1. technology and computing

Board of Directors
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2010-2011
RER
THE
Jed Buie, President
3 Point Partners
John Graff, Secretary
National Instruments
Geoff Reid, Treasurer
Temple-Inland
Rosalind George, President-Elect
Community Volunteer
The Austin Children’s Museum creates innovative learning experiences for children and families
that equip and inspire the next generation of creative problem solvers.
Zach Anderson
Jul. Aug. Sept. 2011
Ticket City
Adrianne Clay
Building a Community of Learners
An Affair To Remember Catering
Attorney and Counselor at Law
Quen Garza
Community Volunteer
Erin Hager
Community Volunteer
Nestor Ho
One of the goals for staff
Austin, TX 78701
Peter Donovan
201 Colorado Street
Austin Children’s Museum
The Rust Group
Dell Discovery Center
Jack Crosby
at ACM is to continue their
education and expand learning
beyond the visitor experience.
Discovery Times. These activities include experimenting
with water-repellent materials and exploring scale. As
a NISENet member, ACM participated in NanoDays in
March, with hands-on activities presented by UT students
in the College of Natural Sciences.
Silicon Labs
Jennifer Johnson
“We believe that being life long
Community Volunteer
James Knight
learners
Bury+Partners
to
Ana Martin
McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore, L.L.P.
Education Manager.
Wortham Insurance
“Austin’s Downtown Premier Commercial Printer”
Elizabeth Seriff
to
ACM strives
professional development for our
Cybil Guess, Education Manager
Russ Sartain
visitors
to provide innovative and valuable
Carla Pineyro
Dell, Inc.
our
essential
engage in learning.” Cybil Guess,
Printing provided by
Christopher Oddo
encouraging
is
In April, ACM invited staff from VSA
Texas, an organization focused on arts
and accessibility. VSA is a non- profit
organization that works to create a society
where people with disabilities learn through,
McCullick, Art Therapist,
staff, especially those who directly
and
deliver our curriculum to visitors and program participants.
One
Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc
Yuen Yung
how do you roll? a maki sushi bar
Past President’s Council
THE
Tom Anderson
Marla Bommarito-Crouch
Irwin Carroll
Malcolm Cooper
Chris Crosby
Kirk Dando
Susan Engelking
Juan M. Garcia
John Graff
Tom Harkness
Nancy Inman
Julie King
Greg Kozmetsky
John Lucas
Sylvia Maggio
Lynn Meredith
Shannon Ratliff II
Jim Susman
Gerald Torres
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a u s t i n k i d s . o r g
TALK TO US
Volunteer!
visit
austinkids.org
to find out
about opportunities
Suggestions? Questions?
Change of address? We’d
like to hear from you. Please
send your comments to
Judy Razo, Marketing &
Communications Manager, at
jrazo@austinkids.org.
Fill out an application online .
You’ll get a response about attending
the next volunteer orientation with
instructions on how to sign up for shifts to follow.
organization that is funded in part by the City
a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts,
National Endowment for the Arts and various
foundations, businesses and individuals.
delivers
“IN THIS COMMUNITY WE
quality professional
ARE ALL LEARNERS WORKING
Museum
development
through
is
leveraging
relationships
other
with
learning
Questions? Email
volunteer@austinkids.org
austinkids.org
We need
VSA
Artworks
individuals with disabilities. This training
helped support ACM in being accessible
to all the learners in our community.
TOWARD A COMMON GOAL:
TO ENRICH THE LIVES OF THOSE
WHO VISIT THE MUSEUM.”
organizations in our
community.
Sullivan,
appropriate techniques for working with
the
Over
- Dr. Haydeé Rodriguez
the past year, ACM
The Austin Children’s Museum is a private, nonprofit
of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division, by
way
April
Director, guided Museum Educators on
BBVA Compass
Russell Young
April Sullivan,
VSA Artworks
Director
participate in, and enjoy the arts. Tracey
has engaged a series of guest speakers who have assisted staff in building a
meaningful menu of opportunities.
