Annual Report 2014 1
Our mission To connect purposeful play and learning.
Our Vision
We envision a world where the value of learning through play is recognized and respected. We believe in the power of play to transform the lives of children. For an increasing number of children, we will expand the way they learn through innovative, fresh, interactive, playful, and engaging experiences.
Our Goal
Port Discovery will be a leader in promoting and strengthening informal learning opportunities for the benefit of our community by: • Promoting developmentally appropriate experiences for our earliest learners • Maintaining a strong and consistent presence in the community through sound financial management and leadership • Advocating for underserved populations • Supporting community need • Fostering meaningful child/parent together time
“Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play.” ~ Henri Matisse 2
Letter from the President and Chair of the Board of Directors Dear Friends, While many debate the current educational focus on content and test scores, emerging research continues to show the importance of so-called non-cognitive skills in children’s learning and success. And, it turns out, children are born with one of the most important of these skills – curiosity. Children are naturally curious. “What happens when…?” “Why is that…?” They explore, question, and wonder, and by doing so, learn. Curiosity leads to exploration, which leads to discovery. The joy of discovery leads to more exploration, producing a continuing cycle of learning that builds confidence, mastery of skills, and self-esteem. Yet, for too many children, curiosity fades – and with it the love of learning that helps them succeed in school and in life. So we ask, “How can we keep curiosity alive?” A critical part of the answer is play. Imaginative play encourages and rewards curiosity, thereby fostering the cycle of learning and building the skills for future success. Decades of research, from respected sources such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Association for Childhood Education International, have confirmed the importance of play in child development and learning – especially for our youngest children. At Port Discovery, our child-centered programs and environments encourage children to learn the way they learn first and best – through play. And through play we celebrate and encourage the curiosity that is at the core of all discovery and learning. We thank our supporters and partners for helping us bring the joy of learning to the children of our community, both within our walls and beyond. And we hope that all who read this message will join us in celebrating curiosity and inspiring our children to discover the many wonders of the world around us.
Warmly,
Bryn Parchman President & CEO
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Dennis F. Rasmussen Board Chair
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2014 Milestones & Highlights Early Childhood: Port Discovery developed Together Time – a play-based program promoting early literacy to lowincome parents and their children with language delays. A portable version of our Mother Goose on the Loose early literacy program was added to our new Museum on the Road offsite/outreach series. In May we held our first annual Book Bonanza in celebration of Children’s Book Week. Creative Arts and Culture: Port Discovery introduced Percussion Garden – a unique experience promoting both musicality and STEM learning. Artist-in-residence Jenna Boyles led a year of workshops that taught visitors artistic concepts and processes inspired by those she used to create Space Garden – a colorful multi-media mural installed in the Museum’s entry space.
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STEM Learning: Port Discovery adapted its signature STEM programming for young learners at The Judy Center at Campfield Early Learning Center. The Museum also introduced a new annual event, Rocket Day, in partnership with the Volanz Aerospace Spaceflight Institute and the National Electronics Museum. STEM in Spring, held during Maryland Public Schools’ spring break, was another great success. Healthy Families/Healthy Communities: In its second year, Port Discovery’s growing off-site program, Kick It Up!, supported by UnitedHealthcare, provided children with opportunities for physically active play at events throughout the community. New this year, Port Discovery debuted a version of the program customized for students and early learning centers.
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2014 Milestones & Highlights Financial Literacy: Our popular Money Game and Build Your Own Nest Egg programs continued to educate children and families about financial health. Financial Friends at Port Discovery, which invites partners such as College Savings Plans of Maryland to key community events, continued to educate families about saving, spending, and investing. Off-Site & Outreach Programming: Port Discovery continued delivering Port to Ports – activities that engage children and their adults in play-based, hands-on learning at community events throughout the region, and launched Museum on the Road – an unprecedented series of off-site programs that brings arts, STEM, and early literacy programs directly to schools, early learning centers, and libraries. Port Discovery’s STEMVentures educational enrichment series served students at their after school program sites, as well as summer learners in Parks & People’s SuperKids Camp.
