiatives at the University of Mississippi School of
Education and Jeanne Vergeront of Vergeront Museum Planning to evaluate the
Literacy Garden. Both Dietrich and Vergeront conducted observations of the
garden to see how visitors were actually interacting with the exhibits and using
the space.
Dietrich considered how the garden aligns with Mississippi state educational
standards as well as early childhood education best practices. Vergeront, who is
a children’s museum expert with more than 35 years of experience, focused on the
garden through the lens of inquiry based learning. Dietrich and Vergeront’s observations gathered critical data which helped to determine the direction for
developing educational programming as well as exhibit signage and messaging.
What has 100 full-time staff, over 200 living species, 1 Gastro-climber, 1 agricultural A75 2-seat
biplane, nearly 300 hall of fame inductees, 15 acres of nature trails, 4 museums, countless decades
of history, and magical moments of inspiration?
After several rounds of evaluations, the team narrowed the goals of the exhibit
signage to three simple guidelines: present a variety of literacy concepts with
minimal words, encourage family interaction, and create an inquiry based learning experience. The team also identified 6 primary learning skills: Build, Play,
Grow, Imagine, Create, and Explore which are represented with icons and which
frame the Literacy Garden experience.
THE LEFLEUR
MUSEUM DISTRICT!
“The inquiry process starts by asking questions so we focused on trying to pose
questions which are open-ended––the kind that a parent might naturally ask a
child and that would prompt a sharing of observation and experience,” says
Kellye McMillan, Director of Advertising and Design.
Follow your n os e !
With support from the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Mississippi Agriculture
& Forestry Museum, the Mississippi Children’s Museum (MCM), the Mississippi Museum of
Natural Science (MMNS) and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame united during summer
2014 to create the LeFleur Museum District (LMD) so these four museums, which share a
common location off of Interstate 55 and Lakeland Drive in Jackson, could work together to
make a collective impact on tourism in the city of Jackson, the state of Mississippi, and across
the southeast.
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“We believe that our area is uniquely positioned to be a hub of travel and tourism as we are
centrally located just off of one of our state’s major travel corridors,” says Susan Garrard,
MCM President and CEO. “Each of our museums may be different, but we have a common
goal in wanting to showcase the best that Mississippi has to offer and to create an area
where locals and visitors alike will play, learn, and grow.”
As the first museum district in Mississippi, LMD has set an example of the benefits of tourism
partnerships for attractions across the state. LMD has thrived since its inception by creating
a collective branding alliance, providing joint ticketing, utilizing shared marketing, and
hosting joint events. The LeFleur Museum District’s mission is to inspire visitors from around
the region and nation with a sense of wonder.
Initial achievements included designing a website, developing environmental signage, and
creating a social media presence for the District. The website presents the museums collectively and sells a joint ticket with a reduced admission rate that is good at all four locations.
“Working in partnership like this not only allows us to more effectively cross promote each
other’s activities but also allows us to work collectively towards bolstering Mississippi’s creative
economy,” says Garrard. “We hope that as our efforts grow, we will be able to partner with
nearby businesses, restaurants, and hotels to attract other family friendly entertainment to
the area making this a premier travel destination. We believe working together will yield a
significant economic impact in the years to come.”
Local artist, Chris Brady, painting a mural for the entrance wall to the Literacy Garden.
MSTourGuide15-16 LeFleurMuseumDistrict 8.5x11.indd 1
9/4/15 12:02 PM
OF MCM
MCM STAFF MEMBER
LAUREN CLARK
Lauren Clark has worn many hats during the past 3 years at
MCM. “I always thought I would like to work in a museum! I
started out helping with field trips; doing programs for school
groups and helping children go through the museum,” she explains. Clark says that one of her favorite parts of working in
education was showing children the connection between exhibits and the real world. “I have learned to take advantage of learning opportunities within the museum. In the past 3 years, I’ve taught over 100 children what a
grapple-skidder is and how to use it in the World at Work gallery.”
Last year, Clark switched departments and became the Assistant Director of Development where she now searches for funding opportunities, leads evaluation on museum programming and activities, and defines the educational mission of MCM to gain support from state and national resources. After being homeschooled in Brandon,
Mississippi, Clark earned degrees in elementary education and communication at Mississippi State University where
she decided that she wanted to work with children through a non-traditional, informal educational environment.
MCM was fertile ground for her to build the educational philosophy that she uses now to identify potential grants
and sponsorships for the museum.
With her wide range of internal knowledge and passion for spreading the mission of MCM, Clark is an asset to the
museum and hopes to gain more support and resources to bring inspiration to every corner of our great state.
Since its inception in the early 2000’s, the Mississippi
Children’s Museum has relied on the generosity of supporters from across the Southeast and especially within
our own backyard in the metro-Jackson area. Joseph
Lauderdale is one such donor who has supported the
museum’s work “since the beginning.”
MCM DONORS
JOSEPH & FRIEDA
LAUDERDALE
Joe, as many call him, hails from the historic hills and bluffs of Vicksburg, Mississippi, but he has lived
in Jackson with his family for 44 years. He recognized early on the tremendous potential that having
a centrally located children’s museum in Jackson could have for the children of Mississippi. “When my
children were small, my wife, Frieda, and I would drive them to New Orleans and Memphis to visit
their children’s museums. It was a great time for our family,” he recalls.
In present day, Lauderdale keeps busy with his family and business responsibilities, but he also enjoys
a good party, including MCM’s annual fundraiser, Ignite the Night, which is one of the museum’s fun,
adults-only evenings and which also raises critical funds towards the museum’s operational and educational costs.
MCM VOLUNTEER
BREANA SEASE
The old proverb “It takes a village to raise a child,” is true. To engage, teach, develop, and train children about
the world around them takes more than parents, teachers, professional museum staff members, or special guests.
