Spotlight On: Edwin Link, Executive Director, Children’s Museum of Atlanta
June 2024 — In an interview with Focus:, Edwin Link, executive director of the Children’s Museum of Atlanta, talked about the institution’s mission to spark children’s imagination and learning through play. Link also addressed sustainability initiatives and the economic landscape, expressing optimism for the future and plans to enhance access and educational opportunities in the coming years through strategic partnerships and programming adjustments.
What have been some of the major accomplishments or milestones for the museum over the last year?
Our mission is to change the world by sparking every child’s imagination, sense of discovery and learning through the power of play. Last year was a good year for us in terms of reaching that mission. Not only did we see 160,000 guests in our museum, we also engaged over 20,000 children and caregivers through our community outreach programs, both in person and virtual. Some of the highlights include a new hands-on exhibit that deepens guests’ understanding of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Many guests also let us know that our Paw Patrol and Wild Kratts exhibits were favorites. We are always innovating in terms of what our guests want.
At the end of the day our purpose is to ensure children are allowed to be children and that they receive the positive benefits of play. We think if we give them more opportunities to play then we know they will have critical skills for the future.
How is the museum engaging with diverse audiences?
One of our founders said something that resonates with me to this day: While we are a museum, the community is really the museum. We continue to grow in new and exciting ways and for that reason, we are focusing on a few different strategies. The most important is that we continue to grow access to the museum and ensure that all families can get access to high-quality play. One program that was just kicked off is a national program called Museums for All. Any family that participates in SNAP (the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) can gain access to the museum for $3 a ticket, which is a significant discount. We expect to further expand that to incorporate other federal programs as we have already seen a great response to that.
We are also continuing our commitment to free days for families. Thanks to our partners PNC Bank, CareSource, and Publix Super Markets Charities, we can offer free entry four days a year. We also have a fund we developed in-house called Access It Program, where we seek to mitigate if not completely eliminate the cost for Title 1 schools to access the museum as part of a field trip experience.
Through our temporary exhibits, we provide guests with an opportunity to play in continuing new and evolving ways because we know play is not stagnant and is always evolving. We have Wallace & Gromit coming and in 2025 we will have Scooby Doo. In addition to all that, we have partnerships with other organizations to create ongoing experiences in the community.
Is the museum incorporating technology or AI?
Play is a medium by which kids can experience anything so for us it is a question of integrating technology for two purposes. One is to create that wow moment between a caregiver and their child. The second is to facilitate a creative choice for a child so that they use technology to do something playful like creating or manipulating something to change it. We know AI is going to influence not only the engagement of guests but also the business of what we are doing as well. Currently, we are wrestling with the question of how the tool can be used for good and advance our mission.
What is your outlook on the current economic landscape?
This is a constant conversation we are having. We are always calibrating against realities as a nonprofit and considering consumer mindsets. We are still climbing back to pre-pandemic numbers, but I foresee us reaching that goal within the next year. While there is a redistribution of where people are spending their money, we still think there is value to be had among the consumer base that wants the new opportunities that we can provide.
What is your outlook for the museum in the near term?
We are at the tail-end of creating a new five-year strategic plan, but in the near future, the pandemic created an opportunity to scale our mission. The future looks bright and we know we need to increase that access portion, especially within the early elementary bracket. We are also seeing declines in the number of early childhood and early elementary educators. We can be a solution to bringing joy back into the professional field and create a model that can build the capacity of adults who can then go out and impact children, creating a force multiplier effect. We are going to leverage partnerships we already have when it comes to training educators and giving them new opportunities to create joy and satisfaction.
As our community changes so will the museum, and we will continue to reflect our surroundings in the exhibits we have and within the structure of the museum.
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