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Traveling Exhibits: The Wizard of Oz® Children’s Educational Exhibition offered families a marvelous adventure of learning and discovery based on the beloved movie classic. Holiday Springs and Sprockets featured Steve Gerberich’s playful mechanical sculptures created from recycled and reclaimed gadgets, inviting children to explore mechanics, engineering, recycling, and technology. The Art of Sesame Street: From Pictures to Pages celebrated Sesame Street’s 40th anniversary with framed selections from the Publishing Archive of Sesame Workshop. Finally, Curious George: Let’s Get Curious! introduced young children to Curious George’s world and led visitors on a fun, meaningful interactive math, science, and engineering-based adventure. Awards: In August 2013, the Museum was recognized with the Baltimore County Commission on Disabilities’ “Innovative Community Program Award” and in January 2014, Port Discovery was named one of “Seven Children’s Museums Worth the Trip” by Daily Parent. Port Discovery was also selected as “Maryland’s Best Museum for Families” in Maryland Family Magazine’s 2013 Reader’s Choice Awards.
“I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
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Key Partners • • • • • • • • •
• • •
• • • • •
Baltimore City Health Department Baltimore City Public Schools Baltimore County Public Schools Enoch Pratt Free Library Health Care Access of Maryland Howard County Public Schools Kennedy Krieger Institute Maryland State Department of Education National Aeronautics and Space Administration- Goddard Space Flight Center National Federation of the Blind NISE (Nanoscale Informal Science Education) Network Office of Parent Involvement and School, Family, and Community Connections Towson University University of Delaware University of Maryland, Baltimore University of Maryland, College Park, Department of Physics University of Maryland, Baltimore County, School of Public Health
Other Resources Port Discovery works with numerous other partners, including local artists, performers, and community organizations, and we are extremely grateful for the many benefits and opportunities these partners confer.
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What We Do In-Museum: Educational environments, exhibits, and programming for children birth through ten and their teachers, parents, and caregivers Museum on the Road: Offsite/outreach programs take art, music, physical fitness, and STEM enrichment programming into schools and the community Talking about Tots: Monthly parent discussions with child development experts from the Kennedy Krieger Institute SuperKids Camp: Summer enrichment programs Discovery Days, Discovery ME Days, Be a Part of the Art Days, and Family Exploration Days: Programs for families and schools with children of differing abilities Salute the Troops: Free and reduced admission for military personnel and their families School Access: Free and reduced admission and outreach program participation for students, teachers, and chaperones Family Access: For those in need, the Museum brings the joy of learning through play to those who could not otherwise afford to attend Countdown to Kindergarten: Hosted at Port Discovery, this city-wide initiative focuses on school readiness skills 9
Why We Do It Play is integral to the development of essential skills: creativity, curiosity, critical thinking, risk taking, and problem solving. • Play is crucial in human development, improving cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being • Balancing formal educational experiences with informal learning opportunities helps children to be more focused, interact better with their peers, and lead overall healthier lives • “Soft” skills such as conflict negotiation, collaboration, teamwork, strategizing, flexibility, and resilience contribute to success in adulthood • Severe play-deprivation leads to abnormalities in neurological development, but providing even a few opportunities to play can remediate the situation James J. Heckman, Nobel Laureate and University of Chicago Economics Professor, has proven that great gains are made by investing in early childhood development. • Gains go beyond the immediate positive impact on individual children, resulting in benefits to society as a whole and lasting for generations • Foundational skills support cognitive skill development and promote success in school and life • Much of this success is tied to socialemotional skills – curiosity, attentiveness, motivation, persistence, and working with others – which are developed through PLAY Who We Serve Children aged birth through 10 Parents Teachers Civic Groups Scout Groups 10
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Operating Revenue and Expenses Revenue Admissions, Memberships, & Programs Contributions & Grants Other Earned Income Total Support & Revenue Expenses Program Services Administration Marketing Fundraising Total Expenses
$ 2,334,801 1,262,409 85,072 3,682,282
$ 2,246,628 454,220 467,769 493,449 3,662,066
Change in Net Assets from Operations $ 20,216
2%
FY2012
Revenue • • •
34%
Admission, Memberships, and Programs Contributions and Grants Other Earned Income
64%
12%
Expenses 13% 61% 14%
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• • • •
Program Services Administration Fundraising Marketing
By the Numbers
1% 1% 9%
Special Constituencies Served
13%
Students and Educators Served – 52,980 Free Admissions – 13,639 Reduced Admissions – 24,312
76%
Discovery Day/Discover Me Day – 7,953 Free Admissions - 1,590 Reduced Admissions – 1,183 Countdown to Kindergarten– 2,121 Free Admissions - 1,247 Target Family Fun Nights – 12,350 Free Admissions - 967 Reduced Admissions – 11,143
Attendance by Program General Admission School Groups Other Groups Off-site Overnight
Wonderful Wednesday – 11,063 Free Admissions - 2,957 Reduced Admissions – 4,291 Littles’ Day – 12,795 Free Admissions - 989
Total Attendance – 255,000
33% of all non-member visitors receive free or significantly reduced admission to Port Discovery!
