The Children’s
Museum
Gives Back
Community
Matters
2011—2013
Community Matters
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis depends upon
the support of its community to fulfill its mission of creating
extraordinary learning experiences across the arts, sciences,
and humanities that have the power to transform the lives of
children and families. For more than 85 years, individuals,
families, corporate partners, foundations, and government
agencies have given generously to the museum, building it
into what is now the biggest and best children’s museum
in the world!
But The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis also gives back to
its community in ways that both support and surpass its mission.
The museum contributes greatly to the region’s economy, to
the lives of its visitors, to its neighborhood, and to students,
teachers, and educational institutions across Indiana. The
community matters deeply to The Children’s Museum.
This report details many of the museum’s tangible
contributions to its community and highlights other contributions
that are less easily quantified but equally important.
over
AMOUNT the museum INJECTs
INTO CENTRAL INDIANA’S
ECONOMY annually
OUT-OF-TOWN VISITOR
HOTEL SPENDING
over
OUT-OF-TOWN VISITOR
MISC. SPENDING
Economics Matter
Returning the
Community’s Investment
One of the museum’s core principles
is to be a careful steward of financial
resources. It costs approximately
$27 million annually to operate The
Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and
serve its more than 1 million visitors.
The museum’s annual budget is derived
from a combination of endowment
earnings, earned income, and most
important of all, contributions from all
sectors of the community, including
individuals, corporations, government
agencies, and charitable foundations.
The museum is also an economic
engine for Central Indiana. Results of a
2009 economic impact study show that
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
injects $73.4 million annually into
the region’s economy, meaning that
each year, the museum generates
nearly three times its operating cost in
purchases, wages, taxes, and tourism
dollars within Central Indiana—an
extraordinary return on the community’s
investment! This includes an average
$450,000 per year in property taxes,
sales tax from The Museum Store, and
Unrelated Business Income taxes.
Leading Cultural Tourism
The economic impact study also
shows that The Children’s Museum is
Central Indiana’s top cultural tourism
attraction. More than 34 percent of the
study’s respondents were visiting from
another state, with another 8 percent
comprising Indiana residents who live
more than 100 miles away. (In fact,
the museum has members in 90 of
Indiana’s 92 counties!) These out-oftown visitors generate an estimated $14
million in hotel spending and $22.3
million worth of spending on meals and
other purchases.
Finally, over half of out-of-town
visitors plan to make The Children’s
Museum a primary destination when
they return. The museum topped the list
of activities that attracts tourists back to
Indianapolis.
Supporting Local Business
The Children’s Museum is committed
to investing its resources within its
community. Although the museum
partners with businesses and
organizations around the world, the
majority of its operating budget goes
toward staff salaries and to purchase
goods and services from Indiana
vendors. The museum’s vendors and
suppliers represent 51 of Indiana’s 92
counties.
The museum supports small- and
medium-size businesses, including
minority- and women-owned enterprises
(M/WBEs). In 2009, the museum
completed a multimillion-dollar
expansion that was funded, in part,
through a grant from the Federal
Transportation Administration (FTA). The
museum spent 16.9 percent of the FTA
funds with M/WBEs, exceeding its 15
percent goal.
The museum also hosts an annual
Contracting Opportunity event that
provides networking opportunities for
M/WBEs and the purchasing
departments of Indianapolis businesses
and nonprofits.
Among the most compelling exhibits at The Children’s Museum is The
Power of Children: Making a Difference, which examines the stories of three
ordinary young people—Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges, and Ryan White—who
faced extraordinarily difficult circumstances with courage. Through their
examples of tolerance and forgiveness, they taught the world powerful lessons.
When we look at the role The Children’s Museum plays in its community,
The Power of Children reminds us that we all can make a difference, and that
the creation of transformative experiences must not be confined within the
museum’s walls. Our mission informs and guides all we do, and we believe
that everything we do can have a positive impact on our community.
