Community Impact Report

Alex Koyler

Since opening in 2012, Minnesota Children’s Museum of Rochester has grown into a vibrant and viable home for playful learning in Southern Minnesota. The Museum’s founding reflects the tremendous power of community partnerships. Deep local support coupled with funding from the State of Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund has enabled thousands of families to experience the joys and benefits of the Museum’s exhibits and programs. Community support has deepened each year, providing a solid foundation for much-needed growth in services and programs that will benefit the entire Rochester area.

Minnesota Children’s Museum’s mission is sparking children’s learning through play. Our vision: “Kids play more. Adults do, too. We thrive as a happier, healthier, more innovative community through the radiant power of play.”

Every year, more research reinforces the critical importance of play and its value in early childhood development. And yet, the time children spend playing is declining. Studies show today’s children spend an average of eight hours fewer per week playing than in the 1980s.

Minnesota Children’s Museum of Rochester is addressing the need for play in the community through exhibits, programming and partnerships. The Museum is committed to providing opportunities for play that develops important lifelong skills that benefit children, families and the entire community:Creative Thinking — To consider and experiment with alternatives freely and without fear in any situation.Critical Thinking — To discern knowledge, information and interests in order to solve a problem, prove a point or decide what to believe.(Self)-Control — To interface with and within a bustling society with the ability to manage one’s own attention, emotions and behaviors.Confidence — To genuinely believe in own abilities to experience success and satisfaction in not only what one can do, but also what one is willing to try.Collaboration — To engage with others positively and productively in pursuit of a common goal.Communication — To take language and literacy (the tools of communication) and use them to exchange information with power and precision.Coordination — To recognize, use and appreciate the physical marvels of the human body.

Building these skills furthers Minnesota Children’s Museum’s three identified community impact areas:

• 21st Century Innovation — Building our community’s future workforce with a focus on creative thinking and critical problem-solving skills from an early age;

• Healthy Bodies and Minds — Promoting healthy choices in nutrition, physical activity and a healthy mindset for families and children;

• School Readiness — Cultivating curious, engaged children who are ready and eager to learn.

Dynamic, Lively ExhibitsEver-changing exhibits and galleries are a hallmark of the experience at Minnesota Children’s Museum of Rochester. The Museum provides new experiences for children and families approximately every four months. The Museum has hosted 18 exhibits since its founding, each providing a unique and playful experience that touches on our community impact areas.

Vital Community Asset

Serving the CommunityMinnesota Children’s Museum of Rochester plays a valuable role in Southern Minnesota. Highlights of our community reach and impact since April 2012:

110,000 Number of visitors to date who have run, wiggled and jumped through the doors

to explore our Museum

843 Current number of families with an

active Museum membership

1,232 Free family memberships provided for

low-income families in Olmsted County

17 Family Nights for School Readiness, Head Start, and WIC, welcoming 1,239 individuals

Hosted 71 school and community groups, welcoming 2,104 students and chaperones

Adventures with Clifford The Big Red Dog™

Bruce Silcox

“Great little museum with high quality exhibits! Hope to see it grow in the future. The shared membership with Minnesota Children’s Museum in St. Paul is a big perk!”

– Museum Visitor

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Daily ProgramsMinnesota Children’s Museum of Rochester provides additional programs to enrich the community:

• Mayo Big Healthy Fun! is a weekly burst of physical activity, helping promote Healthy Bodies and Minds in the Rochester community on Thursday and Saturday mornings.

• Rochester has an active classroom experience that includes Sensory Stations, Large Scale Loose Parts, Inventors Workshop and painting. All activities are child-directed and help to extend playful learning while visiting the Rochester location.

• Minnesota Children’s Museum of Rochester frequently hosts special events such as costume character visits, breakfasts and birthday parties. Noon Years’ Eve, with a daytime ball drop, has quickly become a tradition, and other events such as the Superhero Scramble and the Birthday Carnival have attracted many members of the community.

• Weekly themed programming brings new activities for frequent visitors.

Community PartnershipsPartnerships help sustain the Museum’s operational health, playing a vital role in enabling the Museum to broaden its reach.

• Free Museum Access — The Museum hosts free family nights for organizations including Head Start and School Readiness, and provides free events for WIC and Play Possible.

• United Way — This partnership helped the Museum develop the Born Learning trail, where parents are encouraged to engage in various activities with their children.

