Wheel and Cog - Children's Museum of Hutchinson: Minnesota's Legacy
Minnesota’s Legacy is an exhibit that will consist of developing a permanent exhibit within the Wheel and Cog Children’s Museum of Hutchinson. As a newer museum, Wheel and Cog Children's museum plans to incorporate a few art and cultural pieces in existing exhibit spaces including a Yarn Bomb exhibit, and plan to continue to offer STEAM Saturdays, an instructor lead activity focused on a hands-on activity related to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and/or Math 52 weeks a year.
$1,030,000 the first year and $950,000 the second year are for arts and cultural heritage grants to children's museums for arts and cultural exhibits and related educational outreach programs.Of this amount, $500,000 each year is for the Minnesota Children's Museum for interactive exhibits and outreach programs on arts and cultural heritage, including the Minnesota Children's Museum in Rochester; $150,000 each year is for the Duluth Children's Museum; $150,000 each year is for the Grand Rapids Children's Museum; $150,000 each year is for the Southern Minnesota Children's Museum for the Mni Wiconi and other arts and cultural exhibits; and $80,000 the first year is for the Wheel and Cog Children's Museum of Hutchinson for interactive exhibits and outreach programs on arts and cultural heritage.
1. Percentage of guests who complete survey in relation to daily attendance.
2. Guests who visit and interact in exhibit are able to list 2-3 learnings about MN regarding art, culture, and/or heritage experienced in the exhibit.
3. Guests who visit and interact with exhibit are able to locate on map where MN is on a map of USA, as well as a world map.
4. Guests who visit can list 1-2 ways to "keep it local" i.e.: farmers market shopping
5. Time spent playing at exhibit. (Expectation is time of play increase 30 minutes or more) - time studies at exhibits.
6. Percent of guests who complete activities. (unless limitation i.e.: age).
7. Attendance rates at STEAM Saturday events. (Expectation that attendance during STEAM Saturdays is elevated during activities 10a-12p.)
8. Ability of guests to discover, innovate, and grow new ways to play (measured through age appropriate personal evaluation at iPad kiosk.)
- Time study results show the time children spend playing in the facility is about 2 hours 46 minutes, and time spent playing in the exhibits that were implemented with Legacy funds have shown to offer the most time spent playing (about 1 hour 30 minutes). In 2016 the average time spend playing was about 2 hours.
- The exhibits we implemented and updated with Legacy funding (Community Helpers, Backyard Explorers, Clinic, and Active Play Climbing wall), all guests engage with at least one if not all new exhibit spaces, and offer excellent feedback. We had a 66% growth in attendance rates between 2017 and 2018, after we started implementing Legacy funding, and all guests engage in play with all exhibits each visit. We were able to leverage almost $40,000.00 in local grants and donations as well as in-kind donations.
- Although the intensity of the STEAM Saturday activities have dwindled slightly due to lack of regular volunteers, we have still offered hands-on activities as well as exposure to therapy dogs.
- Our attendance rates on Saturdays have continued to flourish, in 2017 attendance rates were up 33% on Saturdays 4435 in 2016 to 6000 in 2017.
- We have grown the number of community partners who we work with on a regular basis from 1 to 4, and have many others who have shown interest, had individuals volunteer with us on a regular basis. We have maintained a 5 out of 5 rating on Facebook. The museum was new in 2016, so Legacy funding also has helped increase jobs available in the community, we now have a manager and six part-time staff who regularly work at the museum. We originally were only open 3 days a week, and now have been open on average 6 days/week with special events and birthday parties. Our staff have also been consistently able to get involved in community activities including: Jaycee's Water Carnival, Made in McLeod, and the McLeod County Fair.