In May, ACM hosted special guest Aaron Guerrero from the Children’s Museum
of Houston. Mr. Guerrero is the southern hub representative for the Nanoscale
Informal Science Education Network (NISENet), an National Science Foundation
funded project intended to increase capacity of science museums to present
information about nanoscience to their audiences. During the staff training, he
For the past three years, ACM has implemented an annual
training that focuses on interacting with our Spanishspeaking families at the Museum for both monolingual
and bilingual staff. This past April, we had the honor of
hosting Dr. Haydeé Rodriguez, Director
of UT College of Education’s Bilingual
Teacher
Preparation
Program,
as
our guest presenter to educate ACM
staff on techniques using instructional
scaffolding to engage the Spanishspeaking Museum visitors. “In working
Dr. Haydeé
Rodriguez
collaboratively we develop a sense of community. In this
community we are all learners working toward a common
- continued on page 4 -
showed ACM’s educators how to facilitate nano-themed activities for the Museum’s
1
THE
Community Volunteer
ourselves
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a u s t i n k i d s . o r g
CALENDAR
READY, SET, ROLL!
see it before it’s gone!
Everyone’s favorite exhibit will leave the Museum on
September 18th to make room for our upcoming exhibit, Dinosaurs: Land of
Fire and Ice. Make sure you catch it before it’s gone!
Ready, Set, Roll! helps visitors discover velocity, friction,
gravity, acceleration and the ups and downs, ins and outs,
loops and chutes of playful experimentation with golf balls.
Collaboration is about working together toward
a common goal. We value our ability to team
up with other organizations because we want
to continually spark the interest and imagination
of young learners. We appreciate that learning
is a continuous process, even for adults. That’s why we take the
Community Night
Wednesdays, 5-8p
S
A previous version of Ready, Set, Roll! became
an all-time ACM visitor favorite. Now completely redesigned
and reproduced, the exhibit delights and challenges current
audiences.
The Museum gets excited about new research and data to share
with our visitors. We believe no one’s ever too young or too old
to learn, and we’re happy to provide a way for children and
Visitors of all ages thrill to open-ended exploration, making their own
intuitive discoveries about important science concepts in 10 interactive
stations. Simple instructions and appealing graphics emphasize the playful
nature of the exhibit. Additional information for older children and parents
reveals more about the science behind the fun.
Some visitors may recognize old favorites and all will be enticed to test their
skills and patience with the all new giant maze!
their caregivers to unearth new information and ideas. From guest
Visit Ready, Set, Roll!
through September 18, 2011.
experts, hands-on activities, and special guided tours, our Science,
Technology, Engineeering & Math (STEM) focused programs are
M
1
Dates and times are subject to change.
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Museum
OPEN
Museum
OPEN
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Volunteer 8
Orientation
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Camp
Camp
Volunteer
Orientation
Camp
My Gym, 11am
AUG
and translate it into the exhibits and programs we host and develop.
daily at 11a,1p, 3p
Discovery Time
Saturdays & Sundays, 2pm
opportunity to attend education conferences and meet with other
advocates of informal education. Our goal is to take what we learn
Storytime
Cub Club
Saturdays, 9a-10a
Baby Bloomers
Mondays, 9a-Noon
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Museum
OPEN
Museum
OPEN
Camp
the product of collaboration with science and
only keeps getting better.
(512) 472-2499, Reservations: ext. 201 Fax: (512) 472-2495
Si necesita informacion en Español, por favor llame al museo al
(512) 472-2499.
Not only has ACM developed programs for
LOCATION
a special Dino Month coming in October to
coincide with our newest feature exhibit, we have
also partnered with the Austin Nature & Science
Center and the Texas Memorial Museum who will
have their own special lineup of experiences to
share. Together we are excited to bring you a part
of prehistory brought to life through a very special
exhibit we know our visitors will be roaring to see.
There are a lot of prehistoric surprises in the very
HOURS
Summer Hours: Mondays from12pm-5pm (until August 29th)
Tuesday - Saturday: 10am - 5pm
Community Night Wednesday: 5pm - 8pm, admission by donation
Sunday: Noon - 5pm; 4pm - 5pm FREE
SPECIAL HOURS
$6.50 per person. Children 12-23 months are $4.50.