It sometimes takes a teenage volunteer from Northwest Rankin High School who dreams of becoming a fashion designer when she finishes college. Meet volunteer, Breana Sease.
“I was 13 and looking for community service opportunities because I wanted to help others. MCM was one of
the only community service locations that had a program that allowed kids my age to participate,” she says.
Sease has volunteered for the past 2 years and the greatest thing she has learned is that learning can be fun!
“MCM gives kids a great opportunity to learn and grow while having fun at the same time,”
she says. “Before volunteering at MCM, I honestly didn’t have a perspective or think about
children’s education at all. Since volunteering at MCM, I see how much effort goes into
providing different ways to educate kids in Mississippi.”
She is one of the more than 93 volunteers who are able to balance school and work while
also volunteering during the summer and fall semesters. “If you are looking for a volunteer
opportunity where you can learn and grow while helping other kids learn and grow, then
MCM is the place for you. MCM makes you a better, well-rounded person,” she says.
MCM MEMBER
THE WANG FAMILY
The Wang family have been MCM members for the past four years. “This is the best place
in Jackson for children, especially in the summer!” says Yan Wang. Wang sits across from
his 6-year-old twin daughters, Adrianna and Brianna, who wear matching outfits. They
pick up a few crayons and began to draw quietly at the Inspirations Studio kiosks. “The
art room [Outside the Lines] is their favorite place to play in the museum,” he explains as
he points to the girls’ newly adorned “Holiday Trinkets.”
Wang is a Jackson native and has been a professor of Math and Computer Science at
Millsaps College for nearly 8 years. As an educator and parent, he naturally values the
girls’ development and loves to see them explore, learn, and thrive when they visit MCM.
“We have been to all of the visiting exhibits, and we really like the Literacy Garden too.
They have grown so much; they used to be a little nervous of some things.” Wang adds.
“No, that’s when I was a baby!” Brianna interjects. “And to eat dinner!” Adrianna squeals.
When asked about their favorite place to play in the museum, they separately agree, “the
arts.” They hold up their drawings––both include a gingerbread man and his house, one with candy canes
entitled “Christmas Stuff” and the other just a little bit different. “We really like coming here and are glad
that we’re members,” Wang says. As soon as the girls display their finished pictures, they eagerly sit down
for another creation as their father happily watches on.
What are Lauderdale’s favorite parts of the museum? “I like the Scrabble board and catching catfish
in the Mississippi River,” he says. “MCM is a great resource for children from Mississippi and across
the south,” Lauderdale says. “I am glad that the children of Mississippi have a museum, and I am
proud to be a supporter.”
MCM VISITOR ASSISTANT
FAITH PHINISEE
MCM PARTNER
MARY PRESTON
DUBBERLY
The museum would not have so much to offer it wasn’t for MCM Partners
and their work behind the scenes planning, volunteering and reaching
out on behalf of the museum. As one of the charter members, Mary
Preston Dubberly has seen the vision of MCM Partners’ leaders through
the years and the work that it has taken to make MCM Partners and
MCM a success. During the past year, she has managed the Partners
Speakers Bureau which reaches out to auxiliary clubs and education advocates at locations all across the state.
“I have been involved with MCM Partners since its inception in 2006,” says Dubberly.
Her interest at the beginning of the museum was sparked by a table full of friends who
all had a passion for children and education. “We had so much fun brainstorming,” she
says. “Our main objective was to help the children of Mississippi, and we wanted a children’s museum that provided a fun educational experience and welcomed everyone. We
knew we had to develop an organization that would raise money for MCM and provide
volunteer support.”
“Creating an organization from scratch requires many good ideas and a tremendous
amount of energy,” she says. “MCM Partners has been a successful organization because
we are constantly learning from our members and from people across our state and incorporating their suggestions. Every year is different when you work with MCM Partners!”
says Dubberly.
Visitor Assistant (VA), Faith Phinisee, has been a VA for nearly 3 years and is a vital part of the MCM
team. “I wanted to be a VA to have more interaction with children and help them learn,” she says with a
wide smile. “My major in school was Child Psychology, so I sometimes try to analyze families while they’re
here, but mostly I just enjoy playing with children in the museum.” After she graduated from Tougaloo
College, Phinisee has continued to work as a VA and is now pursuing a Master’s Degree in the Marriage
and Family Counseling Program at the University of Southern Mississippi.
“It’s always fun to work here. My favorite day is Wednesday mornings because it’s ‘Wee Wednesday.’ We
have the ABC, Come Play with Me program and it’s fun to see the families and kids we know.” She lists a
dozen children’s names and each one of them would know her right back as “Ms. Faith from the museum.”
She is one of the many floor staff who takes the time to not only teach children, but also learn from them.
“One of my most memorable times as a VA was probably last year,” she points to the lower
level near the water table. “The museum wasn’t very busy, so a few of the VA’s gathered with
Carter who was fishing and all of a sudden, he started telling us the story of ‘Jonah and the
Whale.’ It was the best version of the story I’d ever heard. Children are so creative and passionate. You never know what they’re going to say next!”
When she is not studying for her school work or reading stories in the Between the Lions library, Phinisee is found strolling through the museum flashing a smile, creating new recipes
in the Little Cook’s Corner, or playing a game of “Hide and Seek” in the Literacy Garden.
MCM SPRING CALENDAR
FEBRUARY 2016
MONDAY, MARCH 7
MAGIC MONDAY
MCM will be open from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM in
celebration of Spring Break for extra play time!
