Download a printable Annual Report here, including financial statement

July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009
Annual Report

Groundbreaking year for MCM
MCM offers a unique opportunity to have fun learning alongside your child, building memories that last a lifetime.  MCM connects children with their families, their communities and the world beyond through discovery learning and creative play.  As we wrap up our last year on State Street, we are continuing to deliver imaginative hands-on exhibits and programs that inspire lifelong learning through play — all the while handling behind-the-
scenes preparations for the museum’s new, permanent home on the Capitol Square.

A Year of Science
One of the opportunities presented by having a larger facility is serving a wider audience.  To better prepare us in serving children up to age 12 as the museum transitions toward more varied activities and exhibits, we have embraced participation in the Year of Science program along with other museums across the country.

Organized by the Coalition for the Public Understanding of Science, the 2009 Year of Science offered public programs and events for all ages with monthly themes such as “Energy Resources,” “Sustainability and the Environment,” and “Ocean and Water.”

The museum offered “Story Time Science” programs on the first and third Wednesdays of each month with hands-on activities exploring the monthly science themes, as well as take-home activities on the museum’s Web site.  The programs were led by volunteers Eileen Nemec and Kim Duncan, who both have science teaching backgrounds.  Volunteers also developed take-home activities for children to quench their thirst for science.

Year of Science brings together partners such as the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Geological Society of America.  More information on Year of Science is available at www.yearofscience2009.org. MCM’s Year of Science programming was sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Construction work begins in new facility
Exciting things are happening on the north corner of the Capitol Square, where MCM’s future home sits, bustling with activity.  In February,  construction began on the new building, the museum’s fourth location in its history but the first it will own outright.  The building’s public space will be three times larger than the State Street facility, with an additional two floors for future expansion.

Specific areas of the museum will attract different ages and interests:  The global village theme of the Early Learning Gallery features play huts and other structures made of natural materials; Possible-opolis is being created with the goal of using 100 percent recycled or reclaimed  materials; the Art Studio will have a variety of special programs and monthly media themes; and Rooftop Ramble, a gift of Pleasant T. Rowland, will serve as a four-season “park in the sky.”  Long-awaited amenities include on-site parking, Bean Sprouts café, and a free Community Concourse.

In December 2008, The Kresge Foundation, a nationally recognized funder of capital  challenge grants, awarded $750,000 to MCM’s Ready, Set … Grow! Capital Campaign.  This challenge is designed to rally the community around the new building project.  When the museum reaches $9.25 million toward its $10 million private campaign goal, the foundation will provide $750,000 to top off the campaign.

The new museum’s opening gala is scheduled for August 7, 2010, followed by a week of special events and the public opening on August 14.

Two new fundraisers:  Kids Rock! and Spring Scramble
MCM is gradually building up fun annual fundraisers, and this year we added two new events to our repertoire that attract different groups of supporters:  Kids Rock!, an afternoon of musical entertainment for the whole family at the High Noon Saloon; and Spring Scramble, an action-packed day of golf at  Bishops Bay Country Club.  Conceived by our Education Department staff, Kids Rock! features an array of local performers, such as Ken Lonnquist
and the Kenland Band, The Madgadders, and juggler Truly Remarkable Loon.  Children who attend also get a chance to take the stage for karaoke, backed by one of Madison’s favorite bands, the Gomers.

Spring Scramble drew 112 golfers out on May 18 for hole games, a live auction, a raffle, hole-in-one prizes and a barbecue dinner.  In its first year, Spring Scramble raised $28,780, a great success!

Supporting educators throughout Wisconsin
MCM has long been a resource for local educators in the early learning and elementary fields.  In 2009, we expanded our geographical reach by  providing training sessions at statewide conferences for early childhood education, including the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association annual conference, and by expanding our K-5 Hmong at Heart teacher trainings and school kits to all of the public school districts in Dane County.

Sustainable with the old and the new
Although the museum has long been a champion of sustainability, this year we have deepened our commitment to green practices both at our State Street location and in planning for our North Hamilton facility.  We give kids and families direct, hands-on experiences as well as resources for green living at home.

To inform visitors of all of our Earth-friendly efforts and to
educate them on the topic of sustainability, we created a “Green Guide” scavenger hunt at the museum.  Art programs throughout the year — including a new workshop series with the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters’ James Watrous Gallery — focused on recycling and creative re-use.  Workshops for area scout troops highlighted sustainability themes within the scouting badge programs, and a new “Go Green!”camp session was added to the museum’s popular summer camp schedule.  The Green Guide was sponsored by Home Savings Bank.

Meanwhile, the museum launched an extensive sustainability program initiative for the new museum, anticipated to be the first LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) certified museum in Wisconsin.  Staff completed design and began fabrication of our new museum exhibits, all of which have a major sustainability focus — for instance, creating long-lasting exhibits with reused or renewable materials.

The museum gained exposure for sustainability efforts and national leadership in sustainable exhibit design.  MCM Director of Exhibits Brenda Baker spoke at a national conference on sustainability in San Francisco called The Green Event Summit and wrote an article called Green Exhibitions in Children’s Museums:  Setting the Bar Higher, which was  published by the American Association of Museum’s first national publication devoted to green practices.

Baker also educated others in the children’s museum field by writing about our green cleaning practices in an issue of Hand to Hand, an Association of Children’s Museum’s publication.