8:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Off-site Session at Providence Children’s Museum
Putting Play First at the Providence Children’s Museum
A behind-the-scenes examination of PCM’s new exhibition Play Power. Executive Director Janice O’Donnell will lead a discussion about Providence Children’s Museum’s newly opened Play Power exhibit, designed to engage children and their accompanying adults in open-ended creative activities that vividly illustrate the value of self-directed play and communicate the museum’s essential message: play is powerful!

In this exhibit, the museum has tackled contemporary concerns about the lack of time and space for children’s play and attempted to influence parental attitudes about the value of self-directed play. Have they succeeded? The exhibit developers and designers will explain their process and lessons learned, and museum and play professionals and advocates will respond.
Introduction: Janet Rice Elman, Executive Director, Association of Children’s Museums, DC
Chair: Janice O’Donnell, Executive Director, Providence Children’s Museum
Pre-registration is required. Fee of $10 includes transportation.

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
On-site Morning Sessions
A Perfect Storm: The Impact of NCLB and Transportation Costs on School Visits to Museums
During this session, panelists will discuss how the convergence of two unrelated trends—the emphasis on standardized testing and skyrocketing fuel prices—have made it difficult for teachers to take their students out of school to participate in curriculum-based programs at museums. In order to take the pulse of how museums in the New England region are experiencing the impact of these trends, NEMA conducted a short, informal survey. While many survey respondents reported decreases in attendance, others shared successful promotional strategies that are helping them to maintain their school group visitation. After learning more about the results from the survey and hearing from panelists, participants will engage in roundtable discussions about how to attract school groups to their museums.
Chair: Kay Simpson, Director of Education & Institutional Advancement, Springfield Museums, MA

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
On-site Morning Sessions
Community Connections—Parents are Customers Too!
This session will explore how the definition of community can and should include museums and their relationships with parents. Panelists—museum professionals, a.k.a. mothers and fathers of children who range in age from pre-school thru teenager, as well as a market research strategist—share their unique insights and practical strategies for how museums can more effectively reach out to and involve parents, and how our offerings can attempt to appeal across the generations.
Chair: Marilyn Weiss Cruickshank, Education Consultant, MA

The New Partnership: Museum Collaborations with the Nonprofit, Corporate and Public Sectors
In an attempt to better connect with audiences, museums are increasing the number of collaborations they undertake with other organizations. Beyond other learning institutions such as schools and libraries, museums now seek deeper partnerships with community service organizations, government agencies and corporations. Does having new partners change the way museums approach collaboration? What are the benefits and challenges? How do we measure success and failure? This panel discussion explores these and other concerns of collaboration.
Chair: Sharyn Nolan, Candidate for a Master of Liberal Arts (Museum Studies), Harvard University Extension School, MA

12:45 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.
PAG Lunch at Providence Children’s Museum
Children’s Museums PAG Lunch
Join Janet Rice Elman of ACM and NEMA’s Children’s Museums PAG co-chairs for an informal lunch. Find out what’s new at ACM and learn how New England children’s museums are contributing to national trends. Discuss with colleagues the emerging trends at children’s museums and opportunities for collaboration. There will also be time to explore Providence Children’s Museum including the new exhibition Play Power.
Co-chairs: Cathy Saunders, Director of Education, Providence Children’s Museum; Amy Spencer, Director of Education, The Discovery Museums, MA

3:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
On-site Afternoon Session
Multiple Roles for Museums in Today’s Communities
Museums are being asked to play many roles in today’s society—to enhance civic life, supplement education, act as agents of change, boost tourism, provide entertainment, increase the local economy and support life-long learning. What are some of the ways that museums address these competing needs of the community while encouraging children and adults to engage in lifelong learning? A conversation for all conference attendees led by Janet Rice Elman and NEMA Board member Neil Gordon of Boston Children’s Museum on the ways in which children’s museums are leaders in serving diverse constituencies and responding to calls that they perform many roles in modern society.
Co-chairs: Janet Rice Elman, Executive Director, Association of Children’s Museums, DC; Neil Gordon, Executive Vice President, Boston Children’s Museum and Board President, Association of Children’s Museums