FL!P
- Families Learning through Inspired Play Children’s Museums for the Portland Metropolitan Area
FY 22 23
FLIP MUSEUM
THE FLIP MUSEUM02
TABLE OF CONTENTS THE FLIP MUSEUM 03 04 05 06 07 Children's Museums Matter Now More than Ever Vision and Mission A Museum that Everyone Can Enjoy Why Play? 09 Committee Opportunities 13 FLIP Founding Board of Directors 08 Join Us
The FLIP Museum Inc. is a not for profit 501(c)(3) organization. Tax ID: 87 3605707
Play is how children learn and develop into happy, healthy members of the community. Research in early childhood development has shown the positive impact of play for years. Encouragingly, some schools in the Greater Portland Metropolitan Area are beginning to integrate more play based learning into their curriculum. But schools can’t fix our play deficit alone and they aren’t the only ones playing a critical role in the development of our children.
A children’s museum is a unique institution because it brings children and families together to learn, grow, and connect through play and exploration. It serves multiple roles within the community:
As a champion of equity and inclusion, it makes programming accessible to every child and every family and strengthens the community it serves by playing an active role in dismantling systemic racism and societal inequities
FLIP imagines a children’s museum that is adaptable in its delivery and inclusive in its reach. We recognize the need for locations that are equitably accessible. We aim to build an experience that captures the heart of our community and that is relevant and sustainable for future generations.
As a community center, it welcomes all children and families by incorporating stories, traditions, and celebrations from its many cultures
Children’s Museums Matter Now More than Ever
Through play, parents can learn about and connect with their children When caregivers observe and join children in play, they can nourish their children’s development. Ultimately when families spend time together in play, they solidify the foundation of a trusting and healthy relationship that lasts a lifetime. Unstructured time for free play and exploration nurtures the cognitive and social emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development of our children.
Ginsburg, K. R. (2007, January 1). The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. American Academy of Pediatrics. Retrieved September 2, 2022, autologincheck=redirected%3FnfTokenhttps://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/119/1/182/70699/The-Importance-of-Play-in-Promoting-Healthy-Child?fromTHEFLIPMUSEUM
04
As a play advocate, it teaches families and educators proven methods for integrating play into our day.
The FLIP Museum will create an innovative and inclusive space for diverse communities to foster meaningful connections and advance equity in learning for children. Vision Mission
FLIP is a children’s museum that brings kids and families together to learn and connect with one another through play.
THE FLIP MUSEUM 05
A Museum that Everyone Can Enjoy
FLIP is committed to facilitating access to Inspired Play Experiences for all children and their families. Our vision considers a robust understanding of accessibility to ensure that children and adults of differing abilities feel welcome and invited into our FLIP community spaces. We know that play is important, spontaneous, enjoyable, self directed, unique to each person, and inherently rewarding; and that there is no wrong way to play.
Furthermore, we believe that each child adds value to every other visitor’s experience, and we celebrate all ways of moving and engaging through play. FLIP seeks to create a museum where neurodivergent, wheelchair and mobility device using, sensory sensitive or seeking, visually impaired, hard of hearing, Deaf, Autistic, and/or Disabled individuals can access and enrich our play spaces however they choose and without barriers.
THE FLIP MUSEUM06
Solitary Play when the play becomes more complex, but they are not interested in playing with others. Spectator Behavior when they take breaks in their play to observe others.
Their physical abilities (gross motor skills) are developed too! This happens when balancing blocks or running on the playground. Playground and big body play are also necessary to learn how to take risks in a safe environment. They develop and practice new vocabulary words as they play with toy dinosaurs. Their social muscles get flexed when they are playing together on a pretend train, and one child has a different plan than the other. Here is where they begin to learn the art of negotiation, compromise, and the foundation for empathy. And, even when their playwriting looks like scribbles, this is still literacy development in action. Assigning a value to symbols, learning and rehearsing letters and phonetics.