For example:
• When we sustain our position as the region’s top cultural tourism attraction,
we contribute greatly to central Indiana’s economy.
• When we collaborate with other organizations to build stronger, safer
neighborhoods, we transform lives.
• When we educate and mentor young people, we inspire them to build a
stronger future for us all.
• When we offer free and reduced admission programs, we make the
museum’s extraordinary experiences available to all children and families,
regardless of income level.
Economic Impact
•W
hen we develop resources for teachers and students, we support education
in communities all across our state.
• When we maintain our status as the world’s biggest and best children’s
museum, we create a positive quality of life in Central Indiana.
The board, volunteers, and staff of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
are passionately committed to the museum’s mission of creating extraordinary
learning experiences that have the power to transform the lives of families and
children. Thanks to this commitment and the support of the community itself,
the museum has made an indelible mark on Central Indiana, raising spirits,
awareness, interest, and the quality of life for all.
“The three biggest
things Indianapolis
has going for it are
Peyton Manning/the
Indianapolis Colts, the
Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, and The
Children’s Museum.”
Jeffrey H. Patchen, President and CEO
—Mark Rosentraub
Bruce and Joan Bickner Endowed Professor
Department of Sports Management
University of Michigan
Neighborhoods Matter
A Catalyst for Change
The Children’s Museum takes pride
in its history of steadfast support for
community improvements. One of the
museum’s key initiatives is to contribute
to the revitalization of the surrounding
neighborhoods. Since 2001, The
Children’s Museum has maintained
a Neighborhood Improvement Fund,
including $2 million in a revolving
loan fund and additional resources
for gap financing of collaborative
neighborhood projects.
The first major project undertaken
through the fund was the 29th and 30th
Street Corridor improvement in 2004,
achieved through a partnership between
the museum, the city, and the state. The
streetscape improvements, funded by a
state transportation enhancement grant,
included new sidewalks and streets,
streetlights and traffic signals, street
banners, and a neighborhood gateway.
The Children’s Museum District Plan
Believing that children and families learn
best in a safe and secure environment,
in 2004 the museum adopted The
Children’s Museum District Plan, which
calls for housing rehabilitation and new
construction in a concentrated area near
the museum.
Since 2004, the museum and its
partner, the Near North Development
Corporation—with support from the
museum’s Neighborhood Improvement
Fund; federal, state, and local
government sources; and financial
institutions—have rehabilitated or built
28 homes, demolished 40 vacant and
abandoned properties, and provided
home repair assistance to 75 homeowners.
Four of the newly constructed homes
were built through a partnership with
Habitat for Humanity.
6
The Mid-North Neighborhoods
Quality of Life Plan
In 2009, the Local Initiative Support
Corporation (LISC) selected The
Children’s Museum of Indianapolis as the
convening organization to bring together
neighborhood groups to draft and
implement a Quality of Life Plan. The goal
is to make the Mid-North neighborhoods
one of the best communities in
Indianapolis in which to live, work,
learn, play, visit, and grow. The plan will
address aspects of community life such as
housing, youth engagement, education,
and economic development.
Six Mid-North neighborhoods—Crown
Hill, Highland Vicinity, Historic Meridian
Park, Mapleton-Fall Creek, Meridian
Highland, and Watson-McCord—are
partnering with The Children’s Museum,
Ivy Tech, and other stakeholders in
developing the plan, which is being
funded by LISC.
In 2010, area residents and other
stakeholders on the planning team began
reaching out to members of the community,
learning what they view as the assets
and the strengths of their neighborhoods,
and what they want to improve. The
interview phase was followed by a
visioning summit when community
stakeholders collaborated to identify the
issues, priorities, and shared vision of their
community. Teams then formed to develop
goals and strategies to be captured in a
community-approved and directed Quality
of Life Plan.
The goals of the plan must be actionable
within three to five years and a community
group or organization must be responsible
for accomplishing each goal. At the end
of the process, the neighborhoods walk
away with a workable plan and potential
funders will have a set of initiatives in
which to invest.