ALL MONTH LONG
MAGNOLIA BOOK AWARDS VOTING
The Magnolia Book Awards are given annually to
the books voted by Mississippi children in grades
PreK-12th. We welcome everyone to vote for their
favorite book at the museum through the month of
February! The winner will be announced at the Fay
B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival in April.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7 & 21
VISITING ARTIST: AMELIA KEY
1:30 – 5:30 PM
Who’s ready to make silly sculptures? Discover new
shapes from using recycled materials in this creative
workshop. Key has a creative eye for hands-on visual arts, and she works in a variety of media and
techniques to help children express their creativity!
Sponsored by the Mississippi Arts Commission. Free
with general admission or membership.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20
IGNITE THE NIGHT: PRIME TIME REWIND
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Step back into the “Golden Age” of television as
the MCM Partners host the sixth annual, Ignite the
Night: Prime Time Rewind! Channel your inner
child-at-heart at this adults-only fundraising event
celebrating decades of the best in television! Tickets are $75 per person and include food, drinks,
and entertainment. Purchase your ticket today!
www.mschildrensmuseum.org
SAHARA ZOO PERFORMANCE
11:00 AM
“Sahara Zoo” is an exciting collection of folk tales
from the African continent presented in a story-telling theatre style. Join the safari adventure to see the
story of an arrogant iguana, a king lion, a timid frog
to a not so clever elephant! Presented by the Puppet
Arts Theatre under the direction of Peter Zapletal.
Free with general admission or membership.
WE LOVE OUR MEMBERS!
We want to show our appreciation to our members!
Join us on this special day to celebrate the families
who inspire us all year round. Museum members
will receive free pancakes stacks from 9 AM–12 PM
at the Red Rocket Café. All guests will be able to
experience MCM’s outreach program, Get Heart
Smart in the Gertrude C. Ford Exhibition Hall.
Full steam ahead! SAVE THE DATE FOR THOMAS & FRIENDS™: EXPLORE THE RAILS! EXHIBIT and a Members-Only Preview Party: May 20th 5:30-7:30 PM
MARCH 2016
SUNDAY, APRIL 3 & 17
VISITING ARTIST: BLANCA LOVE
1:30 – 5:30 PM
Bring your little one to mold, roll, and shape clay
during a creative ceramic workshop with MCM’s
Visiting Artist, Blanca Love. Sponsored by the Mississippi Arts Commission. Free with general admission
or membership.
SATURDAY, MARCH 19
QUESTION IT? DISCOVER IT! DOCTOR’S DAY
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Many children have dreams of being a doctor when
they grow up. MCM is giving them a head start to
wearing the white coat! Learn about specialities in
bones, eyes, ears, nose, skin and more! Sponsored
by Children’s of Mississippi, a part of UMMC. Free
SUNDAY, MARCH 6 & 20
VISITING ARTIST: ROZ ROY
1:30 – 5:30 PM
Roz Roy is back for a mixed-media workshop in
Inspirations Studio! Roz is known for her watercolor skills that create life-like images of her hometown
and childhood. Sponsored by the Mississippi Arts
Commission. Free with general admission or membership.
MONDAY-FRIDAY, MARCH 7-11
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Calling all teachers! MCM offers professional development sessions that are innovative, research-based, and cater to professionals working
with early childhood students or elementary-aged
children. Our museum staff provides quality enrichment training for teachers to help improve their skills
and grow their knowledge base. Registration is available at www.mschildrensmuseum.org.
SATURDAY, MARCH 26
MAD HATTER TEA PARTY
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Learn about egg-dye science, create a juice ball,
and enjoy sipping tea with the characters from Alice
in Wonderland! Wear your “tea party best” while
you watch a scene from the story! Performances will
be at 10 AM, 12 PM, and 2 PM. Free with general
admission or membership.
MCM SUMMER CAMP
REGISTRATION BEGINS
(ONLINE ONLY)
Spend the summer with the Mississippi Children’s
Museum! We are offering week-long day camps
starting May through August. Visit www.mschildrensmuseum.org to find out more information about
our special themes and educational activities. Members receive a special discount. Limited space is
available.
SATURDAY, MARCH 5
DR. SEUSS’ SILLY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Join us for a Horton-hearing, Lorax-loving, and
green-eggs-and-ham eating grand time! Play with
Thing 1 and Thing 2 and discover all the fun things
they do. Create your own Dr. Seuss hats, get messy
with oobleck experiments, listen to silly stories, and
so much more! Free with general admission or
membership.
FOR A
TRAINLOAD OF
ADVENTURES!
MONDAY, MARCH 28
MAGIC MONDAY
celebration of Easter for extra play time!
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15
MAGIC MONDAY
celebration of Presidents’ Day for extra play time!
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22
ALL ABOARD
SUNDAY, MARCH 27
MCM CLOSED FOR EASTER HOLIDAY
APRIL 2016
SATURDAY, MARCH 12
NASA DAY
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
MCM welcomes the NASA John C. Stennis Space
Center, Vicksburg Robotics Team and the Mandalorians for a day filled with sci-fi space fun.
Relations Specialists and other team members from
NASA will answer questions from future space
cadets to see if they have what it takes to be an
inter-gallactic explorer. Learn about engineering
and test your space-buds with astronaut ice cream
before you meet Darth Vader and other members
of the Mandalorians. Free with general admission
or membership.
SATURDAY, APRIL 16
DISCOVERY U DAY
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Bring your junior scientists, doctors and nurses to
Discovery U Day! Explore the functions of the body
with real medical equipment! Learn about DNA
webs, nerve signals and even how to settle an upset tummy. Families can ask questions and let their
imaginations run wild. Free with general admission
or membership.
SATURDAY, APRIL 2
INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S BOOK DAY
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Celebrating children’s books and inspiring a love
of reading! We will have local authors visiting and
book readings throughout the day. Free with general admission or membership.