• Project GO (Get Outdoors) — A partnership that enables the Museum to loan backpacks loaded with outdoor gear, such as binoculars, laminated I.D. cards for bird watching and a bug box.

Play for All ProgramMinnesota Children’s Museum of Rochester is committed to serving all families, regardless of their financial status. In 2014, the Museum launched the Play for All programs to remove or significantly reduce financial barriers for low-income families. Minnesota Children’s Museum of Rochester worked in partnership with community organizations such as Head Start, WIC, and School Readiness to reach low-income families in the Olmsted County area. These organizations and others brought families to special Family Night events and helped distribute free family memberships to low-income families.

Starting in 2015, through a partnership with Rochester Public Schools, school social workers reached low-income families that could benefit most from a free family membership. This provided additional opportunities for families that may be aged beyond Head Start and School Readiness programs.

To make the Museum even more accessible, Bremer Bank Free First Sundays started in summer 2015. This opened the Museum free of charge to anyone in the community one Sunday per month.

Earned Revenue Museum Admissions $ 55,843 Memberships 55,141 Other Earned Income 11,459 Total Earned Income $ 122,443

Contributed Support Grants and Contributions $ 107,025 Government Grants 234,525 Total Contributed Support $ 341,550

Less: Restricted Revenue $ (265,525) Net Assets Released from Restrictions 251,085 Total Unrestricted Support $ 327,110

Total Income $ 449,553

Total Expenses $ 447,906

Net Operating Surplus/(Deficit) $ 1,647

Rochester Profit & Loss Statement for Fiscal Year ending June 30 , 2015Support and Revenue

l Museum Admissionsl Membershipsl Other Incomel Grants and Contributionsl Government Grants

12%

12%

2%

23%

51%

Programming Reach and Partnerships

“Don’t underestimate the power of play! It aids children, and adults, in developing real world life skills needed to be contributing citizens. It is these talents that drive our economy for the next generation. Minnesota Children’s Museum of Rochester fosters those necessary skills to develop our future work force.”

–Rob Miller, PresidentRochester Area Chamber of Commerce

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Our Generous DonorsDonors to Minnesota Children’s Museum of Rochester give the gift of play. The Museum is honored to receive funding from a committed group of corporations, organizations and individuals.

Individual Contributors$5,000 and aboveMelissa and Robert BrinkmanMr. and Mrs. James F. SloanMark and Mary Ellen Warner$2,500 - $4,999Leigh and Judy JohnsonGus and Ann C. Chafoulias$1,000 - $2,499Gail BakerJeff and Cheryl BeckmanJason BoyntonKaryl and Dan CorcoranDiane and David JohnsonChamroeun OukSiobhan and Sean PittockAnn Reed and John PaatCurt and Becky SeaveyThomas and Dawn Welch$500 - $999Shaylene and Jeremy BaumbachBruce BullerMike BuschDawn and Todd DevineLaura and Scott EckelkampDeborah FactorAmy and Andy FranqueiraJordan and Dara KautzCarolyn and Robert McIntoshLinda Miller and John HickWilliam and Johnie PlummerDr. Thomas Shives and Kula ShivesAmanda and Matt ThoendelPatricia Simmons and Lester WoldChristina and Jeremy StevensRichard Curtis and Hilary

Stonelake-CurtisKaryn and Randy Watson$250 - $499Shane BartlesonAdam and Chloe BowmanAngela BurnsJane CampionBenjamin and Suzanne DreesmanKelli Dumford-Yennie and Scott

BouchieDoris and Walter FolgerGlenn and Celeste ForbesLeon and Linda GreggAshley and Jason KothenbeutelBarbara Hahn and Paul NesethAshley Hall and Nathan TigheDong Han and Shuai LengJohn HeizerJennifer HosfeldAmie and Lyell JonesDave and Michelle KampmeierMatt KnutsonMarla and Steve KruseRuple and Mike LaughlinCarl and Evangeline LundstromDonna and Nathaniel MillerTimothy and Jill MullenbachMichelle and David Nestler

Thomas L. Sitzer, DDSCarley and Bill StuberMelanie and Anthony TschidaKari and Steve WedekingKarel M. WeigelBrian and Breanna WelkeBarbara Wold and Matthew TextorRhiannon Zych$150 - $249Marti AbtsCarol and Peter CarryerJerry and Anna DietenbergerKelly and Jean EnglerKaren GallagherLaurie HohbergerMark OttErin and Patrick SextonHugh and Aynsley SmithTom and Colleen Tweite$50 - $149Susan and David AhlquistEric AllecksonAnn Becker Peterson and Adam