The Children’s Museum is pleased to be
part of this process, which has allowed
communities around Indianapolis to
leverage millions of dollars for initiatives
conceived in the Quality of Life Plans.
New Mid-North
Neighbors!
When Jesse and Noel Kurth
learned that Noel was
pregnant, they started their
search to buy a home. They
purchased an affordable,
custom-built home from the
Near North Development
Corporation. The museum
provided Near North with
no-interest construction
financing as well as grant
funding for the acquisition
and demolition of the vacant
structure on the lot where
the Kurth family’s new home
is located. Not only did the
Kurths purchase a brand-new
green-certified home near the
museum, they also purchased
it at an affordable price.
“We used to be a twoincome household, but with
the birth of our daughter
Hanley, our income was cut
in half,” Noel said. “With
the Near North program, we
were able to still have a safe
environment for our child and
for me to be able to stay at
home with her. That is the
biggest blessing of all.”
over
commitment for
top to bottom
neighborhood revitalization
The 29th and 30th Street
Corridor improvement
included street banners and a
neighborhood gateway.
More than 300 people attended
the April 2011 Quality of Life
Plan vision summit. Together they
identified community priorities.
Since 2004, the Near North
Development Corporation/
Children’s Museum partnership
has rehabilitated or built 28
homes for new and existing
neighborhood residents,
demolished 40 vacant and
abandoned properties, and
provided home repair assistance
to 75 homeowners.
HOMES BUILT or
rehabilitated since 2004
ABANDONED PROPERTIES
DEMOLISHED since 2004
HOMES REPAIRED
since 2004
Children and Families Matter
Accessible to All
The Children’s Museum endeavors to make
its offerings accessible to everyone. To that
end, the museum underwrites a significant
portion of the cost of every visit.
With an operating budget of
approximately $27 million and 1 million
visitors annually, the actual cost per
museum visit is $27, yet the average ticket
price is only $13.25. Private donations
and earnings from the endowment offset
a significant portion of the true cost of
every museum visit. In 2010, endowment
earnings and charitable giving supported
$7.9 million in museum admissions.
In addition, the museum offers many
opportunities for people to attend the
museum for free or at a reduced price:
•F
ree Days and First Thursdays
The museum offers free admission 16
times a year, including Target Free
Family Nights on the first Thursday
of each month, Martin Luther King
Jr. Day, Presidents Day, El Día de los
Niños, and Christmas Eve. There were
86,637 visitors on free days in 2010,
representing more than $2.3 million in
free museum admissions.
•F
oster Family Program
The museum provides a free one-year
membership to licensed Indiana foster
parents and their families. This program,
launched in 2008, is a collaborative
effort with the Indiana Department of
Child Services. In 2010, there were 609
member households and 6,646 visits.
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
8
2,744
• Access Pass Program
The Children’s Museum developed the
Access Pass program, which allows
qualifying low-income families to attend
the museum for only $1 per person per
visit. Hoosiers receiving state assistance
such as food stamps, Hoosier Healthwise
insurance, or Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) are eligible. In
2010, the Access Pass program had
10,115 pass holders and generated
more than 59,000 museum visits,
representing a subsidy of $1.6 million.
The program has now expanded to
include Conner Prairie Interactive History
Park, the Eiteljorg Museum of American
Indians and Western Art, the Indiana
Historical Society, and the NCAA Hall of
Champions.
•T
he Children’s Museum
Neighborhood Club
Established in 1994, The Children’s
Museum Neighborhood Club (previously
the 30/34 Club) provides free
memberships for families residing in any
of the six Mid-North neighborhoods. In
2010, there were 5,020 visits to the
museum through the Neighborhood
Club for a museum subsidy of more than
$135,000. The Club now has more than
700 member households, representing
35 percent of all area households with
children, according to Census data.