SATURDAY, APRIL 16
ROBOT ROUND-UP
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
We have invited robotics teams from around the
state to participate in this year’s challenge to build
a robot or contraption that can tight rope walk 50
feet. Join us to find out what the teams created!
SATURDAY, APRIL 23
QUESTION IT? DISCOVER IT!
DON’T BE SHY
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Everyone can play--don’t be shy! Learn how to
approach and play with children with disabilities.
Dr. Amanda Witt and a team from the Children’s
Rehabilitation Center will lead activities. Sponsored
by Children’s of Mississippi, a part of UMMC. Free
© 2014 Gullane (Thomas) Limited.
Thomas & Friends™: Explore the Rails! was created by Minnesota
Children’s Museum, presented by Fisher-Price and sponsored by 3M.
VISITING MCM FROM
MAY 21-SEPT 11
MEMBERS ONLY PREVIEW PARTY
FRIDAY, MAY 20 • 5:30-7:30 PM
SPONSORED LOCALLY BY
Please note that these dates and events are subject to change.
Visit www.mschildrensmuseum.org for an up-to-date schedule.
ANNUAL DONORS
Contributors to the Mississippi Children’s Museum from
JUNE 01, 2014 - MAY 31, 2015
* denotes an in-kind donation
denotes a Build.Play.Grow. donation
If you wish to change your recognition, please contact us at [email protected].
$25,000+
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau
Junior League of Jackson
Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
Nucor Steel Jackson, Inc. *
St. Dominic Health Services, Inc.
The Hearst Foundation, Inc.
Trustmark
ABC COME PLAY WITH ME
WEDNESDAYS AT 10:00 AM
SPONSORED BY
PLUM
CREEK
$10,000-$24,999
Anonymous
Frieda and Joe Lauderdale
Atmos Energy Corporation
BankPlus
Community Foundation of Greater Jackson
Ergon Foundation, Inc.
iHeart Media, Inc. *
Kroger Delta Marketing Area
Mississippi Development Authority
Nissan North America, Inc.
Parents & Kids Magazine *
University of Mississippi Medical Center
WJTV News Channel 12 *
$5000-$9999
Melanie and Jamey Burrow
Betty and Martin Jue
Kristie and David Nutt
Pavanpreet and Sunny Sethi
American Academy of Dermatology
Coaching For Literacy
Entergy Mississippi, Inc.
Feild Co-Operative Association, Inc.
Fountain Family Foundation
Gertrude C. Ford Foundation
Henry and Martha Hederman
Charitable Foundation
Mississippi Arts Commission
Mississippi Department of Mental Health
Petal Pushers of Madison *
Regions Bank
River Oaks Healthcare
$2,500-$4,999
Alicen and E. J. Blanchard *
Hope and Bill Bynum
Nikki and Ken Cleveland *
Tish and Haden Hughes
Leslie and Warren Kennedy
Ashley and Hu Meena
Donna and John R. Reiss
BancorpSouth
BCI *
BKD, LLP
Convention Display Service, Inc. *
EastGroup Properties
Fresh Cut Catering & Floral *
Hederman Brothers *
Martinson’s Garden Works *
Mercedes-Benz/Porsche of Jackson
Mississippi Baptist Health Systems
Mississippi Development Authority
Paul Moak Automotive, Inc.
Pepsi-Cola/Brown Bottling Group *
Portico Jackson *
Sam E. and Burnice C. Wittel Foundation
Social South *
Spectrum Realty *
Target Corporation
The Radio People of Jackson *
$1,000-$2,499
Sarah and John D. Adams
Lisa and Mike Bemis *
Patsy and Carl Brooking
Donna and Clark Bruce
Anna and Phil Burnett
Karen and Charles Bush
Beth C. Byrd
Joy and Donnie Cannada
Betsy and Wade Creekmore
Meredith and Jimmy Creekmore
Susan and John Garrard
Michelle and Craig Geno
Bettye and James Graves
Billie and Al Green
Frances Griffin
Jimmy C. Hays
Olivia and Jerry Host
Lee and Charles Jackson
Hilda Ann C. Jones
Paula and Malcom Kemp
Farrah and Steve Kennedy
Martha D. Kirkley
Lyn and David McMillin
Amanda and Scott Overby
Sherry and Richard Partridge
Amanda and Hastings Puckett
Sara and Bill Ray
Patti Reiss
Carole Richardson and Ashley Becker
FARM BUREAU SPOTLIGHT
FRIDAYS AT 3:30 PM
SPONSORED BY
Kristie and Steven Speights
Amanda and Gray Tollison
Sarah Webb
Libba and Roy Wilkes
Ashley and Mark Willson
Sarah and Russell Young
Ben Nelson Golf & Utility Vehicles *
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
Burr & Forman LLP
Davaine Lighting
First Commercial Bank
Horne, LLP
Jackson Young Lawyers, Association, Inc.
Jones Walker LLP
Julep Restaurant & Bar and
MINT The Restaurant *
Kohl’s
KPMG, LLP
Larken Labratories, Inc.
Lott Leadership
McAlister’s Corporation
McDade’s Market
McNeely Plastics
Methodist Rehabilitation Center
Mississippi Forestry Association
Mississippi Sports Medicine &
Orthopaedic Center
Pruet Oil Company, LLC
Sunbelt Sealing, Inc.
The Scout Guide Jackson *
Clifton Osbon/Transcript Pharmacy, Inc.
