MISSISSIPPI CHILDRENS MUSEUM
We take fun seriously!
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
On a statewide level, Mississippi is home to one of the most disadvantaged populations in the nation. In a state that is ranked last or near the bottom in education and health by multiple child wellness assessment agencies, and with the highest poverty levels in the country, Mississippi's children are drastically falling behind. Without vital community resources designated to combat these issues, the state's children are destined for a cycle of poverty, inadequate education, and poor health. MCM believes that Mississippi's children deserve access to the same educational, cultural, and social opportunities as the rest of the nation and that efforts to combat illiteracy and obesity must be inspirational and innovative. MCM is the only cultural institution in Mississippi that strives to address these systemic problems for children on a statewide level, with a special commitment to making the museum and its programs accessible to underserved children.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Tinker with Tuesday
Tinker with Tuesday is our hands-on program focusing on the practical aspects of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. (STEAM) Join us every Tuesday at 3:30 as we explore the idea of tinkering within one of these five categories.
Fueled for Adventure
Have you ever wondered what ingredients make your food both nutritious and yummy? Join is Thursdays at 4:00 to explore what goes into our foods. This weekly program encourages children to try new foods while teaching them new and unique recipes that not only taste good but are good for them, too! Each program will have an easy-to-follow recipe that children can bring home with them.
Farm Bureau Spotlight
Farm Bureau Spotlight is a multi-disciplinary, inquiry-based program that is designed to educate visitors about the broad industry of agriculture. Join us every Friday at 10:00 as we learn about the many career fields within agriculture and the important role it plays in our daily lives. Each week we will explore a different aspect of agriculture while incorporating our STEAM, Mississippi heritage, and health initiatives. We will cover beekeeping, growing produce, the chemistry of food, veterinary medicine, farming, irrigation, the water cycle, forestry, fishing, and much more!
Planting the Seeds to Read
Planting the Seeds to Read addresses the critical and profound need in Jackson, MS for increased educational resources, family involvement, and community engagement in early elementary grades. Each year, MCM identifies a minimum of four schools from which to draw participants, selected according to varied factors, including the willingness of the principal to participate in the program; the percentage of its students eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch; and low-test scores. Since 2011, Planting the Seeds to Read has impacted elementary students from Jackson Public School District (JPS) and their families through seven sessions consisting of a healthy dinner, a read-aloud for families, student activities, and museum playtime. Parents are given aids and instruction on how to help their child become invested in reading with activities they can do at home. The goal of the program is for families to understand the importance of language development and reading wi
Read to Succeed Camp
In an effort to increase student success in testing and readiness for 4th grade, MCM hosts a summer camp known as “Read to Succeed,” which is an intensive summer camp dedicated to helping underserved students from Jackson Public School who have not successfully passed the 3rd Grade Summative Reading Assessment that will help them improve their scores before the last testing date and be promoted to the 4th grade. The Read to Succeed camp will help educate children so that they can perform at sufficient levels.
Know to Grow
Join us in the Literacy Garden every Saturday at 10:00 for Know to Grow. This program incorporates our STEAM, literacy, and health initiatives to create a multi-disciplinary program where children will make connections between reading, science, and the aspects of the natural world. Each week we will read a garden-related story and work together to complete a hands-on gardening activity!
Question It? Discover It!
Question It? Discover It! (QIDI) provides a monthly inquiry-based educational forum that encourages children to explore health and nutrition along with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics(STEM). This vital program is made possible through a strong partnership with the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), with funding provided by Children’s of Mississippi.
Wonder Wednesday
Come join us every Wednesday at 3:30 in our new WonderBox exhibit as we explore the world around us through our STEAM initiative! This program will utilize hands-on experiments and experiences to cultivate curiosity in guests of all ages!
Fit For Fun
Fit for Fun introduces children to health and nutrition concepts through a wide range of hands-on and fun activities. Join us on every Wednesday at 4:00pm for an opportunity to hear health or nutrition-related stories, engage in an interactive nutrition-based activity, and participate in physical activities that are designed to encourage movement and fitness for children of all ages and abilities.