Play is Learning
Why Play?
When children are in school, their day is broken up into classes (teacher guided learning) and recess. This gives many the impression that play is a necessary break from learning, helping them to return more focused to accomplish the learning goals of the day. Certainly, exercise breaks during the day are important, but it would be misleading to think that children must be at a desk to learn. As The Hunt Institute’s Dan Wuori put it during a webinar on 8/23/22 on Learning Environments, “Play is a vehicle for learning rather than a distraction from it ”
During child guided and open ended play, children have the ability to rehearse life They get to break their perception of the world apart and reassemble it in a way that makes sense to them, based on their developmental understanding When children pretend to run a grocery store, they are developing their cognitive skills, like math and problem solving
Associate Play when they play in a related way to other children, such as with the same toys, but with limited direct interaction
Cooperative Play when their play is truly a shared activity with others
For more on the 6 Stages of https://pathways.org/kids-learn-play-6-stages-play-developmentPlay:/
Unoccupied Play when they are learning how their body moves.
THE FLIP MUSEUM 07
A Lifelong Skill Play looks different depending on the child’s developmental stage. Creating a learning environment that supports play means creating different settings for each stage of play.
Parallel Play when they play alongside or near others but do not play with them.
Black, Indigenous, people of color, im disabled, neurodivergent, and anyo oppression are particular Please email volunteer@flipmus
JOIN
The strength in FLIP will lie in its on from throughout the communit volunteers from all backgrounds a invol
Exhibit and promote the beautiful cultures our community represents.
Create a safe place where multi generations can connect with one another.
THE FLIP MUSEUM08
Inspire a new generation of curious and creative learners.
Diversity/Equity/Inclusion (DEI)
Soliciting monetary and in kind donations
Connecting FLIP leadership to contacts in one's professional and/or personal network who have an interest in getting involved
Collaborating on grant writing and other written messaging to make a compelling case for support Managing/supporting event planning
THE FLIP MUSEUM 09
Promoting cultural humility, cultural competency and anti racist learning within the FLIP community Engaging with community leaders, organizations and members
Attending community events DEI programming
FLIP's Development Committee is composed of board members and active community members who are committed to raising friends and funds for the organization. Committee members will meet virtually once a month, with occasional additional meetings scheduled as needed, to identify priorities and divide the workload. Committee work includes:
The FLIP Museum formed multiple committees to engage community members in the development of the children’s museum(s) in the Greater Portland Metropolitan Area. A diverse representative of community members is needed to effectively design and implement what is envisioned for the FLIP Museum. We enthusiastically welcome volunteers from all backgrounds and abilities to get in touch and get involved. Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrants, queer, trans, non binary, disabled, neurodivergent individuals are particularly encouraged to contact us
Identifying individuals, corporations, and foundations who have the capacity to contribute resources
Researching grant opportunities
FLIP's DEI Committee strives to bring together a diverse group of Board and community members to ensure the organization’s programming, mission, vision, and goals are truly inclusive of all Oregonians. Committee work includes:
Reporting progress and needs to the Board of Directors
Development
Providing strategic guidance on DEI priorities
Committee Opportunities
Recruitment of Board members
Measurement and assessment of ongoing DEI efforts to ensure effectiveness and guide future directions
Establishing the organization's development strategy and advising changes as needed
Extensive research on early learning and historically marginalized groups, removing barriers to quality and consistent play based education opportunities.
Collaborating on grant writing and other written messaging to support other committees (specifically DEI & Development)
Identifying individuals, organizations, and foundations that advocate for children’s education, children's health, and children’s mental health.
