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Cultural Institutions in Health Promotion

Explore how Boston Children's Museum's GoKids! program engages families in health promotion activities, offering interactive experiences and educational opportunities. Discover the impact of this innovative initiative on underserved populations in Boston neighborhoods.

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Cultural Institutions in Health Promotion

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  1. Cultural Institutions in Health Promotion Boston Children’s Museum’s GoKids! in Boston Neighborhoods Program Emily Kuross Former BCM Health and Fitness Program Educator, FAO Schwarz Family Foundation Children’s Fellow

  2. The Boston Children’s Museum (BCM) • Mission: “The Boston Children’s Museum exists to help children understand and enjoy the world in which they live” • Founded in 1913 • Pioneered the idea of hands on learning in 1960’s • Developed urban mission in late 1990’s

  3. Green Kids Global Kids Creative Kids Families Curious Kids Healthy Kids Communities “Engaging families and building communities.” For 5 desired outcomes, aka “the pinwheel”:

  4. Healthy Kids • 2006 expansion included Kid Power exhibit • GoKids! programming • Festivals • Weekly programs • Kindergarten program • Head Start programs

  5. GoKids! in Boston Neighborhoods • Grant from Institute of Museum and Library Services • 4 BHA housing developments: Washington Beech in Roslindale, Old Colony in South Boston, Gallivan in Mattapan, Charlestown* • Unique project: • Population generally underserved by museums • Still fairly new for children’s museums to take interest in health • Not aware of any other programs that combine these two * Not a BHA housing development, organizing occurring with the neighborhood instead

  6. Project Goals • Engage community residents to come as families (children and their caretakers) for free museum programs • Engage participants in healthy activities, designed with attention to participant feedback about their interests and concerns • Bring families to the museum - 1st visit for many • Create welcoming environment • Demystify museum experience • Present BCM as a family/community resource for continued learning ($1 Fridays, for example)

  7. BCM Staff: Manager of Community Programs and Partnerships Community Programs Educator Teen Ambassadors Health and Fitness Educator Community contacts (varied by location): Tenant task forces Tenant health advocate BCYFF staff After school leaders Resident families Who Partner-ships Cultural liaisons Content

  8. Kick-off! Weeks 1-3 Weeks 4-9 Week 10 Planning Activity Days (about 6) Program timelines Museum visit

  9. A Sampling of the Activities • Balancing Act the Musical • Snack Iron Chef • Super Hero Breakfast • The Power Balance Challenge (shake off a shake, eg.) • Dip-ology • Build A Gym • Human Dominoes • Music and Movement • Water bottle weight lifting • Family Dinners Power in Power out

  10. Evaluation Study Questions: • Did participants have fun? • Do participants think the activities or information would be useful to them at home? • Which activities do they find most memorable?

  11. Methods • Questionnaires: both adult and child • Recruitment: anyone who would agree to take a minute to answer a questionnaire • Done at at least one activity day and at the free museum visit finale • Observations of randomly selected families • Enjoyment • Adult-child interaction • Understanding

  12. Results

  13. Results

  14. Results

  15. Results

  16. Results Most memorable: • The interactive musical, active games (kickball, jump rope), dancing, snacks with bananas Most effectively engaged adults and children together: • The interactive musical, food preparation (active games were least effective) Best Practices: • Family dinners, semi-rigid structure, connecting neighbors, more staff

  17. Limitations • Very small sample sizes - some skepticism from participants about ‘los papeles’ • Not completely same groups for activity survey and final survey • Very simple, unvalidated, survey • Response bias, desire to please

  18. Other Challenges • Trying to collect data while running programs • Only partial buy-in from museum colleagues • Limited funding and staffing • Limited draw - trade off between depth vs. breadth • Different facility quality at different developments

  19. Conclusions • Museum style health and fitness programming was well received by this population, which is not generally familiar with this type of programming • Museum outreach programs were able to engage families together and connect families to one another • Children’s museums represent a potential partner for working with communities and providing nutrition and physical activity information or programs

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