For young children, these activities will improve fine and gross motor skills, spatial awareness, and agility while older children will have the opportunity to increase their flexibility, aerobic fitness, and muscle strength. Through this program, children will cultivate skills that are vital to long-term health and cognitive growth. These behaviors, which are proven to positively impact academic performance as well as physical and emotional wellbeing, play a key role in promoting positive futures for Mississippi’s children
Mindful Mornings
Mindfulness (noun): the practice of being completely present and in the moment. To slow down and be aware of your surroundings while embracing your senses and feelings.
Mindful Mornings uses a holistic approach to health. It equips both children and their caregivers with the ability to explore new wellness techniques. Join us every Thursday at 11:00 as we care for the mind, body, and soul.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
American Association of Museums - Member
Association of Science and Technology Centers
Southeastern Museum Conference
Better Business Bureau
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total number of fields trips
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Total number of students and teachers served at the museum for a scheduled field trip.
Total number of paid admissions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Paid admission includes number of visitors paying full admission at the door. This metric does not include membership visits or field trip visits
Operating costs per day
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Total Operating Costs including depreciation, salaries, promotions, fundraising, utilities, etc. divided by 365. Includes grant funded expenses
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
MCM is committed to providing children innovative learning experiences that tap their curiosity and creativity; reaching diverse populations throughout the state; developing partnerships that empower children and those who care for them; and being responsible stewards of our resources. As the largest children's museum in the state, MCM is an educational hub for children, families, and teachers, offering a unique space for quality interactions. MCM exhibits and programs are rooted in early childhood development research for reaching young children. The museum strives to support parents and guardians in their role as their children's first teacher and combines specific learning objectives with play in an informal learning environment, providing a variety of effective learning opportunities.
MCM is committed to remaining accessible to Mississippi's broad and primarily economically disadvantaged population by keeping ticket prices affordable, providing scholarships for field trips, and offering programs free of charge to all visitors. The museum depends on the community's generous support to continue to be able to provide this unique and inspiring educational resource.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
To meet the needs of the communities it serves, MCM has created innovative and interactive exhibits and programs through combined efforts of educational partners, experts in child development from across the state, public service officials, business leaders, children's museum experts, and community members allowing the opportunity to cultivate lasting partnerships within the community. MCM accomplishes its goal to inspire Mississippi's children from all backgrounds to discover and achieve their potential through hands-on and engaging exhibits, programs, and outreach efforts focusing on five primary initiatives, including: Literacy; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Health and Nutrition; Cultural Arts; and Mississippi Heritage – the keys to helping our children mature into healthy and productive adult learners. MCM has partnered or collaborated with over 50 community organizations to provide world-class exhibits, programs and special events focusing on MCM's five educational initiatives. The museum currently has a complete slate of programming opportunities for visitors. Weekly Programs include Know to Grow; Tinker with Tuesday; ABC, Come Play with Me; Fit for Fun; Fueled for Adventure; and Farm Bureau Spotlight. Monthly programs include: Question It? Discover It! and MCM Visiting Artists. MCM also hosts a variety of seasonal programming, including Journey to the North Pole; Dr. Seuss' Silly Birthday Celebration; Storytelling Festival; and the Mississippi Science Festival. For field trips and group visits, MCM offers nine state standard aligned field trip programs and five scavenger hunts covering literacy, science, and math concepts. MCM also provides professional development workshops for educators throughout the year and outreach program opportunities to expand the geographic reach of the museum's resources.