Reporting progress and needs to the Board of Directors
FLIP's Education Committee is composed of board members and active Early Learning Educators and Advocates who are committed to designing intentional & developmentally appropriate play spaces These spaces represent the most significant and salient data in Early Learning Committee members will meet virtually once a month, with occasional additional meetings scheduled as needed, to identify priorities and divide the workload. Committee work includes:
Establishing the organization's education strategy and advising changes as needed
Committee Opportunities Continued
Education
Establishing and nurturing ongoing relationships with community stakeholders and advocates for early learning
Connecting FLIP leadership to contacts in one's professional and/or personal network who have an interest in getting involved
THE FLIP MUSEUM10
Supporting event planning
Identifying individuals, organizations, and foundations that advocate for children’s education, children's health, and children’s mental health.
Meeting with leader identify options and Meeting with other n have space available Meeting with comm share or provide spa Developing a plan fo that allows for equit operations, and stor Negotiating terms fo targets while balanc location goals
itoring the organization's nput from committees reimbursement processes nd reimbursement requests nancial reports compliance with all IRS
istration Committee is bers and active community ime and skills to create procedures to ensure FLIP th all 501(c)(3) not for profit ts and that the Board of uciary duties to the tee conducts monthly virtual l additional meetings dentify priorities and divide work includes:
THE FLIP MUSEUM 11
Location
Finance and Administration
The Location Committee and community advisor museum during 3 distin pre launch, 2) initial ren long term space owned meet virtually once a m meetings scheduled as divide the workload. Co
Establishing a general marketing message for the public in collaboration with the other committees
FLIP's Marketing Committee is composed of board members and active community members who are committed to increasing brand awareness for the FLIP mission. Committee members will meet virtually once a month, with occasional additional meetings scheduled as needed, to identify priorities and divide the workload. This Committee is different from the Development Committee as the target audience is the general public with the goal of increased brand awareness and eventually increased membership and museum visitations. Committee work includes tasks such as:
Committee Opportunities Continued
Managing website, and social media presence
Marketing/Communications
Conducting press releases, radio announcements, billboards, and direct mail campaigns
Establishing a FLIP brand Identity
THE FLIP MUSEUM12
Conducting a public media campaign to the general public about what the organization stands for and why they should become a member or visit the museum in the future.
Jack spent his formative years on the lookout for pneumatic tubes, trap doors, and zip lines. Since then, he has worked primarily with startups in the medical staffing industry, earning the Portland Business Journal's 100 Fastest Growing Companies Award three times. He holds an MBA from Willamette University and is the COO for Scribe X and Med X Medical Staffing. His oldest daughter grew up at the old Portland Children’s Museum and is still today referred to by her nickname, Flip. His youngest deserves a children’s museum nearby, as do all children in our community.
Jessica O’Donnell Board Member She/Her/Hers
Jessica spent much of her childhood playing in the dirt and "exhibiting leadership skills" with her siblings and neighbors She has carried these traits into adulthood, with more than a decade "exhibiting leadership skills" with elementary and preschool aged children After completing her Masters degree at University College of London, she and her family stopped in Ireland before landing in Oregon They spend oodles of time exploring outdoors in their garden or amongst Oregon's woods and waterways Jessica joined FLIP to channel her wholehearted beliefs about the importance of play based learning for families and establishing inclusive and diverse ties throughout the community. Melissa Hong Board Vice President She/Her/Hers
Melissa spent her early years in South Korea rollerblading around the neighborhood corralling children to play tag, race, or rescue and care for homeless dogs and cats. She moved to California where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Berkeley. After working as a school district administrator, she pursued her Master’s degree in Sociology and Education at Columbia University, Teacher’s College in New York City For the past decade, she worked tirelessly to improve access to high quality early childhood education for the most vulnerable young children by implementing systems change efforts and building community partnerships In 2021, she and her family moved to the Greater Portland area to be closer to relatives Melissa joined FLIP to continue her efforts in advancing equity in children's early learning experiences
THE FLIP MUSEUM 13
FLIP MUSEUM'S FOUNDING BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jack Graham Board President He/Him/His
Michelle’s favorite childhood activities always involved some type of craft. Whether it was making popsicle stick characters with googly eyes to cutting craft paper into different shapes, she was always creating. Michelle later used her love of crafting to develop fun and engaging projects as a Special Education teacher for elementary students in New York City While working as a teacher in New York, Michelle completed her masters in Education Afterwards she joined the San Francisco Unified School District as a Positive Behavior, Intervention, and Support Coach for teachers and administrators In 2017 Michelle moved to Portland where she served in a similar role with the Portland Public Schools as a School Climate Specialist Michelle’s passion for supporting children and their families is what drives her enthusiasm to see the creation of the FLIP museum. It is her goal to make it a space where all children feel seen and welcomed, while learning and having fun.
