ANNUAL REPORT2015-2016

The museum continues to focus on fulfilling our strategic goals, our Mission and Vision, honed by our Staff and Board of Directors this year.

GOAL #1 DEEPENING IMPACT Enabling us to stay relevant and positioning the Museum as a day-to-day resource and touchstone in families’ lives.

NEW & REFRESHED EXHIBITSPRIMARY PLACEPrimary Place, part of a series of exhibits on the second floor of the museum called the Early Learning Landscape, went through a major refresh thanks to the exhibit’s sustaining sponsor, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. The exhibit is designed specifically for the museum’s youngest visitors and the wear and tear on the beloved Baby Butterfly Garden, animal puppets, giant box and train table are evidence of the over 700,000 kids that have enjoyed this space since 2008.

MUSE STUDIOThe MUSE Studio, a busy space where visitors of all ages engage in creative activities and challenges, got a makeover thanks to D.F. Richard. The Studio now features a newly designed magnet table, inspiring artwork by local artist Sam Paolini, new technology for storytelling with a computer kiosk and an Elmo porjectr, a burlap-covered sewing table for collaborative art-making, and a pegboard table that can be taken on the road for the museum’s outreach programs. Renovations also include new tables, chairs and of course new art supplies.

AUGMENTED REALITY SANDTABLEWhile playing in a fun sand table, kids can shape the landscape with this new augmented reality sand table, installed in the Dino Detective exhibit. Kids are invited to explore and question. How did dinosaurs travel from one continent to another? What is the difference between a mountain and a plateau, a peninsula and an island? How does water travel over land to form rivers and lakes? How does the water flow around the sand? Where does the water go? These kinds of questions are answered, not through labels on a wall but by the constantly shifting interactivity between the augmented reality images, the sand and the children.

OUR MISSION: Actively engage families in hands-on discovery

OUR VISION: To inspire all to become the next generation of

innovators and creative thinkers

STEAM INNOVATION LAB

GOAL #1 DEEPENING IMPACT CONTINUED... Enabling us to stay relevant and positioning the Museum as a day-to-day resource and touchstone in families’ lives.

STEAM LEARNING LABSSchool groups interested in the museum now have the option of adding a STEAM Learning Lab to their visit. These visits feature creative science inquiry based activities related to the Next Gen Science Crosscutting Concepts, with topics like “Mission to the Moon,” “the Blueprint for You,” Birds, Beaks, Adaptations,” “Don’t Work Hard, Work Smart,” “Up, Up, and Away!” and “Water: Who Needs It?”

STEAM TEACHER WORKSHOPSThe same month that the STEAM Innovation Lab opened its doors, the museum, in partnership with the UNH Cooperative Extension, started offering Teacher Workshops related to Inquiry Teaching Methods. Designed for K-12 educators, these workshops highlighted ways in which teachers could move their classrooms towards an inquiry based approach, in which students take more responsibility for their learning. Several of these workshops were offered throughout the year.

NEW MILITARY DISCOUNTSNew in 2016, the museum participated in the Blue Star Museum program, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and the Department of Defense. Thanks to the sponsorship by People’s United Bank, the museum was able to offer free admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel, including National Guard and Reserve and their familes from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

SCHOOL ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCYCMNH Educators were very busy during the spring of 2016 working as Artists-in-Residence at Dover’s Garrison School. They spent several weeks teaching every student (Kindergarten through 4th Grade) how to make art in the style of famed glass sculptor Dale Chihuly. Their collaborative art project was installed in the school and unveiled to family and friends at the end of the residency.

Total number of people served by the Museum. Families from

over 600 towns in NH, MA & ME visited the Museum this year.

89,208In Fiscal Year 2015-2016:693 Number of

children visited by costumed

characters at Headstart Centers in Portsmouth,

Dover, Rochester, Hampton and Kittery for the Story

Explorers program.

GOAL #2 EXPANDING IMPACTBuild new relationships that expand our reach with new audiences.

COLLABORATIONS & DISCOUNTS

This classroom of the future opened in March 2016 and was designed to invite children and families to explore topics that focus on collaboration, critical thinking and making connections with the world outside of the classroom. The space features flexible furniture that can be reconfigured for a variety of tasks, a projector, iPads, materials for prototyping and designing as well as real tools and scientific equipment, including a 3-D printer and high-powered FLoid® Cell Imaging System provided by exhibit sponsor and partner Thermo Fisher Scientific.

STEAM Innovation Lab Founding Sponsors are Thermo Fisher Scientific, The Roger R. and Theresa A. Thompson Endowment Fund, Grantie State Development Corporation and the Horne Family Foundation.

Abbie Moseley Charitable FoundationAccess Sports MedicineAlexander Technology GroupBAE SystemsBank of New HampshireBerkshire FundBeswick EngineeringBob’s Discount FurnitureByrne Family TrustEvelyn M. Bryan, DMDBurns, Bryant, Cox, Rockefeller & DurkinCenter for AssessmentChildren’s Dentistry of Cocheco ValleyCitizens BankCochecho DentalConstruction Services of NH, LLCConvenientMD Urgent CareD.F. Richard EnergyDaniel H. DeTolla, DDSWilliam J. Devaney, DDSDover PediatricsEastern Bank Charitable FoundationElectricity NHEpping General DentistryEversource Energy Foundation

GOAL #2 EXPANDING IMPACT CONTINUED...Build new relationships that expand our reach with new audiences.

