The Association of Children's Museums (ACM) is a Washington, D.C.–based organization that represents more than 300

children's museums Children's museums are institutions that provide exhibits and programs to stimulate informal learning experiences for children. In contrast with traditional museums that typically have a hands-off policy regarding exhibits, children's museums fe ...

in 23 countries throughout the world. The association began in 1962 as the American Association of Youth Museums and grew out of the desire for children's museums to meet as a separate group during the

American Alliance of Museums American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

' annual meeting. They remained an informal group, but their growth paralleled the growth of children's museums throughout the world. In addition to organizing museums and administration of grants to museums, the Association partners with other organizations, including the ''Eunice Kennedy Shriver''

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development The ''Eunice Kennedy Shriver'' National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It supports and conducts research aime ...

on health issues related to children.

Great Friend to Kids Award

The Association of Children's Museums initiated the Great Friend to Kids Award in 1991, to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions toward strengthening

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

for children. National Great Friend to Kids Award winners include

Fred Rogers Fred McFeely Rogers (March 20, 1928 – February 27, 2003), commonly known as Mister Rogers, was an American television host, author, producer, and Presbyterian minister. He was the creator, showrunner, and host of the preschool television se ...

("Mister Rogers") and

Marian Wright Edelman Marian Wright Edelman (born June 6, 1939) is an American activist for civil rights and children's rights. She is the founder and president emerita of the Children's Defense Fund. She influenced leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Hillary ...

(president and founder of the

Children's Defense Fund The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on child advocacy and research. It was founded in 1973 by Marian Wright Edelman. History The CDF was founded in 1973, citi ...

)."Please Touch Museum announces winners of the 14th annual 'Great Friend to Kids Awards' "
, Phillies press release, Sept. 3, 2009. MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Retrieved 2009-09-08.

Membership

Select Association members: * Boonshoft Museum of Discovery * Boston Children's Museum *

Chicago Children's Museum The Chicago Children's Museum is located at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1982 by The Junior League of Chicago who were responding to programming cutbacks in the Chicago Public Schools. Originally housed in two hallways of th ...

Discovery Place Discovery Place Science is a science and technology museum designed for all ages, located in Uptown, Charlotte, North Carolina. The facility's exhibits and activities focus on hands-on experiences; it features a "Thinker Space" and labs, a two-sto ...

* The Magic House, St. Louis *

TELUS Spark TELUS Spark Science Centre is a science museum with interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations and educational demonstrations in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. There are more than 430,000 visitors annually, including over 82,000 students. The sci ...

References

External Links

* * Museum associations and consortia Organizations established in 1962 1962 establishments in the United States Children's museums in Canada Children's museums in the United Kingdom Children's museums in the United States {{US-org-stub Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C. 501(c)(3) organizations

Great Friend to Kids Award

Membership

See also

References

External Links