Children under 12 months are FREE.
THE
Capital Metro Routes: #1L, #1M, #3, #5, #7, #9, #10, #17, #20, #29,
#30, #101, #110, #127, #142, #171, #450, #935, #984, #987
OCT
The Museum does NOT own or control parking downtown but has
partnered with the AMLI Garage to offer parking options to our visitors.
Parking is available from 10am-5pm, Monday through Friday, in the
AMLI garage (enter from Lavaca between 2nd and 3rd streets). Parking
is $3 for Members and $4 for non-members with ACM validation.
BUS ROUTES
a u s t i n k i d s . o r g
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Closed
No
to the
Baby
Bloomers public
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Closed
to the
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26
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Last day for
15
Ready, Set, Roll!
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17
24
Exhibit Installation - Enjoy 1/2 off admission
Exhibit Installation Week - Enjoy 1/2 off admission
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Dino
Exhibit
OPENS!
public
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(Stay tuned to our website and Facebook page for special events!)
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10
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public
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Austin
Museum Day
No Tour
Tuesday
Closed
to the
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ACM STORE
PARKING
2
Last day for
En Mi Familia
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Closed
Labor Day
Austin Dino Month
ADMISSIONS
we hope you stay tuned!
Mike Nellis
Executive Director
5
18
Baby Bloomer Monday: 9am-12pm, for 0-3yrs only
Cub Club Saturday: 9am-10am, for 0-3yrs only
Smart toys. Sold here. No museum admission is required to shop at your
downtown toy store. ACM Store is open during Museum hours.
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11
Dell Discovery Center, 201 Colorado Street, Austin, Texas 78701
near future in store for the Austin community and
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4
No Tour
Tuesday
Dates and times are subject to change. Visit our online calendar at austinkids.org for the latest information.
9
DINO
SLEEPOVER
book your spot online!
7
THE
CONTACT
SEPT
technology minds from all over the country; and it
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a u s t i n k i d s . o r g
- Building A Community of Leaders, continued from page1 -
Austin Children’s Museum would like to
goal: to enrich the lives of those who visit the museum. In the process,
thank the Lola Wright Foundation for its
we learn about the resources the museum has to offer and how they
recent gift of $8,430 that will provide
are enriching tools fostering learning and fun,” said Rodriguez.
TEC LAB
by Emily Weerts, Technology Education Coordinator
living the collegiate life.
printing equipment and supplies to facilitate
the exhibit creation and marketing efforts of the Museum.
Next
school
year,
the
will
continue
our
This coming fall, ACM will host Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice, a
Museum
traveling exhibit developed by the Minnesota Children’s Museum. In
work in bringing technology
The Lola Wright Foundation was incorporated in 1954, founded
collaboration with the Austin Nature and Science Center (ANSC) and
education
by Ms. Johnnie Wright in memory of her mother. The Lola Wright
the Texas Natural Science Center, we have declared October to be
our new outreach program,
Foundation has provided gifts to organizations in the Austin area for
the “Month of Dinos” in Austin! Our institutions will hold special dino-
Tech
more than 50 years, strengthening local social service organizations
related programming.
all of our technology outreach
by responding to emerging community needs.
In addition to programs for the public, our organizations will also
The Lola Wright foundation has supported ACM in the past. Thanks
to a previous grant, we purchased the ACM van, which helps us
transport large exhibit and special event supplies.
swap staff training. Our gallery education staff will travel to ANSC
for a pre-exhibit opening training at their Dino Pit. In return, Christina
Soontornvat, ACM’s Science Content Developer, will visit ANSC
to conduct an inquiry training for their school programs staff. By
This generous gift is one more example of the Lola Wright Foundation’s
leveraging our respective expertise, both our organizations will be
consistent mission to form effective partnerships and help meet local
able to increase staff professional development without significant
community needs.
additional costs. Such collaborations are all the more critical to
achieving our missions in these lean economic times.