16,032
2,934
Passholders
17,973
3,613
20,960
4,633
27,151
6,944
10,115
42,721
59,325
Access Pass
Making a Difference
Carrie Harris of Indianapolis
signed up for the Access Pass
program after she saw a flier
in a community health center.
She says her two sons,
10-year-old Isaiah and
9-year-old Elijah, love to
do science experiments in
The Children’s Museum’s
SciencePort®. Carrie really
appreciates the low-cost
program. “I’m grateful that
my kids can have the same
opportunities to learn from
the exhibits as more fortunate
kids,” she said.
AVERAGE COST per VISITOR = $27
86,637 visitors on
10,115 Access pass holders
Average Ticket price = $13.25
free days
59,325 museum visits
over
admission SUPPORT in 2010
free admissions in 2010
ABOVE Capacity crowds of children
and families await the museum’s
opening on Martin Luther King
Jr. Day, one of the museum’s free
admission days.
LEFT A magician keeps crowds
spellbound during El Día de los
Niños, the Day of the Children—
one of the museum’s annual free
admission days.
RIGHT Neighbors enjoy a dance
performance at the annual
Children’s Museum Neighborhood
Holiday Party.
ACCESS PASS Admissions in 2010
Education Matters
Igniting Interest Among
Teachers, Students, and Schools
The Children’s Museum is a crucial
resource for Indiana’s students
and educators. The museum offers
extraordinary school programs and
experiences in the arts, sciences, and
humanities, including teacher institutes,
training workshops, and other professional
development programs for in-service and
pre-service teachers.
The Children’s Museum is an extremely
valuable school visit destination because it
provides immersive curricular experiences
that cannot be replicated in a classroom.
The museum supports teachers by
providing an ever-expanding library of
Units of Study for Grades K through 12
on topics ranging from healthy lifestyles to
paleontology, biotechnology, economics,
the arts, literacy, and the humanities.
These Units of Study explore the museum’s
exhibits and experiences and address
Indiana Academic Standards and
National Academic Standards. In addition,
the museum offers a reduced admission
price to schools, subsidizing 74,282 visits
by students, teachers, and chaperones in
2010 at a value of more than $371,000.
Over the past decade, The Children’s
Museum has become an important
center for informal education in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math
(STEM)—disciplines that are essential to
the nation’s economic success and to the
development of young people capable
of finding solutions to critical problems
such as treating disease, generating new
sources of energy, and developing more
sustainable methods of living. In 2010,
more than 257,000 visitors participated
in 13,574 facilitated museum programs
exploring STEM concepts, including the
Lugar Energy Summit and the Curious
Scientific Investigators (CSI) program.
In 2010, the museum and the office
of Senator Richard G. Lugar hosted
the inaugural Lugar Energy Summit for
Indiana elementary and middle school
students. Area schools sent more than 350
students to take part in hands-on learning
about how energy is generated, how
10
they can conserve energy at home and
at school, and how to develop a project
to reduce the environmental footprint of
schools. Schools attending each received
a grant from Duke Energy to start an
energy project at their school.
Since its inception in 2004, the Curious
Scientific Investigator (CSI) program has
served more than 9,950 students and
425 teachers from the Indianapolis Public
Schools and the Metropolitan School
District of Wayne Township. The program
was created to meet the needs of these
two urban school districts with limited
resources. CSI is an interdisciplinary
interactive program in which students use
science methods, skills, and tools to solve
a mystery. The program, which addresses
academic standards in science, math, and
language arts, received a national award
in 2007 for Exemplary Science in Informal
Education Settings from the Association of
Science and Technology Centers and the
National Science Teachers Association.
Mentoring Youth
In addition to the support provided to
students through its school visit programs,
The Children’s Museum has several
ongoing programs that involve youths
directly in museum learning.
• F or 26 years, The Children’s Museum
has offered StarPoint—an affordable,
curriculum-based summer program for
neighborhood youths. The program
engages underserved youths and their
families with activities based on museum
exhibits. In 2010, The Children’s Museum
spent approximately $63,000 to provide
the program to 120 young people.
