KANSAS MUSEUM of HISTORY RECEIVES MUSEUM ACCREDITATION Free Admission in Celebration January 24 - 29
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Contact: Bobbie Athon 785-272-8681, ext. 262 E-mail: [email protected] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 6, 2006 KANSAS MUSEUM OF HISTORY RECEIVES MUSEUM ACCREDITATION Free Admission in Celebration January 24 - 29 The Kansas Museum of History has achieved the highest recognition for a museum, accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM). To celebrate this high honor with the people of Kansas, the Museum will be open free to the public January 24 – 29, which is also Kansas Day. The AAM Accreditation Commission met in December and reported that the Museum “meets the high standards established by the Accreditation Program and the museum field. It has demonstrated this through completion of a rigous process of self-study and reviews by a Visiting Committee of its peers and the Accreditation Commision. We found the Kansas Museum of History to be a high-performing organization.” “I am incredibly proud of the staff in working toward this achievement,” said Bob Keckeisen, museum director. “Their hard work spanned a three year period in preparing the collections and exhibits for a rigorous review by the Accreditation Commission in Washington. We are very honored to be added to this elite group of AAM accredited museums.” AAM Accreditation signifies excellence within the museum community. It is a seal of approval and strengthens individual museums and the entire field by promoting ethical and professional practices. Being accredited enables museum leaders to make informed decisions, allocate and use resources wisely, and maintain the strictest accountability to the public they serve. Of the nation’s nearly 16,000 museums approximately 750 are currently accredited. It is a rigorous but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. As the national service organization representing the American museum community, the American Association of Museums addresses the needs of museums to enhance their ability to serve the public. For more about AAM and the Accreditation Program please visit www.aam-us.org. The Kansas History Museum is open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday, 1 – 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $4 adults, $3 seniors (60 and over), $2 students (K-12, college students with ID), KSHS members and children 5 and under admitted free. Beginning February 1, admission will change for out of state residents to $5 adults, $4 seniors (60 and over), $3 students (K-12, college students with ID). The Museum is located at the Kansas - MORE - KANSAS HISTORY MUSEUM RECEIVES ACCREDITATION – Add 2 History Center, 6425 SW Sixth Avenue, Topeka KS 66615; exhibit 356 on I-70; 785-272-8681; [email protected], www.kshs.org. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 6, 2006 SURVIVOR WINNER CELEBRATES KANSAS DAY AT THE CAPITOL 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Friday, January 27, 2006 in Topeka Governor Kathleen Sebelius invites Kansas students to celebrate Kansas Day on Friday, January 27, 2006 at the Kansas State Capitol. Kansas entered the Union as the 34th state on January 29, 1861. Students will have the opportunity to celebrate the 145th birthday and enhance their knowledge of Kansas history through exploration of the Capitol. "We have such a strong heritage and it's a wonderful opportunity to share our pioneer spirit and strong beginnings with young Kansans," said Governor Sebelius. Danni Boatwright, a Tonganoxie native and “Survivor: Guatemala” winner, will also be on-hand. “Danni is a great example of how good old fashioned Kansas hard work can pay off and I’m very happy she was able to take time out of what I imagine is a very busy schedule to celebrate Kansas Day,” Governor Sebelius said. “Exploring the Capitol,” a downloadable guidebook, will engage students in also learning about Kansas government. Costumed historical reenactors will be at each of the nine Exploration Stations to share fascinating facts and stories. All visitors will be allowed to tour the first level of the Capitol dome. On Kansas Day, classes can pre-register to win a special guided tour to the top of the dome. Kansas Day is sponsored by the Governor’s Office, the Kansas State Historical Society, and the Kansas State Department of Education. A special birthday celebration and sing-a-long will begin at 10:00 a.m. on the second floor rotunda. Governor Sebelius will offer special greetings followed by a sing-a-long featuring "Happy Birthday to Kansas," and "Home on the Range." Fifteen large Kansas birthday cakes, provided by Dillons Food Stores, will be served as part of the celebration. The birthday celebration program will begin at 9:45 a.m. on the second floor rotunda featuring Mayberry Middle School Choir from Wichita, Dennis Rogers with Native American flute music and hoop dance, the Governor with a greeting and recognition of poster winners