2015 ANNUAL REPORT The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum From the Board Dear Friends, In 2015, The Magic House celebrated The mission of The Magic House is to engage all children in hands-on learning experiences that encourage experimentation, creativity and the development of a year full of beauty, magic, joy and problem-solving skills within a place of beauty, wonder, joy and magic. We made great strides in fulfilling this mission and creating a place of wonder in 2015. wonder. From the unveiling of The year began with a bang as we observed the Chinese New Year and the opening Wonder Works, the Museum’s new of Children’s China: Celebrating Culture, Character and Confucius, a nationally traveling exhibit created by The Magic House that brings China’s ancient traditions early childhood environment, to the and contemporary customs to life. Our 2015 finished in an equally wondrous way – with the grand opening of Wonder Works, our new educational adventure for young opening of Children’s China, a children. More than 565,000 visitors came to the Museum to experience these and other original exhibits last year. nationally traveling exhibit that Throughout the year, The Magic House offered innovative hands-on experiences explores modern Chinese culture, that provided learning in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 21st-century skills, and free access to the Museum’s resources. Thanks to the The Magic House focused on extraordinary support of our donors, we were able to provide over 80,000 children, families and schools in need with free educational opportunities in 2015. creating exhibits and programs that advance STEM education, The Magic House is grateful to the corporations, foundations and individuals noted in these pages. Because of the generous support of friends like you, it’s no wonder promote the development of that The Magic House had such a successful year. 21st-century skills, and provide access for all. John T. Drexler Chair, Board of Directors The Magic House celebrated the wonder of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with new exhibits and programs for children, families and schools. Wonder Works Make-It Workshop Have you ever wondered why balls float in the air? Or where STEM learning also took root in The Magic House’s new sand comes from? Or how a microscope works? The answers destination for do-it-yourselfers, the Make-It Workshop. to these—and many other questions—can be discovered This family-friendly maker space invites visitors to invent, build in Wonder Works, The Magic House’s new STEM learning and create with real tools and technology, from a 3D printer environment for young children. Wonder Works takes curious to a sewing machine. The supplies for this maker space were minds and busy bodies on an educational adventure filled generously supported by the Union Pacific Foundation with hands-on, feet-on fun. Kids can explore simple machines this year. as they take a catapult challenge, harness the power of air to make whirligigs spin, and design their own ocean creatures and watch them come to life in a virtual sea. STEM Education The Magic House branched out to make STEM learning opportunities accessible throughout the region with the Wonder Works was generously made possible by the Institute support of our community partners. enabled the of Museum and Library Services; Bill and Sally Canfield; Harry Ameren Museum to provide no-cost STEM-focused field trips and Edison Foundation; Eric P. & Evelyn E. Newman Foundation; outreach programs to children in low-income areas, Crawford Taylor Foundation; KnowledgeLake; Ron and introducing them to the magic of magnetism, electricity, Carmen Cameron; Larry and Beth Lenke; Monsanto Fund; simple machines and more. The Bunge North America; the Employees Community Fund of Express Scripts Foundation funded a district-wide initiative in the Jennings School Boeing; Graybar Foundation; Paul, Susan, Jennifer & Lauren District that provided students, parents and teachers with Goldberg; Chip Walker; and Ameren. Renovation of the facility was partially underwritten by the Missouri Department STEM programs and resources. The Edward Chase Garvey of Economic Development, Neighborhood Assistance Program. Memorial Foundation allowed children to take a journey down the Math Path, the Museum’s updated exhibit on the The Magic House also launched several educational experiences everyday applications of math. And thanks to MasterCard, developing STEM skills meant business. The global payment in conjunction with Wonder Works. With the support of and technology company supported New Biz on the Block, Boeing, the Museum developed an outreach program for the early childhood classroom, a professional development an entrepreneurship education program, as well as STEM workshop for educators, and a family science program at Family Nights, free evenings at the Museum featuring the Museum, which we piloted with the Ferguson-Florissant hands-on STEM activities, for underserved schools in Ferguson, Normandy, Wentzville and other communities School District. Funding from Maritz enabled disadvantaged across the region. young children to participate in Wonder Works field trips free of charge. And in partnership with the PNC Foundation, The Magic House is creating Wonder Words, an interactive program to help young children grow the STEM vocabulary they will need in order to read and succeed in school. The Magic House is grateful to all these Wonder Works partners for helping us share the wonder of STEM with young children, their parents and teachers. Children explore science, technology, engineering and 3 math in Wonder Works. 