W A Taylor Foundation
Well-Being Magazine of MS, LLC *
FUELED FOR ADVENTURE
THURSDAY AT 3:30 PM
SPONSORED BY
$500-$999
Kelly and George Abdo
Kristin and Sidney Allen *
Drew and Tim Beacham
Jean Turner Brewer
Lindsay and Justin Buford
Frances and Thomas A. Coleman
Tara and Merrida Coxwell
Sidney and Holt Crews
Margaret and Brett Cupples
Steve Davis
Ginny DeHart
Susan and Frank Duke
Gretchen and Curtis Gentry
Dolly and Wesley Goings
Nikki and Glynn Griffing
Beth and Nick Hansen
Mary Martha and Brian Henson
Janice and Jim Ingram
Cathy Joyner
Libby and Ted Kendall
Holly and Alan Lange *
Janie and Steve Maloney
Abba and Claude Mapp
Bettye and Dick Mason
Bee McNamara
Leslie and Ben Miley
Heather and Craig Montgomery
Kerry and Paul Parker
Katherine and Robert Puckett
Mary and Alex Purvis
Rhoda and Billy Roberts
Marcia and Larry Sanders
Charlotte and Calvin Seals
Janet and Charlie Spain
Angela and Joe Stephens
Rebecca and Tom Tardy
Gwennetta and Tom Tatum
Lisa and Bill Thompson
Jan and Andrew Townes
Christie and George Walker
Arco Avenue
C Spire Wireless
Capital Orthopaedic and
Sports Medicine Center
Fondren Cellars
Kroger Card Rewards
Krutz Family Cellars *
Livingston Mercantile Store *
Logan Farms Honey Glazed Hams
& Market Café *
Lost Pizza Co. Jackson *
Providence Hill Farm Sporting Club *
Roundtree CDJR
Sanderson Farms Championship *
The Sherwin Williams Co. *
The Country Club of Jackson *
Wells Fargo
$249-$499
Jane and Brent Alexander
Amy and Eric Amundson
Anna and Fred Asher
Audra and Phillip Bowman
Shanon and Jay Brumfield
Holly and Brooks Buchanan
Karen and Charles Bush
Amanda and Jayson Buterbaugh
Tricia and Timothy Cantrell
Tabitha and Stephen Clay
Danielle and Chris Correro
Hilary and Ben Craddock
Barbara and Jason Craft
Amanda and Myles Cross
Roslyn and Suman K. Das
Susan and Mac Deaver
Laurel and John Ditto
Mary Preston and John Dubberly
Cindy and David Dunbar
Renee and Conrad Ebner
Joan and James Ervin
Ilene Fraser
Martha and Davis Frye
Cynthia and David Gandy/
Jackson Orthopaedic Clinic
Stephanie and Mark Garriga
Kristal and Joe Golden
Marilyn and Glen Graves
Billie and Al Green
Molly and Adam Griffin
Lindsay and Brian Hamm
Elizabeth and James Hays
Emily and Kern Hoff
Hillary and Chesley James
Paula and Randy James
Ellen and Charles Johnson
Sara and Bryan Jones
Irene T. Jones
Crystal and Patrick Klar
Harriet Decell Kuykendall
Vicki and Bill Leech
Janet and William D. Mann
Donna and Jay McCarthy
Leesa and Silas McCharen
Tammie and James McCullough
Collette and John McIntyre
Lindsay McMurtray *
Shani and Jackie Meck
Elizabeth and Kerk Mehrle
Maggie and Lee Parker
Kim and Trey Porter
Elizabeth and Percy Quinn
Royce Reiss
Melissa and Scott Runnels
Stacy and David Seago
Susan and Charlie Shanor
Sarah and Jeff Skelton
Bethany and Lucien Smith
Laura and Tommy Stansell
Angela and Joe Stephens/Millcreek Properties
Dana and Hoopy Stringer
Ward and Jim Sumner
Suzanne Marrs and Rowan H. Taylor
Suzan and Tommy Thames
Lee Ann and Calvin Thigpen
Lisa and Bill Thompson
Betty R. Todd
Jennifer Wellhausen
Cheryl and Cal Wells
Emily and Stuart Whitaker
Marjorie and Beau Whittington
Holly and Christopher Wiggs
Melinda and Louis Wilkinson
Bunny and Charley Windham
KNOW TO GROW
SATURDAYS AT 10:00 AM
SPONSORED BY
FEILD CO-OPERATIVE
ASSOCIATION, INC.
Keller and Heath Wray
Gene and Patrick Wright
Jennifer and Rick Yarborough
Ashleigh Coleman Photography *
Body Anew *
Burke Handling Systems *
CoatTails *
Delta Thermal Solutions
Freeman Water Treatment, Inc.
Goodwill Industries Volunteer Services
of Mississippi, Inc. BPG
Hemline Ridgeland
Hotel and Restaurant Supply
Luckett Pump & Well Service, Inc.
Mangia Bene Catering *
Stewart Title Guaranty Co.
The Bike Crossing *
Top it Off Events *
United Way of the Capital Area, Inc.
Wood Holley Lumber Co. Inc.
$1-$249
Claudia and Holland Addison *
Katy and Cliff Agnew
Judith and Doug Allen
Beth and John Allgood
Tyler Armstrong
QUESTION IT? DISCOVER IT!
