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FORIMMEDIATERELEASE
CHILDREN’SMUSEUMLEADERSGATHERATACM’S
INTERACTIVITYCONFERENCEHOSTEDBYKIDSPACE
FunisSeriousBusiness:Astronauts,Unicorns,Dancing,Fashion,&TheJuniorLeagueHeadlineEvent
PASADENA,CA(April26,2017)–TheAssociationofChildren’sMuseums(ACM)will
convenehundredsofleadersfromchildren’smuseumsandsupportingorganizationstoshare
knowledgeandadvocateforthechildren’smuseumfieldduringitsannualInterActivityconference.
HostedbyKidspaceChildren’sMuseuminPasadenafromMay2-5,InterActivity2017’sthemeisFunis
SeriousBusinesswithafocusonthebottomline—budget,mission,andrevenuestreams.
InterActivityistheAssociationofChildren'sMuseums'annualmeeting—andtheworld's
largestconveningofchildren'smuseumprofessionals.KidspaceChildren’sMuseumwasselectedasthe
hostduringlastyear’sInterActivityconferencefortheirstandoutleadershipinthechildren’smuseum
industry.Kidspaceservesmorethan335,000childrenandfamiliesthrougheducationalprograms,school
groupvisits,parentingworkshops,earlylearnerclasses,andcommunityengagement.“Wearehonored
tohostACM’sInterActivityconferencethisyeartoshowcaseKidspaceandtheLosAngelesarea,”said
MichaelShanklin,Kidspacechiefexecutiveofficer,“Weareexcitedtogathertogethertoshareandlearn
withourcolleaguesfromaroundtheworld.”
ProgrammingwillmostlybetakingplaceatthePasadenaConventionCenter,whileother
eventswillbeheldatotherlocalvenuesincludingKidspaceChildren’sMuseum,ThePasadena
Playhouse,theRoseBowlStadium,aswellasstudytoursofNASA’sJetPropulsionLaboratory,the
CaliforniaScienceCenter,Caltech’sChildren’sCenter,andNoah’sArkattheSkirballCulturalCenter.
Thisyear’sconferencethemewillhighlighttheimportanceofchildren’smuseumsin
providingplayfullearningexperiencesforchildrenandfamiliesandservingascommunityresources,
whilebalancingthebusinesssideoftheinstitutionstoensuretheorganizationalcultureisfunforstaff.
Conferencespeakerswillinclude:
(more)
kidspacemuseum.org
ACM’sInterActivity
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•
Keynote:VuLebringshistrademarkhumoranddeepinsightstodiscussthechallengesfacedby
thenonprofitsector—andhowtoaddressthem.Knownforhisno-nonsenseapproach,
irreverentsenseofhumor,andloveofunicorns,VuLeisthewriterbehindtheblog
nonprofitwithballs.com.LeisalsotheexecutivedirectorofRainierValleyCorps,whichaimsto
bringmoreleadersofcolorintononprofits.HewasrecentlyrecognizedbyTheChronicleof
Philanthropyasa"WriterwithAttitude."
•
SmallTalks2017PresentersandPerformers:
o JaninaGarraway,aprofessionaldancerwhohasperformedwithMariahCarey,FaithHill,
andKanyeWest,isthefounderandexecutivedirectoroftheGarrawayPerformingArts
Center,whichprovideslocalyouthdanceinstruction,mentoring,andtutoring.
o AdlaiWertman,professorofSocialEntrepreneurshipatUSC'sMarshallSchoolofBusiness
andfoundingdirectoroftheBrittinghamSocialEnterpriseLab,workswithnonprofitsand
studentstobringsocialinnovationthroughbusinessprinciples.
o OrrinShively,recentseniordirectorofArt&DesignforDisneyInteractiveandKidspace
Children'sMuseumboardmember,willshare"Mickey's10Commandments."
o LorettaHidalgoWhitesidesistheco-founderofYuri'sNight,anannualcelebrationof
spaceexploration,andisafounderastronautforVirginGalactic.
o JohnKobarahasspentyearsleadinginnovativenonprofits,companies,andtechstartups;
asCOOfortheCaliforniaCommunityFoundation,heworkstoincreaseaccessto
educationalopportunitiesinLosAngeles.
o RhythmChild,throughmovementandintuitivedrumming,isonamissiontoinspire
childrenandmotivatethosewhoareguidingtheirdevelopment.
o HollyRobinsonPeeteisco-founderoftheHollyRodFoundationtosupportthoseliving
withautismandParkinson’sdisease.Sheandherfamilycanbeseeninthetelevision
docuseriesForPeete’sSakeontheOprahWinfreyNetwork.
•
2017ACMGreatFriendtoKidsAwardCeremonywithSusanDanish:TheJuniorLeaguewillbe
presentedwiththe2017ACMGreatFriendtoKidsAwardforitsroleinstartingmorethan50
children’smuseumsworldwide.SusanDanish,executivedirectorofTheAssociationofJunior
LeaguesInternational,Inc.,willacceptthehonoronbehalfofthecountlesswomeninTheJunior
Leaguewhohaveworkedtomaketheircommunitiesbetterplacesforchildren.
ACM’sInterActivity
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MajorsupportforInterActivity2017includes:Blackbaud,WellsFargo,Nickelodeon,
Vroom,GreatAmericanInsuranceGroup,andPayden&Rygel.
ABOUTKIDSPACECHILDREN’SMUSEUM
In1979,KidspaceChildren’sMuseumwasfoundedasanon-profit501(c)(3)organization.Kidspace’s
missionistonurturethepotentialofallchildrenthroughkid-drivenexperiences,inspiringthemto
becomejoyful,activelearners.Kidspaceislocatedat480N.ArroyoBlvd.,inBrooksidePark,Pasadena,
CA.Admissionis$13foradultsandchildren.Freeformembersandchildrenunderoneyear.Formore
informationaboutKidspaceexhibits,events,andotheractivities,pleasevisitkidspacemuseum.org.
ABOUTASSOCIATIONOFCHILDREN’SMUSEUMS
Inanincreasinglycomplexworld,children’smuseumsprovideaplacewhereallkidscanlearnthrough
playandexplorationwiththecaringadultsintheirlives.Thereareapproximately400children’s
museumsaroundtheworld,whichannuallyreachmorethan31millionvisitors.ACMprovides
leadership,professionaldevelopment,advocacyandresourcesforitsmemberorganizationsand
individuals.TolearnmoreaboutACMandtofindanACM-memberchildren’smuseumnearyou,visit
ChildrensMuseums.org.
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High-resphotosandbackgroundmaterials:http://bit.ly/2pIefyo