• T he Museum Apprentice Program (MAP)
provides participants ages 13 to 18 with
an exciting program that introduces them
to the arts, sciences, and humanities in a
real work environment. There is no charge
to participate in MAP. In 2010 The
Children’s Museum provided $45,000
worth of materials and programming
and invaluable mentoring to 30 young
apprentices.
StarPoint Fosters Success
Tina Campbell says The
Children’s Museum of
Indianapolis has positively
affected her family in
many ways. She’s brought
her three children to the
museum for years.
Her daughter Moniece
is a multiyear participant
in the museum’s StarPoint
Summer Camp, a program
that engages underserved
youth with activities based
on museum exhibits. Scott, a
former StarPoint participant,
is now a paid junior staff
member for the program.
“It’s really helped teach him
discipline and structure,” Tina
said. “It’s so great for him to
have a summer job at such a
wonderful place. It’s a great
experience for him to be
able to work with others and
be immersed in learning.”
In 2010, the Campbell
family moved into a new
home near the museum, built
by Habitat for Humanity. The
Children’s Museum made
funds available to acquire
the site and demolish its
abandoned home, clearing
the way for the new
development; museum staff
also volunteered for the build.
number of school visits
SUPPORTED by the museum in 2010
number of students participating
in the curious scientific
investigator Program since 2004
number of visitors
participating in facilitated
stem programs in 2010
number of facilitated STEM
programs in 2010
The Children’s Museum of
Indianapolis is an important
center for informal
education in the fields
of Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math
(STEM)—disciplines
considered essential to the
nation’s success.
Education Matters
• Since 2000, The Children’s Museum
has hosted 385 interns from 29
Indiana colleges and universities.
These interns have represented
25 states and 10 countries, including
Austria, Egypt, El Salvador, England,
France, Germany, India, Japan, The
Netherlands, and Taiwan. Interns
participate in everything from
cataloging artifacts and designing
exhibits to learning museum
administration and helping with
public relations.
Making Knowledge Available
In addition to the educational services
the museum provides to children,
families, students, and teachers, the
museum collaborates with other leading
educational organizations and develops
innovative ways to make learning and
knowledge available to all.
For example, The Children’s Museum
is the only museum in the country with
a full-service public library within its
walls. Called infoZone, this branch of
the Indianapolis-Marion County Public
Library is a safe learning environment
and an important resource for
neighborhood residents who might not
have computers. infoZone had 162,831
visitors in 2010. The Children’s
Museum of Indianapolis maintains and
supports this library branch at a cost of
$400,000 annually.
The Children’s Museum also
collaborates with WFYI Channel
20 and the Indiana Department of
Education on Indiana Expeditions, a
multipart science adventure TV show
for elementary schoolchildren. The
show helps young viewers explore the
physical, earth, and life sciences in
episodes such as “Where Trash Goes,”
“Underground Indiana” and “Creepy
Crawly Science.” Rick Crosslin, liaison
for science learning at The Children’s
Museum and lead science teacher for
Wayne Township schools, serves as
host and executive producer of the
series. In 2009 Indiana Expeditions
won a Regional Emmy award for Best
Children/Youth Program Series, and in
2010 the show was awarded first place
for coverage of the environment by the
Society of Professional Journalists.
interns hosted since 2000
AMOUNT SPENT TO PROVIDE the starpoint
from 29 INDIANA COLLEGES
PROGRAM TO 120 YOUTHS IN 2010
& UNIVERSITIES
VISITORS TO THE infozone in 2010
ANNUAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT
FOR infozone LIBRARY
Museum actor/interpreters bring
exhibits like Dinosphere to life for
visitors.
ABOVE
LEFT StarPoint is a low-cost summer
camp that immerses neighborhood
youth ages 6 to 12 in the arts,
sciences, and humanities.
