ACM Great Friend to Kids: The Power of Children

FAIN: GI-230884-15

Association of Children's Museums (Arlington, VA 22202-4015)
Jeannette K. Thomas (Project Director: January 2015 to February 2015)
Laura Huerta Migus (Project Director: February 2015 to October 2015)

The Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) is pleased to submit a proposal to the National Endowment for the Humanities requesting a Chairman’s Grant of $10,000 to support the ACM Great Friend to Kids: The Power of Children project. This project specifically will support the ACM Great Friend to Kids awards ceremony, which will be held during the ACM InterActivity conference. InterActivity, the international conference of the children’s museum field, will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana from May 13–15, 2015 and hosted by The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

In conjunction with the InterActivity conference, ACM honors individuals or organizations with the Great Friend to Kids Award. Recipients have made a significant contribution to strengthen the education and advance the lives of children. At InterActivity 2015, ACM will present three Great Friend to Kids Awards in celebration of the power of three extraordinary children: Ruby Bridges, Anne Frank, and Ryan White. These three children are celebrated in The Power of Children: Making a Difference exhibit, which was created by The Children's Museum of Indianapolis with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

The Great Friend to Kids Awards ceremony will be the conference’s closing plenary session, and is scheduled for Friday, May 15. As part of the Awards Ceremony, Chairman William “Bro” Adams is invited to deliver opening remarks that address the Power of Children exhibition and the role of the humanities in children’s museums. The Awards Ceremony will conclude with an armchair discussion with the three honorees.