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Children's museum joins exhibits at UAMN

September 24, 2013

Theresa Bakker

Photo by Sarah Lewis Photography. The mission of the Fairbanks Children’s Museum is to inspire and connect families through discovery and the power of play
Photo by Sarah Lewis Photography. The mission of the Fairbanks Children’s Museum is to inspire and connect families through discovery and the power of play
Theresa Bakker
907-474-6941
9/23/13

The Fairbanks Children’s Museum will open in the auditorium of the University of Alaska Museum of the North for the winter. The long-term exhibit is designed to encourage curiosity and discovery through play and creativity.

Director Aldona Jonaitis says this is a chance to welcome the community to the museum in a new way.

"This partnership with the incredibly dynamic group that has developed the Fairbanks Children's Museum will bring new visitors to the UA Museum of the North," she said. "We've had school programs for decades, educating generations of Fairbanks youth, but now we can address the needs of even younger visitors.”

The installation features several new interactive exhibits that let children explore through the very serious business of play. Monthly Creativity Center themes will draw on the Alaska Department of Education’s early learning guidelines. They range from fiber arts and simple machines to artistic math. The children's museum will also feature bi-weekly Super Sundays, featuring resources from across the community to teach core concepts to kids.

Photo courtesy of Mindsplash. Exhibits like the “Airmaze” will provide an interactive opportunity to explore and play at the Fairbanks Children’s Museum, located at the University of Alaska Museum of the North through April 2014.
Photo courtesy of Mindsplash. Exhibits like the “Airmaze” will provide an interactive opportunity to explore and play at the Fairbanks Children’s Museum, located at the University of Alaska Museum of the North through April 2014.
FCM director Brenda Riley says this is an opportunity to achieve another goal in the community-supported institution’s long term plan.

“As an emerging museum, we couldn't be more thrilled to have the support of the UA Museum of the North," she said. "This is the perfect opportunity for the FCM to evolve beyond offering monthly events and to further our mission of bringing a permanent home for play-based exploration to the community of Fairbanks.”

FCM Photo by Brenda Riley. Children will get hands-on experiences through playful learning at the Fairbanks Children’s Museum’s Creativity Center.
FCM Photo by Brenda Riley. Children will get hands-on experiences through playful learning at the Fairbanks Children’s Museum’s Creativity Center.
The children's museum is also taking reservations for field trips and birthday parties. The installation opens to the public on Oct. 1 and runs through April 30, 2014. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 5 at noon.

Jonaitis says the museum staff is looking forward to the patter of little feet with this new partnership. “It's a very exciting time for us, and expands our efforts to be as responsive as possible to the needs of the Fairbanks community."

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Brenda Riley, Fairbanks Children’s Museum Director, at 907-374-6873 or via email at brenda@fairbankschildrensmuseum.com. Aldona Jonaitis, UAMN director, at 907-474-6443 or via email at ajonaitis@alaska.edu.

ON THE WEB:
Fairbanks Children’s Museum:  www.fairbankschildrensmuseum.com/

TB/9-24-13/062-14