Museum Musings

We have a home and conference notes!

Collette Michaud — 2010-05-21T22:20:11-07:00

There are so many exciting things happening for the children's museum. The biggest one is that we finally have a home and are actively working towards opening up in it by 2012. Check out the Press Release for more details.

Here's a picture of Herb Williams, the Board President, Jean Sculz and me in front of the new children's museum! Pretty darn cool!

A week ago I attended my sixth Association of Chidlren's Museums conference in Minneapolis, MN. Once again, I was stuck by the wonderful sharing nature of people who work in this field. Everyone from the Executive Director to the floor staff is so excited to share their ideas and is truly interested in helping to make all children's museums wonderful places no matter where they are located.

I visited the Minnesota Chidlren's Museum while I was there as well as the Science Center, both of which were amazing. The Minnesota Children's Museum sees over 400,000 visitors a year and is housed downtown in a 60,000 sq building! They too, started out in a small building before moving to the size building they are in now. They have the most incredible ant tunnel maze. Definitely a must see if you're in the area!

I also saw plans for a terrifically creative climbing structure at the Phoenix Children's Museum complete with flying bathtub. It opened to the public today! I can't wait to make a trip there to see it with my two boys one of these days.

The only down side of the trip was the winter like weather there. Luckily I got out of there before it started to snow...in May!

Oiver LOVES Electricity

Collette Michaud — 2010-04-07T09:11:49-07:00

Oliver spent at least an hour last Friday at the Museum on the Go playing with our new circuitry activity. At six years old, I predict that he is destined to become a scientist or electrician! We finally had to start packing up the activity otherwise he would have kept on playing for at least another hour.

He amazed everyone when all by himself he hooked up all the gadgets and had them running at the same time from one battery source.

His grandmother deserves the prize for �Most Patient Caregiver of the Day�. She didn�t want to interrupt his fun saying �When will he get a chance to do this again?�
Yay for Grandma! She gets it

Science Night at Sonoma Mountain School

Collette Michaud — 2010-02-01T11:03:15-08:00

Last Thursday night we held our first Science Night at Sonoma Mountain Elementary School in Petaluma. The night started at 6:30 and ended at 8pm. We estimate over 150 children and parents turned out for the event with over 70 of those children.

We especially enjoyed the volunteer help from 10 fifth graders who did a fabulous job manning all of the exhibits. And thankfully, our loyal high school volunteers, Haley and Mariah, also were on hand to help with the color mixing activity.

In addition to our regular exhibits, there was a life science table on the life cycle of frogs and a kaleidoscope table with various ways to view our world including the infamous "Disgustoscope".
It was an exciting night! Thanks to the PTA of Sonoma Mountain Village for inviting the CMOSC to come to their wonderful school.

If you came to this event, please comment on your experience. We want to know what you think!

It's official!

Collette Michaud — 2009-10-15T00:02:42-07:00

We are now officially the Children's Musuem of Sonoma County. The Secretary of State for California granted us the name change. Woo hoo!

Featured on Sono-Ma Blog

Collette Michaud — 2009-08-24T23:31:38-07:00

The Museum-on-the-Go is featured on this wonderful local blog by Holly White-Wolfe. Holly visited the Museum-on-the-Go booth last weekend at the City Kids Event in Santa Rosa. She hung around the booth for a quite awhile interviewing parents and children about their experience at the Museum-on-the-Go. She took tons of delightful pics, which you can see up on her blog. Check out her snazzy slide shows! Don't ask me how she created them though!

She also was in the audience for the Professor Wizzywig's Science Demo. Be sure to check out our school page later on this month for more info on the Professor!

Sono-Ma is truly a labor of love by a caring and very talented mom! It's chock full of wonderful ideas for how to spend time with your family in this wonderful place we call home - Sonoma County.

I'm so honored Holly took the time to come to the Children's Museum of Sonoma County's booth and write such a thoughtful and charming article with the help of the Professor.

Please check it out when you get a moment.

Santa Rosa Branch Library Visit

Collette Michaud — 2009-06-30T10:00:57-07:00

Last week, we brought the Museum on the Go to the Sonoma County Library for 3 days in a row as part of their Summer Reading Program. It's the first time the Museum on the Go has stayed in one location for an extended period of time. We wanted to see how the Children's Museum of Sonoma County was accepted and to continue raising the awareness for the project.

It was definitely a success! The first day we saw over 170 children and 60 adults! We packed the room for both of our science demonstrations with 45 kids each time. All three days, kids had a blast with the average visit lasting an hour. We had one grandmother who came at 11 on the first day when we opened the doors and didn't leave until after 2pm! She sat patiently for 3 hours and watched as her grandaughter played with magnets, made flying machines at the wind tube, and painted her face. What a great grandmother!

In total, over 500 children and adults visited the Museum on the Go over 3 days at the Santa Rosa Branch Library. And most of them were first timers to the Museum on the Go. We are excited that we are reaching out to so many new potential visitors and fans of the Children's Museum of Sonoma County!

New Name, New President!

Collette Michaud — 2009-06-21T22:54:27-07:00

I am excited to announce that we have not only an exciting new name, Children's Museum of Sonoma County, but also a new president! Herb Williams of Delphi in Santa Rosa comes to us with significant nonprofit experience as well as marketing and communications strategies. He has been an adviser to the Children's Museum since the early days. I am so excited to turn over the duties of the president's job to someone so capable and to work in partnership with him.

As for me, I'm not going anywhere! I will continue concentrating on the day to day operations of running and growing the museum. Not much will change for me except that I am now called the Chief Executive Officer. I am still fully committed to seeing a children's museum become a reality for Sonoma County!

Site update

Collette Michaud — 2009-03-31T21:54:09-07:00

We continue to search for the perfect site for the CMNB. We have three strong site possibilities in Santa Rosa. However, none of them are a slam dunk and all will require significant funding and remodeling. Our criteria continues to be a site that is donated or is offered at a significantly reduced rent, on site or street parking, and nearby amenities within walking distance.

We remain vigilant in our search and belief that the perfect site is out there for the CMNB! We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding!

In June we are scheduled to begin site planning with a wonderful museum and educational consultant, Jeanne Vergeront. Her credentials include starting the Minneapolis Children's Museum! She has also helped in the planning stages of countless children's museum across the nation. We are excited to begin work with her!

Best Imagination Center!

Collette Michaud — 2009-03-31T21:44:39-07:00

In March the CMNB was voted Best Imagination Center, Honorable Mention by the readers of the North Bay Bohemian Newspaper. I am so tickled and excited about this award, especially since we don't actually have a site yet! Thank you Boho readers for writing in the museum's name and getting us onto the list with the Bay Area Discovery Museum. Next year we'll be the top winner for Sonoma County!

MOG at St. Eugene's School in Santa Rosa

Collette Michaud — 2009-03-31T21:39:58-07:00

In February, the MIG turned a class room into a minimum for two days at St. Eugene's School in Santa Rosa. During this time we had 10 groups of children, ranging from kindergartners to fourth graders, experience the MIG. Theresa Giacomo, our science guru, also led each child in a Hanson science demonstration. It was a very gratifying experience! The kids had a blast and the teachers also seemed highly satisfied with the MIG Program. As we were packing up, we were told by the adminstrators that the MIG was one of the best programs they have had visit the school.

Benefit at Cupcake

Collette Michaud — 2009-01-25T21:47:44-08:00

On December 7th, Cupcake, a boutique for tots in downtown Santa Rosa, held a wonderful benefit for the Children's Museum of the North Bay. It was a fun evening complete with champagne and delicious cupcakes from the Velvet Crumb. We are so grateful to Jenny Romeyn, the owner of Cupcake for hosting the event. Check out the super cute Cupcake BLOG to learn more about the event as well as other fun things.

And if you're wondering where to buy delicious and artfully designed cupcakes, check out the Velvet Crumb You will not be disappointed! I should know, I only ate about ten of the cupcakes at the event!

CMNB is now on FACEBOOK!

Collette Michaud — 2009-01-17T11:40:11-08:00

Check out our new page on FACEBOOK! It's really cool compete with MOG video and photos from many of our past events. Show your support and become a fan!

This photo was taken at a hosted event at the Lancaster Estate Vineyards back in October. It was a beautiful day, full of sunshine, learning and fun for the whole family!
Thank you to Nicole and Ted Simpkins, owners of Lancaster Estate Vineyards, for hosting such a wonderful event for the museum.

Cool Volcano!

Collette Michaud — 2009-01-07T21:40:31-08:00

Check out this amazing volcano that was created by the terrifically talented Shannon McMath. And yes it even erupts! There is going to be one just like this one at every single table at the upcoming Santa Rosa West Rotary Crab Feed Fundraising event. And what's even more exciting is that the Children's Museum is the signature charity for this year's event!

If you're interested in attending the event, please contact Eleanor@childrensmuseumnb.org. Tickets are going fast and this event usually sells out.

This year's theme is "A South Seas Adventure" and it should be lots of fun! Island attire is encouraged. Come enjoy some great music, food, and dance on January 31st and help raise money for the children's museum! And you don't want to miss seeing the volcanoes erupt!

Junior League of Napa Sonoma Sponsorship!

Collette Michaud — 2008-07-03T07:19:14-07:00

I have been terribly remiss in telling you all about an exciting new sponsorhsip awarded to the Children's Museum of the North Bay in June by the Junior League of Napa Sonoma. The VERY hard working woman (and their husbands behind the scenes) of this wonderful organization gave the CMNB $35,000 to be used over 3 years towards the development of the MUSUEUM-ON-THE-GO! We are so thankful for their help and support! As a result, we are now looking for a Director of Programs and Education, and yes, it is a paid position. See our job opportunities page for more information.
And again, thank you to the wonderful woman of the JLNS for their support!

Time Flies

Collette Michaud — 2008-06-26T00:49:44-07:00

I can't believe it's already end of June! So much has happened. We attended the annual Children's Museum conference in Denver this year back in late April, and had an amazing experience exploring their children's museum as well as their wonderful downtown pedestrian street mall. Denver has had a children's museum for 25 years now and it's become an amazing community resource serving over 250,000 visitors a year in a little over 25,000sf of space! One of the things I liked most was the prototyping area where they try out all their new exhibits in raw form. They were prototyping a bubble making machine that made my jaw drop - it was so cleverly designed. I want one in our museum! They also had a cloud making machine where four people at a time can make clouds using dry ice and soap. This is something we do at the MIG all the time on a smaller scale, so I guess we're on the right track.
Once again our fellow colleagues from all over the country and the world were there, and it was great to chat about all things related to children's museums. My batteries were definitely recharged.
Since my last posting, we've also made some excellent progress towards a permanent site. More on that to come soon! Stay tuned.

Many thanks!

Collette Michaud — 2008-04-07T23:01:03-07:00

I just want to take a moment to thank all the wonderful volunteers who have helped to make the Children's Museum of the North Bay a reality. As many of you can imagine, it is a huge undertaking to start a museum of any kind. And yes, you have to be just a tad bit crazy to take it on; however, starting a museum cannot be done alone! It takes the vision, commitment, and hard work of many, many volunteers to make it really happen. I'm so grateful to the many people who have given of their precious time to help the museum become a reality. I'm also grateful to the their families who have sacrificed time with their loved ones so that the MOG could be staffed for another event!
It's because of the tireless efforts of so many volunteers that the CMNB exists and the MOG has become a wonderful success!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Baby Tender Love

Rosemary Galten — 2008-03-25T08:33:34-07:00

OMG! While I never had a Baby Tender Love, my sister had several. �That is such a sweet picture Collette, and you haven't changed a bit! �I see a bit of both your boys in that serious look...

