Portland Children's Museum: Annual Report 2016-17

Cover photo credit: Adam Guggenheim

WE VALUE EXCELLENCE
What do you value? What’s most important?
At Portland Children’s Museum and its Opal School, six values guide our
work. You’ll find them on the first page of our employee handbook and
on a big sign in the Museum entrance. Most importantly, these values live
at the forefront of our brains, and serve as a filter for every decision.
On the following pages, you’ll discover our values of creativity,
playful learning, collaboration, kindness and respect, and
innovative research—with examples of how we live those values every day.
Overall, we value excellence. We believe in taking risks while seeking
continual improvement. Our commitment to empathy leads us to create
experiences for others that we would want for ourselves. We seek to
deepen our awareness and understanding of the rights of children, leading
us to pursue the excellence they deserve as citizens of our community.
In the past year, your support has made that excellence possible.
We value you as part of our family!
With gratitude,
Ruth G. Shelly
Executive Director

WE VALUE CREATIVITY
Clay Studio
Participants in our Access Play events for children experiencing
disabilities find the tactile experience of working with clay to be
particularly soothing. Families participating in our evenings for
immigrants and refugees find clay to be an intuitive medium that
bridges language barriers and brings generations together.
Indeed, all children regardless of ability or background stretch their
creative muscles in bringing to life what exists in their imaginations—
experimenting and testing ideas, failing, and trying again.
We’re committed to engaging children in these creative processes
because these skills build confident, resilient problem solvers who
will grow to change their communities and the world.
When people play,
their ideas and stories and memories
come pouring out into the world.
–River, age 8

WE VALUE PLAYFUL LEARNING
Word Play Month
Every month at the Museum revolves around a different theme, and
October is Word Play Month supported by KinderCare Education.
In the Maker Studio, Mike helps children design their own Word
Machine and sound out the word their machine emits. In Outdoor
Adventure, Emlyn leads ABC Archery as children shoot arrows at
letter targets to spell out a word. In the Field Station, Meg ladles out
letters into bowls of Alphabet Soup.
We believe one can’t learn without playing, or play without learning.
Through intentional playful activities that include art, science, and
physical movement, children strengthen neural pathways in their
developing brains.
If we got used to having challenges,
our brains would grow to the size of elephants.
–Ollie, age 9

WE VALUE KINDNESS AND RESPECT
10,000 Hands Project
When prompted to consider how to make the
world a better place, Chase, a student at Opal
School, created a project called “10,000 Hands.”
Decorated hand tracings, made by people of
all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities, illuminate
the connections between people, and celebrate
the differences.
At Portland Children’s Museum, we intentionally
cultivate empathy, a powerful tool that children
use to build bridges between people, understand
another’s complex experience, gain diverse
perspectives, and leverage relationships for
collaboration and progress.
By submitting a hand, you help us
show that everyone’s voice matters.
Every single, unique and different hand matters.
Like a community. Everyone plays a role.
–Chase, age 11
10khands.com

WE VALUE COLLABORATION
Monster Island
In our Artist Studio, children collaborate with professional artist,
Gesine Krätzner, to create deeply expressive monsters that
reveal playful, whimsical stories. Through story, children think
about the world, make sense of it, and share their questions,
perspectives, and revelations with others. Gesine brings these
stories to life in three-dimensional forms that inhabit Monster Island.
We believe that teamwork and perspective-taking prove
critical for success in school and work. By practicing
collaboration, children understand that together they
can unearth new possibilities, forge new directions, and
discover new solutions.
It’s crazy in here, but good!
–Patrick, age 6

WE VALUE INNOVATIVE RESEARCH
Summer Symposium
Each year, more than 1,000 educators from across North America and
around the world come to Opal School for professional development.
These teachers are inspired by the innovative approaches being
developed in Opal School’s classrooms: approaches that connect
learners in ways that are simultaneously personal, interpersonal, and
global. The theme of play, the arts, and democracy felt especially
significant to the 235 teacher-researchers gathered for the 17th
Annual Summer Symposium.
We believe that observation, documentation, and dissemination of best
practices in education are essential to providing a vision of what school
can and should be for the world’s increasing diversity of learners.
Feeling a part of something bigger gives me courage to persist.
–Symposium participant 2017

693
Arrows released in
Outdoor Adventure
73
Monsters in
Art Gallery
2,160
Books read at
Storytime
6,576
Nails hammered
in Maker Studio
26,437
Access visitors
279,895
Visitors
6,101
Memberships
1,307
Family Access Pass
holders

6,170
Volunteer hours
22,282
Social media
followers
14,128
Miles traveled
by Opal School to
inspire fresh ideas
147
Snow friends
made in
Clay Studio
36
Gallons of paint for
Opal School creations
328
Catapults
launched
6,772
Dancing feet
at Museum
performances

2016-17 ANNUAL FUND CONTRIBUTIONS
$100,000+
Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Lemelson Foundation
$25,000–$99,9999
Fred Meyer Fund
James and Shirley Rippey Family Foundation
Joseph E. Weston Public Foundation of
The Oregon Community Foundation
Target Corporation
The Oregon Community Foundation
$10,000–$24,999
Ameriprise Financial
Banfield Pet Hospital
Bank of America
Columbia Sportswear Company
ESCO Foundation
Herbert A. Templeton Foundation
Oregon Arts Commission
Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel
The Standard
Union Pacific Foundation
$5,000–$9,999
Karen & Wei-Li Chong *
Clark Foundation
Dorothea M. Lensch Fund of
The Oregon Community Foundation
Jacqueline Rayot Olsson Charitable Foundation
Juan Young Trust
Jubitz Family Foundation
Juliet Ashby Hillman Foundation
Northwest Bank
Portland General Electric
U.S. Bank/U.S. Bancorp Foundation
Don & Marian Vollum *
Wheeler Foundation
Mark & Kendall Youngblood *
$2,500–$4,999
Bank of the Cascades
Barran Liebman LLP
Brown & Brown Northwest Insurance
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
GBD Architects, Inc.
Bill & Allyson Harris *
Al & Nancy Jubitz *
Kaiser Permanente
KinderCare Education, LLC
Julie Mancini & Dennis Bromka *
Northwest Natural
Pacific Power
Pacific Power Foundation
Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust
Snowman Foundation +
The Benzien Family Foundation Inc. *
Stephanie Tolk & Scott Zelenka *
Samantha & Thanh Tran *
Union Bank Foundation
Union Wine Co +
Julia Warner +
Jessica & Bryan Wieden *
Wieden + Kennedy
* