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Upper Peninsula Children's Museum

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Upper Peninsula Children's Museum
Map
EstablishedMarch 1997 (1997-03)
Location123 W Baraga Ave,
Marquette, Michigan, US
Coordinates46°32′26″N 87°23′40″W / 46.540519°N 87.394522°W / 46.540519; -87.394522
TypeChildren's museum
Visitors40,000 (2011)
Executive directorJessica Hanley
CuratorJim Edwards
Employees20
Nearest parkingOn site
Websiteupchildrensmuseum.org

The Upper Peninsula Children's Museum (UPCM) is a nonprofit children's museum in Marquette, Michigan in the United States. The interactive museum features numerous exhibits that were designed by children to combine play with art, health, science, communication, and the local Upper Peninsula environment.

History

In the late 1980s, a group of Marquette County citizens formed the first board of directors to plan the creation of what would become the Upper Peninsula Children's Museum.[1] The group hosted hands-on design workshops for families across the Upper Peninsula during the early 1990s, working directly with children to design each of the exhibits.[2] Named "designasaurus," the workshops led directly to the creation of the first museum's first three exhibit halls: the fantastic forest, micro-society, and over the air. A few years later in 2002, early construction was completed on what would become the human body exhibit hall. The first phase featured a crawl-through, climbable health exhibit and an intestine-themed slide.[3]

Location

In 1991, the Upper Peninsula Children's Museum purchased a former cold storage warehouse in downtown Marquette that continues to house the museum today. The main museum space is housed on the top floor of the warehouse in an area spanning over 15,000 sq. ft. The majority of the building's first floor generates revenue to support the museum by serving as rentable space for a variety of nonprofits, offices, and specialty shops.[4]

Exhibits

Wonderground

Where's your water? The human body

The fantastic forest

Over the air

In May 2022, the museum opened a new addition to the exhibit in collaboration with the Marquette Board of Light and Power and the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. Pedal Power features a light board powered by two pedal bikes, providing children with the opportunity to understand electricity via experiential learning.[5]

Micro-Society

In 2022, UPCM began a fundraising campaign to update and rename the Micro-Society exhibit to Nheena's Neighborhood, in recognition of the commitment of the museum's first executive director Nheena Weyer Ittner.[6]

All aboard!

Mini Landmark Inn

Creature kingdom

The animals in creature kingdom are sustained by fresh produce donated by local grocery stores.[7]

Programs

During the school year, the UPCM offers weekday morning programing for toddlers and after school and weekend programming for elementary students.[8] They host a themed activity night after-hours for children of all ages once a month.[9] The museum also hosts free classes and workshops for parents and caregivers.[10] The UPCM regularly collaborates with local family-based and educational organizations including Northern Michigan University,[11] Shiras Planetarium,[12] and Peter White Public Library.[9]

8-18 Media

Kid Bizness

Launched in 2010 with 12 participants, the Kid Bizness program supports children age 7 to 17 who are interested in starting their own business. The program offers training and other support to young entrepreneurs and provides them with a space to market and sell their wares in a dedicated section of the museum's retail space.[13]

Guardians of WOW

The Guardians of WOW program trains older children and teenagers to volunteer at the UPCM. After completing the required training and orientation, kids from 8 to 18 can register in the program.[14] Guardians are provided with a variety of ways to volunteer in the museum, from managing the resident animals to assisting in the development of new educational programs and exhibits. Their main responsibility is to help younger children, families, and visitors interact with the exhibits and enjoy their visit to the museum.[15]

Events

The Upper Peninsula Children's Museum celebrated its 25th anniversary in March 2022.[16] The museum hosts several annual events including a children's new year's eve ball-drop,[17] local celebrity art auction,[18] and Culinary Journey, a major fundraising event that features the food of dozens of local vendors and restauranteurs.[19]

Operations

The Upper Peninsula Children's Museum was granted 501(c)(3) status in 1995.[20] As of 2011, the UPCM served 40,000 visitors annually with a budget of approximately $400,000.[21] It is operated by donations and supported by funding and grants from numerous organizations including the Michigan Arts and Culture Council,[22] the National Endowment for the Arts,[23] Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs,[24] and the Upper Peninsula Arts and Culture Alliance.[25]

The Upper Peninsula Children Museum's board of directors consists of 12 members led by a president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary.[26] In 2022, the museum's first executive director and one of its founding board members, Nheena Weyer Ittner, retired. Former Marquette city comissioner Jessica Hanley was hired as her replacement.[27]

Accessibility

A spaceship themed elevator provides access to the children's museum on the second story of the building. The building features numerous wheelchair-accessible ramps, and nearly all exhibits can be fully experienced by those who utilize mobility aids. Once a month, an afternoon specifically for those with disabilities and/or unique sensory needs is offered at the museum. No music is played during these events and all lights are dimmed in an effort to make the environment more accessible.[28]

The museum encourages donations towards the sponsorship of memberships for low-income families, who can receive memberships at no cost through the playmaker program.[29] During the 2018-2019 United States federal government shut-down, the UPCM offered free admission and birthday party celebrations to the children of furloughed government workers.[30]

The UPCM engages in environmentally-friendly and sustainable building operations. The majority of the furniture, carpets, toys, and other supplies used in the building have been repurposed, and all lighting features LED energy efficient lightbulbs.[31]

Recognition

In 2003, the Upper Peninsula Children's Museum was the cultural organization selected to receive the Governor's Award for Arts and Culture from former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm.[32] In 2011, then-Governor Rick Snyder awarded the museum with the Reinventing Michigan Award in recognition of its "innovative education methods."[33]

References

  1. ^ Chinn, Cameron (2022-04-13). "Upper Peninsula Children's Museum Executive Director announces retirement". Upper Michigan's Source. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  2. ^ "Upper Peninsula Children's Museum". UP Travel. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  3. ^ "Our History". Upper Peninsula Children's Museum. 2011. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  4. ^ "Upper Peninsula Children's Museum open for visitors and accepting donations". WJMN - UPMatters.com. Marquette, Michigan. 2020-09-01. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  5. ^ Giachino, Annette (2022-05-12). "UP Children's Museum opens new exhibit". Upper Michigan's Source. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  6. ^ DeLadurantaye, Stephen (2022-12-05). "UP Children's Museum launches Nheena's Neighborhood fundraiser". Upper Michigan's Source. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  7. ^ Trudgeon, Tia (2022-05-26). "UP Children's Museum thanks Tadych's for 8 years of produce donations". Upper Michigan's Source. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  8. ^ "Events". Upper Peninsula Children's Museum. 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  9. ^ a b "Second Thursday Creative Series". Upper Peninsula Children's Museum. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  10. ^ Anderson, Joni (2022-10-26). "MARESA To Hold Guiding Good Choices Workshop". ABC 10/CW5. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  11. ^ Williams, Julie (2017-10-26). "Upper Peninsula Children's Museum hosts 'Spooky Science Night'". Upper Michigan's Source. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  12. ^ "Our History". Shiras Planetarium. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  13. ^ Pascoe, Deb (2013-02-11). "Museum Encourages Kids to Become Young Entrepreneurs". Michigan Nightlight. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  14. ^ "Guardians of WOW!". Upper Peninsula Children's Museum. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  15. ^ Tudor, Jerry (2019-07-05). "UP Children's Museum training Guardians of WOW". Upper Michigan's Source. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  16. ^ MacLean, Brianna (2022-03-22). "U.P. Children's Museum celebrates 25 years". WJMN - UPMatters.com. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  17. ^ Kendrick, Tristen (2022-12-31). "UP Children's Museum starts 2023 off with a bang with its ball drop party". Upper Michigan's Source. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  18. ^ Giachino, Annette (2022-11-28). "UP Children's Museum to hold Celebrity Art Auction". Upper Michigan's Source. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  19. ^ O'Connor, Megan (2019-01-20). "The Upper Peninsula Children's Museum Hosts The 18th Annual Culinary Journey". Upper Michigan's Source. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  20. ^ "Upper Peninsula Childrens Museum, Inc". ProPublica. 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  21. ^ Eggleston, Sam (2011-10-26). "Evergreen Award of Marquette County honors Nheena Weyer Ittner". Upword. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  22. ^ Chinn, Cameron (2022-08-11). "Jo-Kay Corral brings family fun with animals to UP Children's Museum". Upper Michigan's Source. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  23. ^ Parikh, Jane C. (2017-02-05). "Vigilance, not panic: Cultural arts nonprofits brace for possible elimination of NEA under Trump". MiBiz. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  24. ^ Bowers, Lisa (2021-10-25). "Marquette organizations benefit from state art awards". ABC 10/CW5. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  25. ^ "Upper Peninsula Children's Museum". U.P. Arts & Culture Alliance. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  26. ^ "Board Members & Trustees". Upper Peninsula Children's Museum. 2022. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  27. ^ Rife, Mitchell (2022-10-17). "The Upper Peninsula Children's Museum's new path". WZMQ News. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  28. ^ "Third Thursday Low Sensory Afternoon". Marquette Compass. 2022-09-15. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  29. ^ "Upper Peninsula Children's Museum Auction". WJMN - UPMatters.com. 2022-11-29. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  30. ^ Walton, Nicole (2019-01-23). "U.P. Children's Museum opens its doors to federal workers". Public Radio 90 WNMU-FM. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  31. ^ "UP Children's Museum". Upper Peninsula Children's Museum. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  32. ^ "Governor Granholm Announces Winners of Arts and Culture Awards". michigan.gov. 2003-09-03. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  33. ^ Wurfel, Sara (2011-08-16). "Snyder presents Reinventing Michigan award to Upper Peninsula Children's Museum". michigan.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
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