Ok, its spring break and I am off to take both the dog and the kid to the dog park and meet Wendy and her canine children there, too. �CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR LATEST ADDITION - Miss Lucy!! �What a sweetie she is �- can't wait to meet her in real life....

Cheers, Rosemary

Brainy Bugs Club

Collette Michaud — 2008-03-09T22:26:28-07:00

Are you wondering what the Brainy Bugs Club is all about! Well, let me explain! Every year the Volunteer Center of Sonoma holds the Human Race, which is a 3K, and 10K run to raise money for nonprofits all over Sonoma County. What makes this event special, besides the fact that hundreds of families show up to walk in the 3K, is that entire teams dress up in whacky costumes. Prizes are given away to the teams with the most spirit and imaginative costumes.

So this year, we thought it woud be fun to start the Brainy Bugs Club and encourage children and their parents to come dressed as their favorite bug character complete with hand-made antennae (head sculpture) made from recycled newspapers.

Please join us this year on May 10th and collect pledges ahead of time for the Children's Museum of the North Bay. Our target amount is $10,000 towards the continuing operations of the Museum-on-the-Go into Schools. Our long term goal is to fully fund this program so that we can offer it to schools and teachers free of charge.
Help us reach our Human Race goal and walk or run as part of the Brainy Bugs Club!

Also, join us on March 29th at Fleet Feet Sports in Santa Rosa where Museum volunteers will be helping children and parents make Brainy Bug Antennae. Check out the calendar for more information.

If you'd like more information, please email info@childrensmuseumNB.org or eleanor@childrensmuseumNB.org.

Hope to see you soon at one of our upcoming events!

First MOG School Visit!

Collette Michaud — 2008-02-05T00:12:03-08:00

I'm excited to announce that today the Children's Museum of the North Bay's MOG paid a visit to Mary Collins School @ Cherry Valley. Two kindergarten classes enjoyed and discovered hands-on science exhibits and took part in a science demonstration.

Bringing the MOG to schools has been a goal of mine and the Board of Trustees for a long time, and is integral to the long term vision for the museum. We researched the State and Federal Curriculum Standards to ensure the MOG exhibits fully meet them. Both teachers and parents can be rest assured the MOG is FUN and EDUCATIONAL!

A huge shout of thanks goes to my partner in crime, Theresa Giacomino, Exhibit and Educational Committee Chair. Despite the museum's van getting stuck in mud and having to walk exhibits across a muddy field so that we could go forward with the school visit, Theresa was a bastion of positive thinking and determination.

If you're interested in having the MOG visit your school, please contact Theresa@childrensmuseumnb.org!

"Quiet Crisis in the U.S."

Collette Michaud — 2007-12-17T21:21:28-08:00

Lately, I've been reading "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman. Many of you are probably wondering what took me so long. Well, I must thank my book club for getting me to read it in the first place, otherwise I'm ashamed to admit that I might never have picked it up. In it, I came across an eye opening quote in the chapter entitled "This is not a Test" where Friedman quotes Shirley Ann Jackson, the first African American to earn a Ph.D in physics from MIT. She says �The sky is not falling, nothing horrible is going to happen today. The U.S. is still the leading engine for innovation in the world. It has the best graduate programs, the best scientific infrastructure, the capital markets to exploit it. But there is a quiet crisis in U.S. science and technology that we have to wake up to. The U.S. today is in a truly global environment, and those competitor countries are not only wide awake, they are running a marathon while we are running sprints. If left unchecked, this could challenge our preeminence and capacity to innovate.�
The longer I work at starting a children's museum, the more I become convinced that we need to be doing all we can to help our young children get engaged in science, math and the arts. Their future is our future as a community and as an entire nation.