7%
43%
50%
Attendance by Age Children 2 and over Adults Infants and Toddlers
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In 2014, Port Discovery proudly honored Baltimore Ravens’ wide receiver Torrey Smith at its annual Play It Forward event. Torrey’s personal history and the outstanding work of the Torrey Smith Foundation made him an excellent choice for the Museum’s Great Friend to Kids Award. Torrey’s work centers on providing support to at-risk youth with physical, educational, and financial challenges. By example and through his charitable work, Torrey encourages Baltimore’s youth to believe in themselves and to follow their dreams. This year’s event, co-chaired by Scott Plank and Dana DiCarlo, also celebrated curiosity with a Curious George theme. In addition to being a great motivator for learning, curiosity has been recognized as one of the keys to happiness. Curiosity helps us feel alive and engaged and more capable of embracing opportunities, making connections, and experiencing moments of insight and meaning — all of which provide the foundation for a rich, aware, and satisfying life experience. Our guests experienced that satisfaction as they connected over great food and samples of the fun learning activities children and families engage in every day at Port Discovery. We thank everyone who helped make Play It Forward our most successful event ever. 14
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Thank you for making a difference! Government $100,000+ The Institute of Museum & Library Services Maryland State Department of Education $50,000 - $99,999 The Citizens of Baltimore County $10,000 - $14,999 Howard County Government and the Howard County Arts Council Corporate, Foundation & Individual Trailblazer $50,000 - $99,999 Middendorf Foundation, Inc. Sylvan/Laureate Foundation Target UnitedHealthcare Creative Thinker $25,000 - $49,999 BGE – An Exelon Company Bank of America J.S. Plank and D.M. DiCarlo Family Foundation, Inc. M&T Bank McCormick & Co., Inc. Mr. Aris Melissaratos Pandora Jewelry LLC Mr. George A. Roche The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc. Museum Explorer $15,000 - $24,999 Allegis Group Foundation The Cupid Foundation, Inc. DLA Piper LLP Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board Joseph & Harvey Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds PNC Bank Radcliffe Jewelers Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Stetz
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Imagination Builder $10,000 - $14,999 BB&T The Goldseker Foundation The LaVerna Hahn Charitable Trust Nordstrom, Inc. OneMain Financial The Orokawa Foundation Mrs. Jayne Plank T. Rowe Price Foundation, Inc. Xerox Foundation Discovery Maker $5,000 - $9,999 ASC Partners, LLC Baltimore City Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Eric Becker Rheda Becker & Robert Meyerhoff Winnie & Neal Borden Mr. Stephen A. Burch & Ms. Nora J. Linstrom Campbell Foundation, Inc. Mrs. Renee Christoff College Savings Plans of Maryland Constellation – An Exelon Company CSX Corporation Ernst & Young LLP The Harry L. Gladding Foundation The Goldsmith Family Foundation, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. John Harbaugh Helen Pumphrey Denit Charitable Trust The John J. Leidy Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Stanley T. Levinson Miles & Stockbridge PC Moore & Van Allen, PLLC Mr. Tony O’Brien Mr. John F. Ripley Royal Farms John & Nancy Sasser T. Rowe Price The Alvin and Fanny B. Thalheimer Foundation, Inc. University of Maryland, Baltimore Venable LLP Foundation E.C. Wareheim Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation
Play Partner $1,000 - $4,999 Baltimore Ravens Mr. Alex Bartlett Bay View Homecare Mr. John Boender Ms. Leslie Borenstein Monica Brandes & George F. Jones David & Allison Buchalter Carnival Foundation Mrs. Angela Celestin Century Engineering The Columbia Bank Comcast The Cordish Company – Power Plant Live! Mr. & Mrs. William Corey, Jr. Corporate Office Properties Trust Mrs. B.J. Cowie The Cupid Foundation, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Felix Dawson First National Bank, Maryland Region Flavor & Fragrance Specialties, Inc. Mr. Brian Gracie Mr. & Mrs. Harold F. Graul, Jr. Greenberg Gibbons Commercial H&S Bakery, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Peter V. Handal Happy Family Brands Ms. Kathleen Hardway Mr. & Mrs. Charlie Hatter Mr. Jim Hindman Hoffberger Holdings, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Doug Houff JP Morgan Mr. & Mrs. David W. Jones Mr. Carim Khouzami Kinder Morgan Foundation Knott Mechanical Kohl’s Department Stores, Inc. Clark & Mary Langrall Mr. & Mrs. Chris Legg Legg Mason Global Asset Management Legg Mason, Inc. Ms. Sandra Liotta & Mr. Carl Osterman Mrs. Jennifer Litchman David Longaker & Megan Farrell
Lois & Philip Macht Family Philanthropic Fund of THE ASSOCIATED Mr. Herbert Magin Ms. Susan Magsamen Ms. Singleton B. McAllister Mr. & Mrs. George McClelland The John P. and Elizabeth Y. McKinnell Family Fund J. McLaughlin Meadowbrook & North Baltimore Aquatic Club MedStar Health Merritt Properties Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital Northrop Grumman Corporation Mr. Mark Pollak, Esq. Ports America Chesapeake, LLC PricewaterhouseCoopers Mr. Dennis F. Rasmussen The Ritz-Carlton Residences by RXR Realty Mr. Robert A. Ryan Saint Agnes Hospital Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Samios James T. Smith, Jr. Ms. Janet Marie Smith & Mr. F. Barton Harvey Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Spinelli Susquehanna Bank Mr. Harry Thomasian University of Maryland Medical System Visa Mr. & Mrs. David Wallace Wegmans Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP
PD Fan $500 - $999 Mr. & Mrs. Michael Beatty BellaRose Associates Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Berrier Breeden & Company Real Estate LLC Brown Advisory Ms. Meredith Callanan Mrs. Cynthia B. Conklin & Mr. Robert L. Merbler Dr. Bonnie S. Copeland Mr. & Mrs. Anthony W. Deering Ms. Cheri H. Dorsey Mr. & Mrs. Edward K. Dunn III Mr. & Mrs. Michael Ford Mr. Daniel Fulmer Dr. & Mrs. Robert E. Gabrys Ms. Marissa Humphrey Patti Jefferson JMI Equity Mr. & Mrs. Matt Klaiber The Matthew Korn and Cynthia Miller Foundation Mr. Philip Lacovara Mr. Ray Lewis Maryland Agriculture Council, Inc. Maryland Dairy Industry Association, Inc. Mr. David Mayer OberKaler Ms. Teresa Payne-Nunn Ms. Suzanne Ricklin Mrs. Josephine Schaeffer Mr. & Mrs. Sigmund Shapiro Ida & Joseph Shapiro Foundation, Inc. Mr. Jay Steinmetz Mrs. Barbara Tachovsky Mr. & Mrs. David F. Tufaro Ms. Michele Whelley
