August & September 2003 issue
Contents:
Letter From Lindy
Invite Your Neighbors
A Life of Travel Leads Lisa
Fuentes to Florida
Where There's a Will...
Discover the Museum's Discovery
Guides
Knowing a Museum for All
Children
Letter From Lindy
Welcome to our Neighborhood
It’s been a great summer at the museum. The neighborhood
has been alive with activity from all of the changes at
the museum, productions going on at the Rose, renovations
at the YMCA and the construction of Liberty Elementary School,
right across the street.
What defines our “neighborhood” is the notion
that this is a place that welcomes children and families
to come and explore. All along 20th street, in downtown
Omaha, is a neighborhood that awaits your visit—so
come on down.
The neighborhood of my own childhood included many things
that kept the kids busy all summer. Like at the children’s
museum, the elementary school was across the street, full
of mulberry trees, swings and jungle gyms. There was this
creek that ran through the back of our block, complete with
a tunnel that went under the street.
Our house sat on a huge lot, with enough room to accommodate
daily baseball games. Never a summer went by that my father
didn’t have to replace one or more of the basement
windows, but what fun we had.
A more famous neighborhood will be a part of the Omaha Children’s
Museum this fall, when we open Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
on Sept. 27. Fred Rogers, a friendly neighbor of my childhood
and hero in my adulthood, serves as inspiration to the work
we do here at the children’s museum. Mister Rogers
taught us that each of us is special, loved and respected.
His words of wisdom serve as a guide to children and adults.
Come visit the neighborhood of Mister Rogers and let yourself
feel special.
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Invite Your Neighbors
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood—A Hands-On Exhibit
Opens this fall in Omaha
It will be a beautiful day when a very special
neighborhood returns to the Omaha Children’s Museum.
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood—A Hands-On Exhibit
comes back after four years and a complete overhaul. The
exhibit opens Sat., Sept. 27, 10 a.m., running through Jan.
4, 2004.
The hands-on exhibit—a life-sized recreation of the
television show’s set—and accompanying educational
programs are designed to evoke the central themes of the
“Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” program:
fostering creativity and imagination, instilling curiosity
about the world and encouraging exploration of self and
relationship to others.
Each component of the educational exhibit addresses one
or more of those educational goals in a fun and engaging
manner.
“It’s hard to overstate the impact Mister Rogers
had on young people of my generation and our children,”
said Lindy Hoyer, executive director of the Omaha Children’s
Museum. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that
he touched the lives of millions—and we were better
for it.”
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood—A Hands-On Exhibit
features fun hands-on activities that give children, parents
and teachers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to step into
the world of Mister Rogers—his home as well as the
Neighborhood of Make-Believe. The exhibit also includes
artifacts from the show.
Among the activities for children and families are: areas
to try on a sweater and sneakers, a life-sized King Friday
XIII castle at which you can dress up as the king, Queen
Sara or Prince Tuesday, a small trolley to move back and
forth, a life-size Neighborhood Trolley to “drive,”
Lady Elaine Fairchilde’s Museum-Go-Round with her
many treasures and much more.
The exhibit’s entry features the song, “It’s
a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” as well as a
videotaped message from Mister Rogers explaining why he’s
not there and that it’s OK for visitors to come into
his house and make themselves at home . . . and then some.
“From the standpoint of an educator, Mister Rogers
was a model and an inspiration,” said Tom Simons,
director of education the Omaha Children’s Museum.
“While it’s sad to think that he’s gone,
he has left behind so much of his goodness, kindness and
love for all people. This exhibit is full of
Mister Rogers’ very special character.”
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood—A Hands-On Exhibit
was designed by The Pittsburgh Children’s Museum with
the support and assistance of Family Communications, Inc.,
the producers of the legendary “Mister Rogers’
Neighborhood” television show, which is celebrating
over 30 years of Fred Rogers on the public television network.
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A Life of Travel Leads Lisa Fuentes
to Florida
Born in Florida, raised in Massachusettes,
been around the globe, now Lisa Fuentes, director of finance,
heads to where she was born.
For more than a year and a half, Lisa worked to restructure
the policy and procedures of the museum’s finance
office. She also created an office network environment of
the museum’s information systems, and added a networked
museum membership database.
“I leave with a great feeling of accomplishment that
the accounting department is structured powerhouse,”
said Lisa.