Number of guests

who visited using the

EBT $1 admission program.

2,022

916 Passes provided to non-profits in our region. The

Children’s Museum is a non-profit and we are committed to providing support to our community by providing museum passes to non-profits to use for fundraisers and to social service agencies to provide to their clients.

CORPORATE AND FOUNDATION SUPPORT

REACHING NEW AUDIENCES2,22211.157 9,171

Fabulous FindDr. Anne B. FillerFederal Savings BankFidelity Investments - Unique College Savings PlanFinlay FoundationFormaxFrisbie Memorial Hospital - Rochester Pediatric AssociatesGarrison Family DentalGarrison Women’s Health CenterGeorgia-Pacific FoundationGetz Charitable TrustGranite State Economic Development CorporationGreat Bay Academy of DanceGreat Outdoors Pediatric DentistryGreat Smiles, PLLCHannafordH.O.P.E. Behavioral Consulting, LLCR. Susan Horsley, DMDHeinemannHoly Rosary Credit UnionInternational Association of Privacy ProfessionalsJ. Clifton Avery Insurance AgencyJD Howard Dental, LLC

Kennebunk Savings BankSheila Kennedy, DDSKeystone DentalKingston Family DentalKoglin OrthodonticsLa Festa Brick & BrewLeone, McDonnell & RobertsLiberty Lane Philanthropic ServicesLincoln Financial FoundationLittle Steps Early Learning CenterLiberty MutualLocust Street DentalMadelaine Von Weber TrustMcLane Middleton Law FirmMerchants Automotive GroupMichael Jon Rush FoundationNewburyport Five Cents Savings FoundationNewmarket InternationalNH Charitable Foundation Funds Schablik, Marston, BrownNorth Hampton Dental GroupNortheast Credit UnionOptima BankOral-BPediatric Associates of Hampton & PortsmouthPeople’s United Community FoundationPickwick’s MercantilePiscataqua Dental PA

89,208

9,868

“Thank you for your ticket donations in the past to the Children’s Museum of NH. Dozens of our volunteers have enjoyed the experience of bringing their Littles to the museum. For many, it has opened the doors to science, history and the arts which lead to interest in exploring other adventures because of what they learned at the museum. One Big Sister, Hannah, recently told us that she hadn’t made a connection with her Little Sister until they went to the museum and danced at the One World exhibit in different costumes. She said that this helped break the ice in their relationship and lead to fun conversations and a better connection.” -Big Brothers, Big Sisters of NH

JINGLE BELL EXPRESSFor the first time we invited families to board a C&J Bus, decked out for the holidays, travel to DeMeritt Hill Farm to hear a holiday story read by Mrs. Claus, get their pictures taken with Santa, enjoy cider and doughnuts, get a keepsake to bring home with them, and then return to the museum to play and do

festive crafts. This new event, sponsored by Federal Savings Bank, was very popular and sold out.

Piscataqua Savings BankPortsmouth Regional HospitalPrime BuchholzProfile BankProvident BankRelyco SalesThe Rowley Agency, Inc.Michael St. Germain, DMDSeacoast Endodontic AssociatesSeacoast Orthopedics & Sports MedicineSeacoast Pediatric DentistrySeacoast Periodontics & Dental ImplantsGregory L. Shaker, DDSSIG SAUERSprague TD Charitable FoundationThermo Fisher ScientificThompson FoundationUnitilWalmartWashington Street MillsWeathervane Seafood RestaurantsWentworth-Douglass HospitalWillem Verweij & Associates, PTThe Works Family Health & Fitness Center

EXPENSESMuseum programs and exhibits $804,836Support Services Management & General $319,085 Fundraising $199,239Total expensesDECREASE IN NET ASSETS

$1,323,160 (32,352)

GOAL #3 Building a firm foundation through policies and intiatives that express best practices and help the museum to invest resources to ensure long-term sustainability.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2015-2016Unrestricted Net Assets

REVENUE & PUBLIC SUPPORTAdmissions $338,291

Memberships $171,103

Grants and sponsorships $37,867

Fundraising events income $233,531

Museum programs $89,504

Contributions $54,944

Merchandise $11,052

Donated goods and services $178,416

Miscellaneous income $7,207

Total unresricted revenue & public support

$1,121,915

Temporarily Restricted Net Assets

Grants and sponsorships $180,563

Total revenue & public support $1,302,478

Joan Marchessault, ChairJonathan Shapleigh, Vice ChairCarolyn Cloutier, TreasurerDelise West, SecretaryJason Kroll, Member at LargeAva Beaulieu, Member at LargeMeg BatemanBriana CoakleyJacques Coriveau

STAFFAll current staff represent over 160 years

of combined service to the museum.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSThe CMNH Board focused on restructuring and reinvigorating Board Committee responsibilities, membership, and priorities for the coming year. By year’s end, the board also revised and adopted refreshed bylaws.

Marc GoodmanDaivd HampsonErica JohnsonGreg JohnsonSarah LavoieRebecca LoehrJennifer McConathyDiane StowellSusan Wolowitz