ONE SATURDAY A MONTH
FROM 10:00 AM-2:00 PM
SPONSORED BY
Barbara Austin
Heather Avery
Gloria and William Bagnall
Erin and Jay Barbour
Mary Bryan Barksdale
Helen B. Barnes
Mary Gresham and Rick Barr
Linda and Gene Barrett
Annie Laurie and David Barrett
Jana and William Bell
Lucette and Kenneth Bennett
Jean Berch
Monti and Mark Bishop
Amelie and Johnny Black
Sherrie and Eddie Bowen
Dan H. Brady
Elizabeth and Shelby Brantley
Brooke and Russ Bryan
Kathy and Henry Burkhalter
Margarette and Malcolm Butler
Jean B. Butler
Tracy and Doug Byrd
Adrian Caldwell
Ann and Greg Caldwell
Leigh and William Campbell
Blake Carroll
Melissa and Rick Cavett
Lin and Ching Chen
Lauren Clark
Ellen and Jimmy Clayton
Ann and Burke Cochran
Ann and Jim Coggin
Gail and Jan Collins
Brian Copeland
Amy and Michael Courtney
Patricia H. Crain
Angela Cuellar
Melissa and Carlton Daniel
Barbara Day
Petra Diaz and Geraldo Holguin
Sue and Oscar Disney
Betsy and Kane Ditto
Preston Dowell
Jean Jones Downey
Eileen Duddleston
Anne and Mike Dulske
Lea and Carl Easley
Patricia and William Everhart
Susan and Slade Exley
Robyn Farber
Sara Hart and Gordon Fellows
Kelley Fenelon
Larry B. Flood
Susan Eskridge Frazier
Esther and Ted French
Kathy Frye
Kitty and Louis Fuller
Vicki and Edward Garcia
Michelle and Craig Geno
Felicia and Maxie Gordon
Jennifer and Brian Gray
Tisha Green
Jenee Greenlee
Pat and Raymond Grenfell
Maureen and Glen Griffin
Chellese Hall
Barbara and Clyde Hare
Michelle Hariel
Ashley and Michael Harper
Alferdteen Harrison
Jerri and Lucian Harvey
Claire and Jeremy Hawk
Patricia and Frederick G. Hays
Martha and Robert Hays
Blair and Doug Hederman
Sally Hederman
Merle and Julian Henderson
Dianne and Tom Herrin
Rochelle and Jason Hicks
Lynn Holiday
Sandra Horn
Carolyn W. Hughes
Meg Huntington
Elaina and Jamian Jackson
Meemie and John Henry Jackson
Abby and Ben James
LaRita and Setrick Johnson
Letitia Johnson
Rita and Larry Johnson
Mary Louise and Arthur Jones
Susan and Howard Jones
Barbara and Wolsey Jones
Andrew Kehoe
Angela and Pete Kestenbaum
Amanda and Bruce Kirkland
Abbie and Caleb Koonce
Meg Kruse
Leila and Sam Lane
Suzan and Charles Laney
Patricia and Steve Lee
Lynda and Stefan Lehnerer
Mary and Clay Lewis
Carla and Richard Lewis
Wendy and Jay Lewis
Cindi and Danny Lofton
Anna and Steve Luckett
Elizabeth Lyle
Darri and J. K. Mansel
Sandra V. Maris
Cathy and George May
Kim McCormack
Ed and Stephanie J. McCormick
Davis and Drew McIntyre
Lorie and Carroll McLeod
Paul McNeill
Holly Mitchell
Courtney and Casey Moore
SHAKE OUT THE SILLIES
3RD WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH
AT 11:00 AM
SPONSORED BY
MERIT HEALTH:
RIVER OAKS
HOSPITAL
Mary Clay and Matt Morgan
Nan and Chris Morrow
Kristin and Geoffrey Mullen *
Wendy and Chuck Mullins
Marilyn Naron
TINKER WITH TUESDAY
3RD TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AT 3:30 PM
SPONSORED BY
Ruby Needham
Charles Newell
Edwin P. Newell
Linda S. Nix
Amy and Joe Nosef
JoAnn Nowell
Davis and Bob Nunnery
Wendi and Steven O’Neill
Mary and Kyle Overstreet
Britton and Bryan Owen
Katy and Jay Pacelli
Carol G. Parker
Thomas B. Payne
Susan and Joel Payne
Phoebe and Rob Pearigen
Carol and George Penick
Tiffany and Keith Perry
Kaye and Nickolas Petkas
Jacquelyn Petrus
Linda and John Pielik
Sydney Pinnen
Wendy and Michael Polk
Julia and George Potter
Pamela Prather
Mary and Richard Puckett
Gayla and John Purvis
Dexter Quon
Elee and Tate Reeves
Roy Reiss
April and Richard Roberson
Sam Roberts
Dana and Bill Robertson
Kristie and Chris Rohman
Bill Rosenblatt
Lydia Rowland
Lynn and Will Russell
Katie Sanders
Mallory Sbravati
Mary Schiele and Pat Scanlon, Jr.
Carlene and Pat Scanlon
David Schommer
Magdalena and Eric Shepardson
Sylvia and Hollis Shoemaker
Candie L. Simmons
Kimberly Simmons
Sophie and Bill Sistrunk
Connie and William Smith
Mary Elizabeth and George Smith
Amy W. Smith
Frank Spradley
Liz and Art Spratlin
Floyd M. Stallings, Jr.
Patricia and William Stephenson
Sarah and Tim Sterling
Judy and Graves Stubblefield
Ann and Earl Stubblefield
Barbara and Ralph Sulser
Nicole and Beau Swain
Kristie and Jonathan Tabor
Carol Tatum
Cindi Temple
Martha and James Thomas
Helene Thompson
Virginia Thompson
Cynthia Till
Julia and Chandler Tipton
Cinde Touchstone
Judith and Jay Travis
Miriam and Fred L. Vance
Jonathan Varney
Cynthia and Richard Vaughn
Nancy and Daniel Venarske
Bonnie Walker
Shelley and Thomas Walls
Ava and Charles Warren
Malinda and Jim Warren
Deloris Washington
Tara and Gene Wasson
Becky and Chris Waterer
Adam Weathers
Dianna and Mark Webb
Judy Webb
Dee and Frank Webb
Maggie and David Wender
Mary Alice and Donny White
Russell Owen Worley, Jr.