CENTER The Children’s Museum offers
immersive learning environments that
cannot be replicated in the classroom.
RIGHT infoZone is the only full-service
public library located within a U.S.
museum.
Our Future Matters
The Museum’s Growing
Commitment to Sustainability
One of the greatest challenges of
our time is to transform our culture
and shift consumption toward more
environmentally sustainable practices
that will preserve and enhance the
Earth and its natural resources for
future generations.
The Children’s Museum of
Indianapolis is actively engaged in this
challenge. Many energy- and waterconserving features were incorporated
into the museum’s recent expansion,
ranging from ceramic frit in glass
curtain walls to reflect heat, to a Rain
Garden that filters storm water runoff
and returns it to the aquifer rather
than the city’s overtaxed storm sewer
system. The greening of the museum’s
day-to-day operations is a precondition
for any larger sustainability initiative,
and it is an ongoing process that is
continuously scrutinized.
However, The Children’s Museum
knows that its greatest opportunity for
impact lies in leveraging its capacity
to build public knowledge about
environmental sustainability. In 2010
The Children’s Museum embarked
on an Environmental Sustainability
Initiative aimed at placing the museum
at the vanguard of sustainability
education for children and families.
The process began with an audit of
museum operations and visioning
workshops with museum staff and an
advisory council of local and national
sustainability experts.
Going forward, the museum will
develop and implement a plan to
incorporate sustainability education
into its exhibits, programs, outreach,
and educational offerings for families,
children, teachers, and students.
These programs will create direct
pathways to sustainable action by
visitors through partnerships with local,
regional, national, and international
organizations.
Next in the Neighborhood
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
is now looking toward one of the
greatest challenges facing it and
its neighborhood—the future of the
former Winona Hospital. The hospital
closed in 2004 and has since become
an eyesore and a health and safety
hazard. Any redevelopment of the site
will require demolition and abatement
of asbestos, medical waste, and other
hazardous materials at a cost estimated
at more than $2 million.
The four-acre site at 32nd and
Meridian streets is contiguous to The
Children’s Museum property. Shortly
after the hospital’s closure, the museum
initiated discussions with the City of
Indianapolis and continues to work
with the City, discussing the future of
the site in hopes of finding a reuse that
benefits the museum, the neighborhood,
and the entire city.
The museum’s vision for Winona is
based upon important experience it has
in reclaiming neighborhood brownfield
sites and removing eyesores. Examples
include:
• T he museum purchased a vacant
former dry cleaner at 30th Street and
Kenwood Avenue and worked with
Near North Development Corporation,
the city, and the state to remove
environmental contaminants from
the site. In 2003, the property
was deeded to the Indianapolis
Fire Department, allowing for the
expansion of Fire Station 14.
• T he museum acquired a long-vacant
gas station at the corner of 30th and
Meridian streets and transformed it
into a park that opened in 2008.
• In 2004, the museum and Near North
Development Corporation facilitated
the removal of two vacant gas
stations near 19th Street and Capitol
Avenue. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful
and neighborhood groups plan to
transform the sites into green spaces.
The Museum and Its Community
The Children’s Museum of
Indianapolis considers its
engagement with and support
for its community a benchmark
of success. This commitment has
enabled the museum to become the
biggest and best children’s museum
in the world, an economic dynamo
for Central Indiana, the region’s
leading cultural tourism attraction,
a principal in the effort to revitalize
the city’s Mid-North neighborhoods,
and an essential resource for
families, children, students, and
schools that offers unparalleled
educational experiences.
To learn more about The Children’s Museum of
Indianapolis and its extraordinary community programs
and initiatives, contact Anthony Bridgeman, Director of
Community Initiatives, at 317-334-4137.
For all of the up-to-date museum information,
follow The Children’s Museum on Facebook, Twitter,
Flickr, and YouTube.
3000 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46208-4716
317-334-3322
childrensmuseum.org