In the 2010-2011 school year, the Museum piloted an afterschool
program called TEC Lab, which stands for Technology that Engages
Creativity. We worked for the full school year with sixth grade students
at Mendez Middle School in Southeast Austin. Some of the students
who took part in TEC Lab were graduates from our elementary school
Robotics classes.
We met twice weekly and worked on programming animations and
video games. We also explored circuitry and the relationship between
electricity, circuits and physical computing. We even designed and
ACM Named Community Project by The Junior League of Austin
One of the highlights of TEC Lab was the
They
The Junior League of Austin for supporting
new
ACM with 8 volunteers, providing 560
encouraging
total hours of their valuable time. In
develop
strive
to
community
create
opportunity to work with students from
leaders,
The University of Texas’ Cockrell School
to
of Engineering. We worked with eight
leadership
student mentors from the Student Engineers
addition to the volunteers, $15,000 was
skills and use them in the
Educating Kids (SEEK) program at UT.
donated to fund a volunteer coordinator
community. In that regard,
SEEK students joined us weekly in class
staff position.
we appreciate The Junior
and their presence allowed us to facilitate
League’s support of ACM via a Volunteer Coordinator and the hard
more
their
women
Known for its generosity to local non-profits, The Junior League’s
work of the volunteers, which will play an important role in our mission
donation will underwrite the position of Volunteer Coordinator at
to equip and inspire the next generation of problem solvers.
complicated
class at a tour of The University of Texas. The
and amplify the services ACM is able to provide to community
ambassador for ACM, educating high school and college students,
sixth graders got to launch water balloons
volunteers.
community service groups and corporate associations on the mission
from a giant trebuchet and were taste testers
of the Museum and encouraging them to volunteer. Most importantly,
for ice cream that was made using frozen
The Junior League’s mission is to develop the potential of women,
the Coordinator will train those volunteers to help visiting children
liquid nitrogen. One of the most rewarding
promote volunteerism and improve the community. Last year, The
and adults get the most from their experience at the Museum. The
parts of the field trip was the opportunity
Junior League of Austin donated a total of 119,000 volunteer hours
Junior League and ACM are happy to partner in supporting volunteer
to tour a college campus – the first time for
and over $809,985 to the
initiatives, where everyone plays a role in supporting a cause and its
many of these middle schoolers. We walked
Austin community.
impact on the community.
through the Mechanical Engineering building
THE
The Museum’s Volunteer Coordinator will serve as a sort of
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a u s t i n k i d s . o r g
4
such
as
soldering a circuit board.
coordination, provide more meaningful volunteer opportunities
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activities
In May, the SEEK students hosted our TEC Lab
the Museum. This will help ACM manage and improve volunteer
Reach.
offerings,
students
with
Encompassing
Tech
Reach
will
engage students in science,
technology, engineering, art and math activities and provide access
to materials, equipment and instruction that they would otherwise not
be able to access.
The Austin Children’s Museum was able to deliver our TEC Lab program
constructed game controllers to run our games.
We would like to extend our gratitude to
to
where we observed students studying, working in computer labs and
with the support of generous donors including Dell YouthConnect,
Webber Family Foundation, and the City of Austin’s Grant for
Technology Opportunities (GTOPs) Program.
e
r
a
.
.
.
y
h
e
t
Th Sept. 24
g
n
i
com
u
o
y
e
.. .ar
?
y
d
a
e
r
5
THE
LOLA WRIGHT
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a u s t i n k i d s . o r g
T hank You ACM D onors ! Y ou I nspire.
Pete and Jennifer Roossien
Rick and Jill Salwen
Jordan and Laila Scott
Phil and Lauren Siegel
Silicon Laboratories, Inc.
Jare and Jim Smith
Stephen and Cindy Spess
Marc and Mimi Spier
James and Julie Stansberry
SWBC Mortgage
Temple Inland Foundation
The Bank of America Charitable
Foundation, Inc.