from state quarter art contest, and the sing-along. The celebration will conclude at 10:30 a.m. Please note that lunch will not be provided and is not available at the Capitol. Tour guides will be stationed at nine locations in the Capitol on all five floors including the Governor’s office, the House and Senate chambers, the rotunda, and inside the dome. - MORE - KANSAS DAY AT THE CAPITOL – Add 2 Kan-Ed will be offering a live broadcast of the special birthday celebration at www.kandedlive.org . Other portions of the event will be archived and available for viewing at a later time, including a tour of the Capitol with the reenactors and a tour of the Capitol dome. Teachers must provide each student with a copy of their own guidebook. The guidebooks, downloadable at www.kshs.org/teachers/, should be printed, folded, and stapled prior to the class visit. As students explore the Capitol their guidebook will be stamped at each Exploration Station. Note: Guidebooks will not be provided at the Capitol. Also online will be a downloadable teacher packet that includes event instructions and a parking map for busses. To optimize the student learning experience, teachers should prepare classes for the Kansas Day Activities through prior integrated instruction. For suggested activities and resources go to the Kansas State Historical Society website at www.kshs.org/teachers/. The Kansas Curricular Standards addressed during this field trip are: Civics-Government- 4th grade- B5I2. (K) defines capital as the location of state and national government. B5I3. (K) defines capitol as the building in which government is located. The Kansas State Capitol is located at 10th and Jackson, Topeka, Kansas 66612. It is in the center of downtown Topeka. Exit 362B on I-70. Classes also are encouraged to participate in the Kansas Museum of History’s Kansas Day activities, also Friday, January 27. More information online at www.kshs.org . The Kansas State Historical Society does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission to, access to, or operation of its programs. The Society requests prior notification to accommodate individuals with special needs or disabilities. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 9, 2006 DINOSAUR EGGS FROM CHINA ON EXHIBIT AT MUSEUM ____________________________________ Through January 27 at Kansas Museum of History, Topeka The dinosaur egg presented last July to Governor Kathleen Sebelius by a Chinese delegation from Henan Province, People's Republic of China, are on exhibit at the Kansas Museum of History through January 27, 2006. The eggs are from the Xixia Basin in Henan Province, China. The Henan Province and the State of Kansas established an official sister state relationship in 1981. The delegation visited Kansas to enhance and strengthen the relation between the two governments in areas of commerce, agriculture, education, and trade. As a gesture of good will, Henan Province presented the fossils as a gift to Kansas at a banquet hosted by Governor Sebelius. The eggs date from the late Cretaceous period and are nearly 100 million years old. One egg is from the Dendroolithus species, and the other is from the Faveoloolithus species. Henan Province has the largest site for dinosaur eggs in the world with an estimated two million eggs in an area of about 620 square miles. The fossils found there are internationally significant because they may extend up to the time at which dinosaurs became extinct. The Kansas Museum of History is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The museum is closed on Monday and state holidays. Admission, through January are $4 adults, $3 seniors, $2 students. Group rates available with prior notice. KSHS members and children under five admitted free. The Kansas Museum of History is located at the Kansas History Center, 6425 SW Sixth Avenue, Topeka KS 66615; exhibit 356 on I-70; 785-272-8681; www.kshs.org. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 9, 2006 CAPITOL’S KANSAS DAY ACTIVITIES FEATURE EXPLORATION 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Friday, January 27, 2006 in Topeka Governor Kathleen Sebelius invites Kansas students to celebrate Kansas Day on Friday, January 27, 2006 at the Kansas State Capitol. Kansas entered the Union as the 34th state on January 29, 1861. Students will have the opportunity to celebrate the 145th birthday and enhance their knowledge of Kansas history through exploration of the Capitol. "We have such a strong heritage and it's a wonderful opportunity to share our pioneer spirit and strong beginnings with young Kansans," said Governor Sebelius. “Exploring the Capitol,” a downloadable guidebook, will engage students in also learning about Kansas government. Costumed historical reenactors will be at each of the nine Exploration Stations to share fascinating facts and stories. All visitors will be allowed to tour the first level of the Capitol dome. On Kansas Day, classes can pre-register to win a special guided tour to the top of the dome.