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Vision for South Dakota Children’s Museum and Science Center

Vision for South Dakota Children’s Museum and Science Center. Presentation to Brookings Board of Education. November 13, 2006. Statistics provided by Association of Children’s Museums www.childrensmuseums.org. Presenters. Dale Larson Vice President; Larson Foundation Lisa Svobodny

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Vision for South Dakota Children’s Museum and Science Center

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  1. Vision for South Dakota Children’s Museum andScience Center Presentation to Brookings Board of Education. November 13, 2006. Statistics provided by Association of Children’s Museums www.childrensmuseums.org

  2. Presenters • Dale Larson • Vice President; Larson Foundation • Lisa Svobodny • Marketing Manager; Larson Manufacturing Company • Dick Dempster • Principal Architect; Architecture Inc. November 13, 2006 2

  3. History of Larson Family Funding and Interests • Recreation • Larson Park and Recreation Trail • Larson Ice Arena • Hillcrest Family Aquatic Center • Youth Programs and Child Care • Boys and Girls Club • URC Intergenerational Day Care • Low Cost Housing • Habitat for Humanity • Donation of storm doors to various organizations November 13, 2006 3

  4. History of Larson Family Funding and Interests • Programs for the Handicapped • Easter Seals Booth at Brookings Art Festival • Handicapped Child Care at URC • Cultural Projects • Performing Arts Center on SDSU Campus • Education of Children • Scholarships • Children’s Museum November 13, 2006 4

  5. General Proposal for Central • Larson will purchase Central for $500,000 • Larson will help build a new school by pledging to pay for 30% of the cost • The proposal is not endorsing a particular configuration of the elementary school system • The museum will be a non-profit organization with a board of directors, consisting of a cross section of community residents, with bylaws for long range planning including succession issues • The museum is intended to be a first class regional museum November 13, 2006 5

  6. Children’s Museums and Science Centers Buffalo Museum of Science Buffalo, New York November 13, 2006 6

  7. Imagine… • Imagine a place full of color, light, and curiosity • A place where creativity is around every corner • A place where an “Aha!” moment is always happening • A place built of bricks and wood from the past, where the leaders of the future come to explore, invent, and play November 13, 2006 7 Excerpt taken from the “Children’s Museum of Phoenix: Exhibits Snapshot”

  8. What is a Children’s Museum? • A celebration of childhood • Provides exhibits and programs that stimulate curiosity and motivate learning • Exhibits that transcend age and experience • Hands-on exploration and learning which empower children to set their own pace November 13, 2006 8

  9. What is a Children’s Museum? • Children’s museums light a creative spark for discovery and lifelong learning • Children's museums vary greatly in style, size and content November 13, 2006 9

  10. What is a Science Center? • Foster excitement about learning • Simulate curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving • Hands on exhibits • Activities for all ages • Growing awareness of importance of non-school learning experiences in the sciences November 13, 2006 10

  11. Children’s Museums in America • 1975: 38 Children’s Museums in the US • 2006: More than 248 Children’s Museums, plus 80 in planning and development phase • 14% of children’s museums are located in rural areas • 75 children’s museums are flagships in downtown revitalization projects • Only two states in the Lower 48 states that do not have a children’s museum: Idaho and South Dakota November 13, 2006 11

  12. Benefits for Children • Children have inherent attributes that help them learn: • Curiosity • Keen senses • Active bodies • Enthusiasm “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.” Albert Einstein November 13, 2006 12

  13. Benefits for Children • Children learn through: • Exploring and manipulating their environment • Interacting with other people • Playing “Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” Kay Redfield Jamison, Contemporary American Professor of Psychiatry November 13, 2006 13

  14. Benefits for Families • Substantially different kind of leisure time activity • Opportunity for parents as their children’s first educators • Exhibits have unexpected elements and layers that intrigue grownups, too November 13, 2006 14

  15. Benefits for the Community • Economic development • Additional visitors to our downtown area, keeping the area vital • Children’s Museums are a regional destination • Brings visitors in town for the Swiftel Center, athletic facilities, or SDSU to the downtown area • Educational benefits November 13, 2006 15

  16. Cooperative Opportunities • SDSU • Early Childhood Education Department • Coursework • Gain experience • Other Majors • School field trips • Brookings School District • Regional school districts • Home schooled children and parents • After school programs November 13, 2006 16

  17. Cooperative Opportunities • Community joint marketing opportunities • Library • Community Cultural Center • McCrory Gardens • Performing Arts Center • Prairie Repertory Theatre • South Dakota Art Museum • Agricultural Heritage Museum • The Brookings Art Council • Downtown Brookings Inc. • Brookings Summer Arts Festival • Brookings Community Theater Presents • Hillcrest Aquatic Center • Dramatic Events • Musical Events • Chamber of Commerce • Etc. !!! November 13, 2006 17

  18. Children’s Museum Exhibits • Combination of permanent and temporary exhibits • Evolving spaces create excitement every time • Generates return visitors • Combination of possible exhibit sources • Buy them from other museums • Rent them from other museums or organizations • Develop them with the help of exhibit designers and fabricators • Develop exhibits ourselves in-house November 13, 2006 18

  19. Typical Funding Structures • Admissions • Memberships or season passes • Special programs and events • Birthday parties • Gift shop • Government sources • Donations, sponsorships, and fundraising • Larson Family will establish an endowment fund for future operating expenses November 13, 2006 19

  20. Staffing Structure • Board of Directors • Museum Director • Permanent Staff • Volunteers November 13, 2006 20

  21. Attendance Estimates • Estimated annual attendance: 25,000 • LaCrosse, WI attendance: 40,000 • Kearney, NE attendance: 18,000 • Easy interstate access • Brookings is family destination for sporting tournaments and cultural events • Renowned Early Childhood Development program at SDSU November 13, 2006 21

  22. Vision for Central • Town Square • Open green space • Park feel ~ gathering place • Destination • Building improvements • New windows • Add a lobby area • Add central air • Unique visual element • Iconic piece • Welcoming entrance • Create sense of place November 13, 2006 22

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  29. Summary / Q & A Association of Children’s Museums  2005 November 13, 2006 30

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