Lisa heads off to Miami, FL, where her husband, a USAF officer,
has been reassigned.
Before being in accounting in the civilian world, Lisa was
in the military. She has been married for 26 years and has
four children.
Lisa is working on her master’s thesis in accounting
at University of Nebraska–Omaha. She received her
bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University
of Maryland.
The museum thanks Lisa for all her work and wishes her and
the Fuentes family well.
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Where There's a Will...
As they say, it’s a dirty job, but
somebody has to do it. Since late Spring, Will Leader has
done the very dirty work of the museum as custodian with
sense of humor and funny accent (being from New Zealand).
But it’s not all cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming and
wiping down exhibits. Will can also be seen on ladders taking
down or putting up signs, mowing the museum lawn or any
number of outdoor or indoor tasks needing to be done right.
Will has also been a vital part of putting up and taking
down of the museum’s traveling exhibits.
Before coming to the museum, Will worked as a facilities
technician for West Corp. Prior to that, Will traveled the
globe.
When Will’s not at the museum, he attends University
of Nebraska–Omaha, where he is a junior, majoring
in history and education. He lives in Millard with his two
dogs, Chewi and Kasha.
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Discover the Museum's
Discovery Guides
At the museum, there’s a whole group
of people whose job it is to make museum guests as welcome
as they can be. They’re the Guest Services staff,
a big part of which are the Discovery Guides.
Discovery Guides meet and greet museum visitors with a smile;
interpret museum exhibits and programs and encourage museum
visitors to explore the exhibits; interact with the children
and their parents while maintaining a fun, safe and inviting
environment in the museum; serve as a museum information
source; and assist the admissions desk and museum store
when needed.
Perhaps most importantly, Discovery Guides are a creative,
energetic and fun loving bunch who enjoy the children and
families that come to the museum and hope to be part of
their museum memories our guests take home!
Jaynie Kudlacz is the birthday party coordinator and started
in December 2002. Jaynie enjoys the variety of work at the
museum. The kids make her smile and often she is a walking
example of a face painting creation done by a child! She
is also sophomore at University of Nebraska–Omaha
in secondary education with an endorsement in natural science.
Jessica Larsen also started in December 2002. She helps
with the birthday parties and fills in wherever needed.
A museum memory she won’t forget is playing on the
fire truck with a child that didn’t want to stop playing.
She enjoys working with the kids in such a friendly atmosphere.
She is a sophomore at University of Nebraska–Omaha
studying psychology.
Justin Poole was the third Discovery Guide to join the museum
in December 2002. He graduated from Millard South this spring.
His summer is filled with playing baseball and working.
Rachael Barrientos is the museum’s resident artist,
creating fun murals for the children to enhance. She started
working at the museum in March 2003. She loves working with
the kids and her co-workers. She is a Bellevue University
sophomore in studio art and graphic design.
Gail Heavican loves to play all day at the museum. It never
feels like work—it’s so much fun. She enjoys
seeing the thrilled faces of the kids that ride the roller
coaster simulator. She is a University of Nebraska–Omaha
senior in elementary education.
Rosie Brazeal started at the museum in June, but had been
a volunteer during the run of Grossology. Rosie enjoys the
fun, active and often times messy exhibits. She is a junior
at Mercy High School, where she is busy with studies and
pom pom.
Dani Larson also volunteered during Grossology and joined
the museum this summer. She enjoys interacting with the
kids at the museum. Girl Scout overnights held at the museum
are a personal museum memory that she cherishes. She is
a Mercy High School junior, who enjoys being on the cross
country team.
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Knowing a Museum for
All Children...
In order to make the Omaha Children’s
Museum accessible to all members of our community, the museum
established the Welcome Fund in 1995. This program has
covered the cost of admission for many families suffering
economic hardships. With additional support, the Welcome
Fund will also provide memberships to low-and moderate-income
families who might not otherwise be able to participate
in our interactive exhibits, programming and experiences.
This fall, our members and friends will receive an annual
fund appeal. You are encouraged to read those materials
and consider making a gift to the Omaha Children’s
Museum Welcome Fund.
Knowing that we, as individuals, value and support this
special place . . .
Knowing that we, as individuals, can make a difference locally
.
Knowing that we, as individuals, can support those in need
. . .
Knowing that together we can work
to welcome all families
to the Omaha Children's Museum.
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