Children’s Museum Leaders Explore Open Source Play at InterActivity 2018

News provided by

Association of Children's Museums

May 11, 2018, 08:00 ET


ARLINGTON, Va. (PRWEB) May 11, 2018 -- WHAT
The Association of Children’s Museums will convene hundreds of leaders from children’s museums and supporting organizations to share knowledge and advocate for the children’s museum field during its annual InterActivity conference. Hosted by Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, NC, from May 15-18, InterActivity 2018’s theme is Open Source Play, exploring the intersection between children’s museums and open source innovation, the big bold idea revolutionizing global technology.

WHEN
May 15-18, 2018

WHERE
Raleigh Convention Center
500 S Salisbury St, Raleigh, NC 27601

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Tuesday, May 15
Inaugural ACM Awards Dinner, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. EDT: This event is the first of its kind, an awards dinner honoring excellence in the children’s museum field. Honorees include:

  • Champion of the Field Award Honoree Jeri Robinson: The first-ever recipient of the Champion of the Field Award, Jeri Robinson is Vice President of Early Childhood Initiatives at Boston Children’s Museum. Robinson joined the museum in 1973 and developed its legendary PlaySpace exhibit. She also founded the Boston Cultural Collaborative for Early Learning, and co-founded the Families First Parenting program and “Count Down to Kindergarten.”
  • Recipients of the Small Museum Financial Aid Program, sponsored by JRA, and Diversity in Action Scholarship. These scholarships represent the field’s key values of accessibility and inclusion, making the conference available to all.

Wednesday, May 16
Keynote, Jim Whitehurst, Red Hat, 9:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m. EDT:

  • In Conversation with Marbles CEO Sally Edwards, Whitehurst will discuss “Open Source Leadership: The Key to Building Thriving Children’s Museums in the Digital Era.” Whitehurst is President and CEO of Red Hat, the world’s leading catalyst for developing technology, “the open source way.”

SmallTalks 2018, 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. EDT: A TEDx-Talk style event to inspire and engage children’s museum leaders. Presenters include:

  • Sarah Powers, Executive Director of the Office of Raleigh Arts. Powers will emcee the event.
  • Marlon Torres, Executive Director of North Carolina Arts in Action, which teaches life skills to children through dance and music. Torres began his career as a principal dancer in the Mini Pops dance ensemble.
  • Percy Hooper, Coordinator of Entrepreneurship and New Product Development at NC State University College of Design. He also co-developed the Middle School Innovators Academy.
  • Marie Schacht, Head Coach for Seth Godin’s altMBA, an online leadership workshop. Schacht previously served as the Director of Hopscotch Design Festival.
  • Anjana Mohanty, Vice President of Engineering and Finished Goods for Spoonflower, Inc., a digital printing company that empowers individuals to create custom-designed textiles.
  • James Siegal, CEO of KaBOOM!, the national nonprofit dedicated to giving children the childhood they deserve filled with balanced and active play, so they can thrive.
  • Mindy Thomas, host of NPR’s Wow in the World and The Absolutely Mindy Show on SiriusXM, where she serves on the front-lines of imagination, education, and fun 101.

Thursday, May 17
ACM MarketPlace, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. EDT:

  • InterActivity’s signature expo hall shares the latest in products and services supporting the children’s museum field. More than 70 exhibitors share expertise in exhibit design, virtual reality, administrative support, toys, art supplies, and more.

Friday, May 18
Great Friends to Kids Award Ceremony, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT:

  • The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University has been recognized with the 2018 ACM Great Friend to Kids Award for its outstanding contributions toward closing the gap between what we know and what we do to improve the lives of children facing adversity. Al Race, Chief Knowledge Officer and Deputy Director, will accept the award on behalf of the Center.

WHY
ACM’s InterActivity conference brings the industry together in support of ACM’s vision of a world that honors all children and respects the diverse ways in which they learn and develop. Started in 1962, ACM is a professional member organization for the children’s museum field, which annually serves more than 40 million visitors. ACM member museums and professionals are dedicated to early childhood play, the starting point in the continuum of lifelong learning. Children’s museums are a major force in preparing children for school and building 21st century skills.

Alison Howard, Association of Children's Museums, http://www.ChildrensMuseums.org, 703.224.3100 x102, [email protected]