In response to their community’s overwhelming need for a safe and educational learning space for Jackson Public School (JPS) students due to COVID-19 school closures, MCM shifted operating priorities to create a model initiative called “Launch into Learning.” This initiative allowed mostly underserved students ages 5-12 to come to the museum five days a week to experience educational enrichment programming, outdoor play, museum exploration, and story time. This initiative provided a much-needed childcare option for working parents and has provided services to over 104 students from 12 JPS schools. The place and space of the museum naturally facilitates curiosity and learning. Located in the center of a park, it was intentionally designed to inspire creativity and connection to community
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
23 full-time and 32 part-time staff members support the museum's strategic goals, with 22 of those employees dedicated to the development, management, and direct facilitation of the museum's educational initiatives. In addition to staff members, the museum is supported by the Board of Directors, Educator Advisory Board, STEM Advisory Board, MCM Partners support group, community members, numerous project partners, and more than 400 volunteers. The museum has made a significant commitment to ensuring best practices are employed through participation in industry conferences and consortia (Association of Children's Museums, Association of Science and Technology Centers, American Alliance of Museums); the engagement of external evaluators; and strong partnerships with education, business, and community leaders. The Mississippi Children's Museum's exhibits are supported by the Forget Me Not Fund, which was created to allow MCM to replace and enhance exhibit spaces throughout the museum as well as facilitate ongoing repairs and maintenance to existing exhibit components.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since opening in 2010, MCM has served more than 1,000,000 children and caregivers. Beyond its general admission and museum member visitors, MCM has welcomed approximately 200,000 children, educators, and caregivers on more than 3,000 field trip visits since 2011. Other means of MCM's reach and impact include special events, facility rentals, outreach program participants, and additional meetings or events.
MCM has consistently been recognized for excellence by the Association of Children's Museums, Trip Advisor, Parents & Kids Magazine, and Mississippi Magazine. Named a KidsCount Program of Promise which recognizes organizations that improve the well-being of children and families, MCM was awarded Mississippi Tourism Association's Attraction of the Year in 2011. MCM averages 170,000 visitors annually with visitation from all 82 counties in Mississippi, all 50 U.S. states and several foreign countries. MCM also is committed to operating a financially sustainable organization; in 2016, MCM received accreditation from the Better Business Bureau and has been given a four out of four-star rating Charity Navigator for 3 years. As a resourceful, committed cultural institution in Mississippi, MCM's most significant and celebrated accomplishment is to stand as an emblem for what is possible for all of Mississippi's children if the gifts of time and treasure of a community are united behind a shared vision.
As a testament to our community service and resilience through the height of the pandemic, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced MCM as a recipient of the 2021 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities! Out of 30 national finalists and one of only three museums to receive the honor, MCM is one of the youngest museums to be awarded the IMLS National Medal.
On March 26, 2021, despite a worldwide pandemic, MCM in concert with the leadership of East Mississippi opened to the public a state-of-the-art, $17 million dollar satellite museum in Meridian, Mississippi. Since opening, MCM-Meridian has blown past projections having already welcomed over 50,000 visitors from 40 states and 2 foreign countries! MCM-Meridian is fully operational, offering weekly programming, special events, school field trips, birthday parties, and more.
MCM-Meridian was recently announced as the Mississippi Tourism Association’s 2021 Travel Attraction of the Year! The award is presented to an attraction that is new, unique, and successful in bringing visitors to its city – MCM-Meridian achieved this honor after only six months of operations. The 25,000 square foot facility boasts one-of-a-kind collaborations with Simon & Schuster Publishing “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore”, HarperCollins Publishing “Goodnight Moon,” and the Original Farmers Market of Los Angeles, California creating an unparalleled experien
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
MISSISSIPPI CHILDRENS MUSEUM
Board of directorsas of 08/29/2023
Beth Hansen
Alicen Blanchard
REALTOR, Overby, Inc.
Wilson Hood
JWH Holdings
Olivia Host
Community Volunteer
Crisler Boone
MCM Partners President
Donna Bruce
Partner, CPA, BKD
Michael Cormack
Jackson Public Schools
Terry Cruse
Mississippi State University-Meridian
Margaret Cupples
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, LLP
Lisa Didion
Children's of Mississippi at the University of Mississippi
John Fletcher
Jones Walker
Jeffery Graves
Graves Legal Services, PLLC
Jet Hollingsworth
Butler Snow, LLP
Maggi Lampton
Community Volunteer
Carla Lewis
C-Spire
Ashley Meena
Community Volunteer
Melanie Morgan
Trustmark
Chip Pickering
INCOMPAS
Bethany Smith
Junior League of Jackson
Adams Yeager
Journal LLC
Camille Young
Cornerstone Government Affairs
Beth Hansen
Mississippi REALTORS
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/20/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.