The Muskin Company
Tyson and Nicole Tuttle
Alex and Elisabeth Tynberg
Jim and Tutu Uyeki
Nick and Linda Van Bavel
Carson and Lara Vaughn
Cissy and Mark Warner
Frank and Tara West
Wells Fargo
Rhonda and Marshall Wingo
John and Natalie Woo
Wortham Insurance and Risk Management
Douglas and Julie Young
Russell and Rebecca Young
Yuen and Yvette Yung
Bruce and Nancy Zimmerman
THE
Anonymous
Acorn Learning Academy
Anissa Allbritton
Craig and Melinda Anderson
The James Armstrong Family and Larry
Connelly
Mark and Clary Auler
Doug and Stacy Bain
Ian and Carolyn Ball
Becky Beaver and John Duncan
Elizabeth and Christopher Bray
Caryn Bruff
Philip and Kathleen Buch
Jed and Susan Buie
Gregg and Donna Burt
Mollie and Stephen Butler
CharityBash
City of Austin
Compass Learning
Convio, Inc.
Robin and Malcolm Cooper
Judy Corder and Patricia Hayes
Richard and Delores Crum
Jessica and Paul D’Arcy
David Weekley Homes
Adam Dell
Dell Inc.
Deloitte LLP
Veronica Divine
Abigail Bird and Peter Donovan
Mark and Alison Downing
DuBois, Bryant, & Campbell, L.L.P.
Soriya and Brian Estes
Lainey Fisher
Scott Fried
Lori Gann
Quen and Jesus Garza
Chris and Anne Marie Geiger
Rosalind and Tim George
Brian Gilmore
Richard Gorelick and Virginia Steyners
Jonathan and Carol Gormin
John and Tracey Graff
George and Karen Gresham
Hart Intercivic, Inc.
David and Allison Hawkins
Clara Henderson
Heather Henry and Michael Osborne
Nestor and Heather Ho
Nicole and Eric Hoenicke
Inman Foundation
Lorena Junco
Lynn and Jeffrey Kane
Kiewit Building Group Inc.
Shelly and Bill Kilday
Marc and Kristen Knight
Rebecca and Seth Krauss
Evangelina Kreeger
Gita Lal and Bhala Ghatate
Lola Wright Foundation
Milam and Lindsay Mabry
MFI Foundation
Dennis and Carole Mick
Microsoft
Polly and Wally Moore
Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc.
Lance and Stephanie Morris
Ellen and Alan Muskin
Andrea and Michael Norman
Chris and Debbie Pacitti
Kyle and Catherine Parks
Ben and Susan Perkins
Carla Pineyro and Jeff Sublett
Plum District Austin
Pratt Family Foundation
Joan and Richard Reed
Geoff and Kelly Reid
Peter Rieck
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Clubhouse Corner:
6
This list includes friends who gave gifts of $350
or more between April 1, 2011 and June 30,
2011. Every effort has been made to ensure the
accuracy of this list. If your name was omitted,
misspelled or incorrectly listed, please accept
our apologies and notify the Museum so that
we may correct the error. For more information
about supporting the Museum, please contact
Lisa Lee, Director of Development at llee@
austinkids.org or 512-472-2499 x212.
Have you and the kids
checked out the ACM Blog?
Whenever Yuen and Yvette Yung bring their boys Julian (7) and Xander
Here’s a recent post. Visit
(3) to Austin Children’s Museum for a visit, they most look forward to
blog.austinkids.org for
seeing what’s new, exciting and different from their last visit in the
feature exhibit gallery. “They love finding new things to learn about
and the fun, interactive ways they are displayed,” the Yungs say. The
Yungs are also excited to see ACM’s exhibits and programs shifting to
serve children up to age eleven, allowing the entire family more time
blog.austinkids.org
AT-HOME ACTIVITY
more at-home activities.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Inspire Art!
to enjoy the Museum together as the boys grow older.
