Conference sessions will cover a broad range of topics, including "Playful Leadership: A Leader’s Guide to Letting Go," "Flourishing with Data: A Quantitative Observation Tool for Playful Learning," "Baggage Claim: What Are You Taking on Your DEAI Journey?" "Drawing Jam with Lynda Barry," "Hi AI! Playful Early Encounters with Artificial Intelligence," "The Lullaby Movement: Strengthening Parenting-Child Bonds with Carnegie Hall," and "Children’s Museum Family Feud."
ACM conference site and program
Speakers, all local luminaries with national reputations, include Lynda Barry, writer, cartoonist, and UW-Madison art professor; Dr. Richard J. Davidson of the UW-Madison Center for Healthy Minds; and Charles Hua, senior advisor at the U.S.
Department of Energy Loan Programs Office and founder and executive director at PowerLines. ACM will present its 2024 "Great Friend to Kids Award" to Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, UW-Madison professor emeritus and current MCM board member. Professor Ladson-Billings, who just appeared on CBS' "60 Minutes" (Sunday, 5/5/24), is one of the most respected education experts in the country. Maliha Nu’Man, City of Madison’s Youth Poet Laureate, will recite one of her poems.
Madison is one of the smaller cities to host InterActivity. Last year, it was held in New Orleans; next year it will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico—each notably larger than Madison. ACM chooses a host city based, in part, on the reputation of the local children’s museum and what the city has to offer.
MCM is recognized nationally for its visionary and innovative leadership, strong access programs (used by about a third of visitors), free First-Time Parent Membership, creative programming, and sustainability. The museum has been a leader in green exhibit design for nearly three decades. A tradition of in-house exhibit design and construction has enabled experimentation and innovation in the ongoing pursuit of more sustainable museum practices.
MCM staff are part of ACM's leadership: Kia Karlen, vice president of education & community engagement, is co-chair of the InterActivity conference program committee. Brenda Baker, vice president of exhibits, facilities & strategic initiatives, currently serves on the ACM board and leads the Caretakers of Wonder initiative, a cohort of nine children's museums and science centers working to support young children and their families in a warming world. (Many of the participating Caretakers of Wonder institutions are sending staff to the conference, and the initiative is featured in one of the conference sessions, "Urgency & Action: Climate Change and A New Developmental Framework.")
ACM is a partner in managing and promoting the Caretakers of Wonder initiative, which aligns with the organization's priorities. “ACM’s current strategic plan has two central lenses that guide our work: diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI); and environmental resiliency," says Arthur Affleck, the executive director of ACM. "Our commitment to environmental resiliency and regeneration means that every decision will be considered from a stance of not only doing less environmental harm, but of doing more environmental good through our work, to create the regenerative future our young audiences deserve. A place for us all to flourish. As it relates to InterActivity 2024, ACM and our hosting partner Madison Children’s Museum have thoughtfully implemented intentional choices to our conference.”
The focus on sustainability made Madison an excellent choice: Monona Terrace Convention Center is LEED certified and known in the industry for its sustainable practices. Madison's reputation for being walkable and bike-able were also attractive features, as was the the Dane County Farmers' Market, America's largest producers-only farmers' market. ACM reports many people are arriving early and staying late to take advantage of all the city has to offer.
The Thursday evening party will showcase sustainability with local food and drink, upcycled projects, and sustainable food service and disposal. It will be attended by over 800 guests, who will enjoy "beer, bugs, and ice cream," as Megan Cannon, MCM's party planner puts it. Wisconsin beer and other iconic beverages will be available to wash down an insect-tasting menu. And the Chocolate Shoppe has developed a special flavor of ice cream just for the museum—Rooftop Rhubarb Ramble. Outside on the Pinckney Street side of the museum, there will be an exhibit prototyping competition, Sustainability Sideshow. Teams of exhibit fabricators will take on a challenge to produce an exhibit piece, using recycled materials, in a limited amount of time—Top Chef Wisconsin style. VO5, one of Madison's most colorful and danceable bands, will perform in the Wonderground. Forward! Marching Band and Atimevu will serenade guests as they arrive. Forward! will also lead guests from the Convention Center to the party. Both bands feature MCM staff.
Attendees hail from Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Curacao, Germany, Jordan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and across the U.S.
InterActivity will bring an estimated $800,000 of economic activity to the area. The Association of Children's Museums plans and runs the conference, coordinating with Madison Children's Museum. MCM plans and runs the Thursday evening event.
The evening event is presented by Penzeys Spices and Percussion Play, with major support from Fiskars, J.H. Findorff & Son Inc., and Trek Bicycles. Additional support is provided by American Printing Company, The Madison Concourse Hotel, Tandem HR, SVA Certified Public Accountants, S.C., 1901 Inc., Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company, Future Foam, Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company, Green Box Compost, Hausmann Group, Hooper Foundation, Karben4 Brewing, Kollath & Associates CPA LLC, The Kubala Washatko Architects, Inc., Lake Ridge Bank, and MPI Protective Service.