Wanda and Ronald Zebrowski
AmazonSmile Foundation
Amy Head Cosmetics *
Bliss Gift and Home *
Briarwood Enterprises
Buffalo Peak Outfitters *
Chhabra & Gibbs, P.A.
Christy and Jimmy Turner *
Corkscrew *
Covenant Presbyterian Church
CVS Community Cares *
Drench Day Spa *
Ely’s Restaurant *
Fleet Feet Sports *
Fluids and Minerals at BLM Washington Office
Greater Mississippi Combined Federal Campaign
Jackson Camellia Society
Les Amies Luncheon Club
Marie Curtis *
Materials Management at
St. Dominic Hospital
McDade’s Wine and Spirits *
McGraw Rental & Supply *
Payne Realty
Rotary Club of Rankin County
Ruff Draft Papers *
Whole Foods Market *
VISITING ARTIST
1ST & 3RD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH
FROM 1:30-5:30 PM
SPONSORED BY
Memorials and Celebrations
Edward L. Griffin Memorial
Jean Berch
Mary Preston and John Dubberly
Eileen Duddleston
Kelley Fenelon
Frances Griffin
Tish and Haden Hughes
Patricia and Steve Lee
Anna and Steve Luckett
Elizabeth Lyle
Cathy and George May
Sam Roberts
Floyd M. Stallings, Jr.
H. Ann Jones Memorial
Ilene Fraser
Letitia Johnson
Irene T. Jones
Hilda Ann C. Jones
Susan D. Mayfield Memorial
Claudia and Holland Addison
Judith and Doug Allen
Tyler Armstrong
Linda and Gene Barrett
Jana and William Bell
Dan H. Brady
Melissa and Rick Cavett
Melissa and Carlton Daniel
Susan and Frank Duke
Susan and Slade Exley
Martha and Robert Hays
Dianne and Tom Herrin
Carolyn W. Hughes
Mary Louise and Arthur Jones
Cathy Joyner
Suzan and Charles Laney
Mary and Clay Lewis
Elizabeth and Kerk Mehrle
Linda S. Nix
JoAnn Nowell
Carol G. Parker
Susan and Joel Payne
Linda and John Pielik
Gayla and John Purvis
Dana and Bill Robertson
Marcia and Larry Sanders
Connie and William Smith
Patricia and William Stephenson
Judy and Graves Stubblefield
Ann and Earl Stubblefield
Barbara and Ralph Sulser
Malinda and Jim Warren
Maggie and David Wender
Mary Alice and Donny White
Covenant Presbyterian Church
Les Amies Luncheon Club
Goodwill Industries Volunteer Services
of Mississippi, Inc.
John Reiss Memorial
Amanda and Jayson Buterbaugh
Ann and Greg Caldwell
Sue and Oscar Disney
Patricia and William Everhart
Kathy Frye
Vicki and Edward Garcia
Edwin P. Newell
Charles Newell
Patti Reiss
Roy Reiss
Royce Reiss
Wanda and Ronald Zebrowski
Fluids and Minerals at BLM
Washington Office
Materials Management at
St. Dominic Hospital
In Celebration of Lizzy Rogers
Erin and Jay Barbour
In Celebration of Jack Barksdale
Mary Bryan Barksdale
In Honor of Nancy Yates
Adrian Caldwell
In Celebration of Katie Fuller
In Celebration of Cathy Joyner’s Birthday
Maureen and Glen Griffin
In Celebration of Collette McIntyre
Jerri and Lucian Harvey
In Celebration of Margaret Scanlon
Mary Schiele and Patrick Scanlon
In Celebration of John Scanlon
Mary Schiele and Patrick Scanlon
In Honor of Mr. & Mrs. Martin Jue
Esther and Dexter Quon
In Honor of Anne Burnett
Mary Elizabeth and George Smith
In Celebration of Maggi and Lee Lampton
Amy and DeFord Walker
QUARTERLY
DONORS
Contributors to the
Mississippi Children’s Museum from
October 15, 2015December 15, 2015
* denotes an in-kind donation
denotes a Build.Play.Grow. donation
$10,000-$24,999
Donna and Jim Barksdale
Field Co-Operative Association, Inc.
Regions
Sanderson Farms, Inc.
University of Mississippi Medical Center
$5,000-$9,999
Melanie and Manny Mitchell
Sarah and Frederick Wile
Dunn French Foundation
Henry and Martha Hederman
Charitable Foundation
Regions Bank
Plum Creek Foundation
$2,500-$4,999
BKD, LLP
EastGroup Properties
$1,000-$2,499
Patsy and Carl Brooking
Kim and Trey Porter
Car Tag Revenue
Maris, West & Baker *
McNeely Plastic Products, Inc.
Mississippi Forestry Association
MMC Materials
Smith Shellnut Wilson, LLC
Surgical Care Affiliates
Lott Leadership
$500-$999
$250-$499
Melanie and Jamey Burrow
Ruby and David Joe
Jennifer and Peder Johnson
Holly and Alan Lange
Carol Tatum
$1-$249
Anonymous
Jessica Arbuthnot
Alicen and E.J. Blanchard
Robin and Troy Browning
Gloria and John Correro
Margaret and Brett Cupples
Anne and Mike Dulske
Lisa and John F. Fletcher
Crystal and Patrick Klar
Mary and Doug Master
Wendy and Chuck Mullins
Ruby Needham
Mary Schiele Scanlon
Sarah and Jeff Skelton
Kristie and Steven Speights
Dana and Hoopy Stringer
Cynthia Till
Becky and Chris Waterer
Amanda and Nathan Wells
Michelle and Scott Williams
Terri and Larry L. Wissel
AmazonSmile Foundation
Cock of the Walk
Dollar at Door
Kroger Card Rewards
Mississippi Cheesestraw Factory, Inc. *
Saltine *
The Palladian Club
Memorials & Celebrations
Kathy Frye Memorial
Janet and Charles Spain
Uriel Leonard Hamburg Memorial
Mary and Doug Master
Cynthia Till
Isabella Newman Memorial
Anonymous
Jennifer and Peder Johnson
Michelle and Scott Williams
Terri and Larry L. Wissel
John Reiss Memorial
In Appreciation of MCM
The Palladian Club
BY THE NUMBERS
FISCAL YEAR 2014-2015
June 1, 2014-May 31, 2015
Over 97 youth volunteers served more than 5,639 hours!