Corporate Members Armada Hoffler ATAPCO Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce Baltimore/Washington County Chamber of Commerce BB&T The Bozzuto Group Brown Advisory Carefirst Constellation – An Exelon Company Corporate Office Properties Trust Ernst & Young LLP Flavor & Fragrance Specialties, Inc. Gordon Feinblatt LLC Gross Mendelsohn & Associates, PA Howard County Chamber of Commerce Legg Mason Global Asset Management McCormick & Co., Inc. MECU Miles & Stockbridge PC OneMain Financial PNC Bank PricewaterhouseCoopers Stifel Nicolaus T. Rowe Price Travelstead Transportation Group Wells Fargo Matching Gifts The Abell Foundation Alliant Energy Baltimore Community Foundation Bank of America Constellation Energy – An Exelon Company Jack Kent Cooke Foundation McCormick & Company, Inc. Gifts in Kind Ballard Spahr, LLP Contract Specialists, Inc. Wine and Canvas of Baltimore, LLC TRIBUTES In honor of Bryn Parchman Mrs. B. J. Cowie In honor of Renee Christoff Mr. Jaime Johnson In honor of Dana DiCarlo and Scott Plank Mr. & Mrs. John C. Racanelli Mr. & Mrs. Claude Smith
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Board of Directors Dennis F. Rasmussen Chair Monica Brandes Vice Chair Aris Melissaratos Vice Chair John Shmerler Vice Chair Mark Pollak, Esq. Secretary Gordon Stetz, Jr. Treasurer Douglas L. Becker Eric Becker Winifred C. Borden Steve Burch Angela Celestin Renee Christoff Bonnie Copeland William S. Corey, Jr. Cheri Harman Dorsey, Esq. Daniel Fulmer Robert E. Gabrys, PhD John Harbaugh Kathleen S. Hardway Charlie Hatter Carim V. Khouzami Stacy E. Landsman Clarke Langrall, Jr. M. Gay Garth Legg Jennifer B. Litchman, MA Susan Magsamen Singleton B. McAllister Teresa Payne-Nunn John W. Sasser Jay Steinmetz Harry Thomasian, Jr. Michele L. Whelley
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Staff
Explorers Council
Bryn Parchman President and Chief Executive Officer
Hima Reddy Co-Chair
Leslie Borenstein Executive Vice President Rick Williams Vice President, Finance Michelle Winner Vice President, Marketing David Berman Director of Exhibits Nora Moynihan Director of Education and Community Enrichment Segrid Pearson Director of Design and Publications Magan Ruthke Director of Guest Services
Lydia Travelstead Co-Chair Ben Ballard Finance Chair Jeremiah Albright Event Co-Chair Melissa Malcolm Event Co-Chair Hillary Arnaoutakis Membership Co-Chair J. Bruce Chan, Esq. Membership Co-Chair Peter Winstead Membership Co-Chair Maggie Kennedy Volunteer Co-Chair Jennifer Barron Brian Berger Angel Connolly
Jennifer Barron Brian Berger Angel Connolly Elizabeth Greenblatt Wendy Harrison Noelle Hopper Marissa Humphrey Dan Kallaugher Thomas Kelley Daria Lapshinova Jill Prevatt James Pymm Sara L. Reznicek Eric Shapiro Mallory Shore Emily Wein
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Inspire Curiosity As an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit institution, Port Discovery Children’s Museum relies on the generosity of its donors to fulfill its mission to connect purposeful play and learning. Caring donors can make tax-deductible donations to support our play-based educational exhibits and programs.
Port Discovery Children’s Museum 35 Market Place, Baltimore, MD 21202 410.864.2652 development@portdiscovery.org portdiscovery.org Because Port Discovery Children’s Museum is a non-profit organization, your gift is tax- exempt to the full extent of the law. A copy of our current financial statement is available upon request by contacting The Baltimore Children’s Museum, Inc., 35 Market Place, Baltimore, MD 21202, 410-727-8120. Documents and information submitted to the State of Maryland under the Maryland Charitable Solicitations Act are available from the Office of the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401 for the cost of copying and postage.
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