PetersonMs. Kathleen BensonStephan and Steve BoettcherLaura BowmanAmanda and Adam BreiningerCharlotte and David BruiningShelly BuchananSheila and Bernie BuehlerMartha CashmanRussell and Denise ClarkLisa ClarkeNicholas DeVogelNorm and Carlyn EllisDarcy and Leanne ElmerMark and Terri EnquistElaine and Jerome GarryFrancis and Regina GauszAntoinette HahnMartin and Connie HahnRegina and Terrence HassanallyBarbara and Michael HohbergerSandy and George HohbergerDiana KraftGayle and Calvin MillerAmie and Karl NessLaura Nichols-Endres and Jake EndresBarb and Bill PobleteMegan RomenJames and Lorraine RoseKrista and Chris RyanTonya and Dean SannerDana Schott and Kourtney HebertMichael SeifertJudy and James SewardConstance and Garold SmithRebecca and David SprengerKate and Scott TeeceTeresa and Mike ThompsonMark UtzJohn and Margaret WadeTim WeirChris Wendland

Corporate, Foundation, and Government Contributors$1,000,000 and aboveArts & Cultural Heritage Fund,

through Minnesota Humanities Commission

$25,000 -$999,999Mayo Clinic$10,000 - $24,999Bremer BankThe Freeman FoundationCarl and Verna Schmidt FoundationRochester Area FoundationSouthern Minnesota Initiative

FoundationThink Mutual BankWalmart Stores$5,000 - $9,999AgStar Financial Services, ACA –

RochesterBanfield, The Pet HospitalBMO Harris BankKAAL ABC NewsMinnesota Farm Bureau FoundationMorning Pride Lions ClubTarget CorporationUnited Way of Olmsted County, Inc.$2,500 - $4,999Custom AlarmThe Donaldson FoundationEastwood BankGreater Rochester Arts and

Cultural TrustThe Hubbard Broadcasting

FoundationiHeartMediaK12, Inc.Olmsted Medical CenterPeople’s Energy CooperativeRochester Public UtilitiesU.S. Bancorp FoundationWendland Utz, Ltd$1,000 - $2,499Barnes & Noble BooksellersBell Mortgage - RochesterBowlocityClements Chevrolet-Cadillac-SubaruCommunity Charities of MinnesotaDunlap & Seeger, P.A.G & K Services, Inc.Kohl’s CorporationKSMQOlmsted County Public Health

ServicesPremier BanksTarget FoundationTile By DesignTownsquare Media

$500 - $999Alloy Wheel Repair SpecialistsAltra Federal Credit UnionBaker Law OfficesBoldtBrian Welke AgencyCanvas and ChardonnayCollins OrthodonticsDenise, Your Health CoachDentistry for Children &

Adolescents, Ltd.EO JohnsonExpress Employment ProfessionalsThe Medtronic FoundationMidwest Lifeshots PhotographyNuss Truck and EquipmentParamark Real Estate ServicesPark Place Motor CarsRochester Area BuildersRochester Male ChorusRochester-Realestate.info LLCSmith Schafer & Associates, LTDVirgil’s Inc$250 - $499Anderson Law FirmBob the Bug Man, LLCCharter MediaCherryBerry - Rochester 16th AveCity Auto GlassDavis Law Firm PAGauthier IndustriesGood News Children’s Center, Inc.Hammel, Green, and

Abrahamson, Inc.Kemp’s – RochesterKnutson Construction Services

Rochester, Inc.Merchants BankNorthbrook, LLCSam’s Club Store #6427 –

RochesterSeneca Foods FoundationSierra Club North Star ChapterStifel, Nicolaus, and Company IncSunrisers Kiwanis ClubWarners’ Stellian Co IncYaggy Colby and AssociatesYanowitz Law Firm$150 - $249A Child’s KingdomPanera #203473 – RochesterPowers VenturesRedwood Custom BoardsSchool Aged Child Care –

Ben Franklin SchoolVictoria’s Fine Italian Cuisine$50 - $149Alpha Delta Kappa – Chi ChapterC.O. Brown Agency, Inc., Caribou Coffee – RochesterHy-Vee Barlow PlazaRunning RoomSound & Media SolutionsU.S. Bank – Rochester

This work is funded in part with money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.