While a visit to the Museum
provides a fun, educational
family outing, the Yungs’
support of the Museum is
driven by a bigger-picture
belief that cultivating young
In-Kind
1020 Glass Art & Decor
3M Austin Center
Academy of Golf Dynamics, Inc
Alison Eden Photography
An Affair to Remember Catering
Andrew Harper Travel LLC
Austin Uptown Photography
Bellagio
Catellus Austin, LLC
Ceasar’s Auto Image Salon
Kiah Denson
The Driskill
Driveway Austin Motorsports Academy
Estes Audiology Hearing Centers
Freedom Boat Club
Hotel Saint Cecilia
Jesse Knish Photography
Jones Lang La Salle
Lakeway Resort and Spa
Laura Britt Design
Management Pro.com
Mansion at Judge’s Hill
Microsoft
Shelley Nelson
Omni Austin Hotel
Plum District Austin
Purple Dot Events
River Place Country Club
Roadhouse Transportation
Richard Salwen
Second Bar & Kitchen
Matt Steinauer
SXSW Inc.
TDSR LLC
Ticket City
Twin Liquors
Mark Traeger
Trattoria Lisina
Leanne Venier
ACM BLOG
Yuen and Yvette Yung
The Museum is a place that always encourages you to use your
hands and creativity to make new things. At our Tinkerer’s
Workshop, kids have the chance to tinker with donated items such
as toilet paper rolls, paper, egg crates and cardboard.
Here’s some sample artwork made by our visitor artists using egg
crates, soda bottles, cardboard and toilet paper rolls:
minds is essential to our
country’s future. After joining
the
Museum’s
Board
of
Directors last year, Yuen
began learning more about
the
positive
impact
of
informal learning on childhood development, and wants more parents
to know about how the interactive, hands-on activities at the Museum
can support their children’s growth and development.
Yuen, who shifted career gears a couple of years ago from successful
certified financial planner to restaurant entrepreneur (he and his brother,
Peter, developed the How Do You Roll? sushi restaurant concept), isn’t
new to community involvement and philanthropy. As an entrepreneur,
he thinks others like himself can make a substantial impact. “Giving
back to the community and making it better is an investment, not an
expense,” he says.
By supporting Austin Children’s Museum, Yuen believes it’s a worthy
long-term investment which can impact the local economy. “The more
we invest in our community, the better our businesses will do,” he says.
He adds, “Healthy businesses can create jobs, provide services and
products, and even shape lives.”
ACM Clubhouse members are the
individuals and businesses who
support the Museum with gifts
of $350 and above each year.
If you are interested in becoming
an
ACM
Clubhouse
member,
visit austinkids.org/clubhouse.aspx or contact Lisa Lee by email at
llee@austinkids.org or by phone at 512.472.2499 x212.
This summer these donated items are in high demand as more
kids come to the Museum and engage in our exhibits, like our
Tinkerer’s Workshop, as well as get involved in our camps. Our
camps also make use of the many donated items such as styrofoam
egg cartons, popsicle sticks and plastic containers. Instead of
ending up in the recycling bin, these everyday items could go on
an exciting adventure in the hands of a child. Who knows – maybe
you’ll notice an old CD of yours taped to a yogurt container in its
new life as a UFO!
Here are some examples of plastic containers you probably have
in your refrigerator and cupboards right now:
So instead of throwing out or recycling your toilet paper/paper
towel rolls, egg crates, plastic, cardboard or paper, bring your
recyclables by the Museum on your next visit!
We accept:
•
Toilet paper/paper towel tubes (remove all paper)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Yogurt/plastic cups (washed)
Plastic containers
Paper/cardboard boxes (no cereal boxes, please)
Styrofoam egg cartons
Spools
Corks
Film canisters
Used CDs
Paper: 8 x 8 or larger
Cardboard: 8 x 8 or larger
Yarn or string: 1 foot or longer
Fabric: 8 x 8 or larger
Materials that will inspire creativity in young minds. For example: wires, bulldog clips, clothespins, magnets, paperclips.
We will NOT accept:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Greeting Card fronts
Small pieces of fabric, paper or cardboard
Pill bottles
Cardboard egg cartons
Magazines
Milk/juice containers
Anything glass
Anything dangerous to young children (such as sharp objects, chemical containers, etc.)
*To decrease the workload for our volunteers, please clean and
sort your donations into bags of like items. Thanks!
3
THE
Cash Gifts
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