2015 Annual Report n The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum The Magic House fostered the development of 21st-century skills including global awareness, communication, health literacy, critical thinking and creativity to help children succeed. Fu School as part of the Centene Charitable Foundation’s Global Awareness Fitness Fun Fridays program; and Chinese calligraphy and brush An increasingly important 21st-century skill is global awareness, painting workshops offered through the Visiting Artist Series, the understanding of other nations, cultures and languages, made possible with the support of the Regional Arts Commission and the ability to work with and learn from the individuals of St. Louis, Center Oil Company, Advisory Research and Piper who represent them. In February, children got the chance to Jaffray. Cultural programs also featured observances of the experience life in China without even packing a suitcase. The Lantern Festival, a culmination of the Chinese New Year when Magic House stamped visitors’ passports for Children’s China: beautiful paper lamps are illuminated, and Children’s Day, a Children build global awareness and , an interactive celebration of young people. language arts skills in Children’s China Celebrating Culture, Character and Confucius and Very Eric Carle. exhibit about children’s lives in China today. The Magic House was one of just five youth museums nationwide selected to Elders are revered in Chinese culture, so it was fitting for create a traveling exhibit as part of the Asian Culture Exhibit The Magic House’s Grand Committee to host A Grand China Series, an initiative funded by the Freeman Foundation and Celebration. This very special event featured dinner, Chinese administered by the Association of Children’s Museums to crafts, a performance of the traditional lion dance, and a chance promote an understanding of Asian cultures. to explore the Museum’s China-inspired sandcastle, adorned with pandas and dragons. Thanks to presenting sponsor Moneta Children’s China: Celebrating Culture, Character and Group and all the event’s donors, this celebration for all genera- Confucius transports families across the globe to China, where tions drew more than 225 grandparents, parents and children, timeless traditions and modern lifestyles meet. Created by and raised $35,000 for the Grandparent Scholarship Fund to The Magic House in partnership with the Confucius Institute at provide free educational experiences for children in need. Webster University and CharacterPlus, Children’s China guides visitors through immersive hands-on environments and activities, from wok cooking in a restaurant to caring for endangered Language Arts/Communication panda cubs, and from learning to write Chinese characters in Once upon a time, there was a very tiny and very hungry a classroom to dancing in a dragon parade. Support for caterpillar…and he had the very big job of helping young educational field trips to the exhibit was generously provided children master 21st-century language arts skills. In October, little visitors to The Magic House got the chance to spread their by the Trio Foundation of St. Louis. After its showing at The wings and experience Magic House, Children’s China embarked on a five-year tour Very Eric Carle: A Very Hungry, Quiet, of children’s museums across the country. Lonely, Clumsy, Busy Exhibit as they inched their way to literacy proficiency. Co-organized by the Children’s Museum of The exhibit’s opening coincided with the Chinese New Year, Pittsburgh and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, this and The Magic House ushered in the Year of the Sheep in style. traveling exhibit explores the words and pictures of the beloved In partnership with the St. Louis Modern Chinese School and children’s book author and illustrator Eric Carle. The Magic Chinese Culture and Education Services, the Museum hosted a House was very excited to have Wells Fargo Advisors as the sponsor of the exhibit’s St. Louis showing, while the full schedule of festivities sponsored by Moneta Group. Events Mary included Chinese games such as ping-pong and jump rope; Ranken Jordan and Ettie A. Jordan Charitable Foundation music, drumming and dancing with the St. Louis Modern Chinese supported free field trips for underserved students. School; a martial arts demonstration from St. Louis Shaolin Kung 5 2015 Annual Report n The Magic House, St.