Meredith spent her childhood play time recording her voice on cassettes and rescuing dolls from natural disasters She has more than a decade of experience building relationships and raising funds for missions supporting families and education: SMART Reading, Boys and Girls Aid, Bethel Congregational UCC, and the PCC Foundation. Meredith is currently pursuing an MBA at Willamette University while also raising two playful learners in her neurodiverse family. Meredith joined FLIP to direct her heart and frantic networking urges to positively impact the lives of Portland's youngest learners and the families who raise them.
Michelle Vega Spight Board Member She/Her/Hers
Quinn Hoffman Board Member She/Her/They/Them
In her younger days, Quinn could be found diving into the swimming pool, reading piles of books and eating Pizza Hut Book It reward pizzas, and skipping recess to hang out in the Special Education classroom. She was the first person at her high school to be an exchange student (Argentina), and spent a year abroad in college (Brazil) Her love of adventure, far fetched curiosity, and persistent desire to understand how people think and do, ultimately led her to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Master of Occupational Therapy program She now enthusiastically supports children’s participation in play and meaningful routines as an Occupational Therapist Quinn believes that any learning space is made stronger by the presence of kids with diverse needs and strengths She is excited to promote accessibility at FLIP, ensuring all kids and families can contribute to an environment of inspired play.
Meredith Gordon Co founder and Board Member She/Her/Hers
THE FLIP MUSEUM14
THE FLIP MUSEUM 15
He/Him/His
Terell Seitz Board Member
He/Him/His
Tya Ping joined the FLIP board of directors in 2022. She is a mother of three young children, a health care provider, a community volunteer, and a longtime resident of Washington County.
Scott spent his early days finding any ball he could play a game with or with his eyes toward the sky whenever he heard a plane After spending three years researching a rare genetic disorder affecting adolescents and young children, he made a significant career change to attend law school at Willamette University. Scott’s practice focuses on startups, real estate, and estate planning and probate. Scott’s oldest child adored all of the games and exhibits at Children’s Museum specifically the water room. Scott joined FLIP to play a role in bringing exploratory learning back to the metro area’s most curious and eager learners.
Terell spent his youth finger painting rainbows, climbing trees, and building forts He has always had a passion for exploring the beauty of the outdoors and understanding how things in nature grow and move This passion led him to graduate with a Bachelors of Art from Coe College with a focus in 3D animation Terell now works as a lead visual effects supervisor and has worked on films for Laika and ad campaigns for AdoptUSKids. Terell joined FLIP to help build exhibits with creative and interactive experiences for all.
Scott Rennie Board Member
Tya Ping Board Member
She/Her/Hers
Tya earned her Pharmacy Doctorate from Oregon State University and OHSU. She is now a clinical pharmacist at Kaiser Permanente. She has served on various boards including Beaverton City Library Advisory Board and Washington County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. She currently serves as an elected on the Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation District (THPRD) Board of Directors. She also is an avid volunteer within the Beaverton School District teaching art literacy to elementary school children.
Tya and her family love to travel and spend time with extended family and friends They love active playtime, finding new adventures, and experiencing the beauty of nature
The FLIP Museum is a not for profit 501(c)(3) organization. ID: 87 3605707
FL!P Museum Visit us at flipmuseum.org
Tax