This represents more than $110,524 contributed to the museum.
40
MUSEUM
RENTALS
4
0
7
24,224
FIELD
TRIPS
FIELD TRIP VISITORS
140,631*
2,624
ACTIVE
MEMBERSHIPS
307
BIRTH
DAY
PARTIES
MUSEUM GUESTS
*excludes facility rental and special event visitors
A SATELLITE MUSEUM IN MERIDIAN, MS
On Thursday, January 21, the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Children’s Museum
voted unanimously to move forward with developing an extension of the Mississippi
Children’s Museum in Meridian, MS, a project which started through a groundswell
of community interest and support.
In the fall of 2014, a group of dedicated community volunteers, Liz Wilson, Kim
Bowers, and Kimberly Denison, approached the Mississippi Children’s Museum for
professional guidance about establishing a children’s museum in Meridian. They were
interested in bringing the resources of a high quality children’s museum to their community and thought that MCM offered a successful model.
We still have a lot of work ahead of us before this
becomes a reality, but just getting to this point is
“ CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION”
“As the discussions progressed, we realized that the potential existed for this children’s
museum developing as an extension of MCM. As Mississippi’s only statewide children’s
museum, we are dedicated to improving the lives of children throughout
all of Mississippi. To have the greatest impact, we recognize that we have
to be able to reach beyond the physical walls of our museum in Jackson,
which, from the beginning, has been one of our strategic goals,” says Susan
Garrard, MCM President and CEO.
“Meridian is extremely honored to have the expertise of MCM shepherding us as we
work together to develop this museum. Through the past year, we have been overwhelmed
by MCM’s integrity, generosity, and above all, commitment to Mississippi’s children. We
eagerly await opening the doors to our very own children’s museum, right in our own
backyard,” says Wilson.
“We still have a lot of work ahead of us before
this becomes a reality, but just getting to this
point is cause for celebration,” says Garrard. “MCM will be reaching out in concert with the Meridian community and
its leadership to develop a high quality
children’s museum. As with the original
Mississippi Children’s Museum project,
we want this museum to reflect the
people, the place, the vision, and the
world of East Mississippi while also creating a place for children that sparks
creativity, expands the realm of imagination and possibility, and instills an everlasting
joy of learning.”
“When we reviewed our visitation statistics, we discovered that MCM receives
very few visitors or field trips from Meridian and East Mississippi. That tells
us we have not been reaching children in this area through our current
services. Being able to open an additional location, especially in an underserved community, offers an unprecedented opportunity.”
In fall 2015, the Meridian volunteers secured funding from a group of
early donors to conduct a feasibility study to determine whether or not a
children’s museum in Meridian would be possible. This study revealed an
outpouring of positive support for the project with 94% of respondents in
favor of having a children’s museum in Meridian. In addition, city, county,
state, and educational leadership for the community also gave their steadfast support.
Donna Bruce, Board Treasurer
Net assets at end of year: $22,216,163
Total revenue: $3,428,368.35
SOURCES OF REVENUE/SUPPORT
Admissions (Events; Retail; Operating Income)...... 56%
Donations & Grants....................................................... 17%
Educational Programs & Sponsorships ..................... 15%
Memberships ...................................................................11%
Other Income ................................................................... 1%
FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES
Program Services ....................79%
Management & General ........15%
Fundraising ................................6%
BUILD. PLAY. GROW.
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN $2.8M BUDGET
Amount Raised $2.4M............. 85%
To be Raised $405K ..................15%
The museum undergoes an annual audit by an independent audit firm. To date, all audits have received an unqualified opinion.
Have fun learning everywhere you go!
•
•
MCM TO GO
start
DID YOU KNOW?
Butterflies often have
brightly colored wings with
bright patterns.
finish!
Adult butterflies mostly live
off of nectar from flowers.
az
Be on the lookout for a
colorful butterfly the
next time you visit
the Literacy Garden!
e?
Challenge a friend
to a game of
TIC•TAC•TOE!
us
C a n yo
olv
h
et
em
SPRING WORD SCRAMBLE!
Can you unscramble the following words?
1, 2, 3, What could
these circles be?
TERFUBTLY
ERSOWFL
BZEREE
AIRN
BUTTERFLY
FLOWERS
BREEZE
RAIN
BIRD
SUN
BLOOM
IBDR
USN
Draw the other half of the flower.
OLOBM
Enjoy this nutritious snack idea at home!
CARROT & RAISIN SUNSHINE SALAD
shredded carrots • raisins
low fat vanilla yogurt • iceberg lettuce
DID YOU KNOW?
Carrots contain ‘beta carotene’ which
helps improve your vision.
FUELED FOR ADVENTURE
SPONSORED BY ST. DOMINIC HEALTH SERVICES
Join us for a free snack every Thursday @ 3:30 PM
www.mschildrensmuseum.org • 601.981.5469
/MississippiChildrensMuseum
@mschildsmuseum
@mschildsmuseum
/mschildsmuseum
A signature project of the Junior League of Jackson
This project is partially funded by the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau.
/MississippiChildrensMuseum

PLAYBOOK - Mississippi Children`s Museum

Transcription

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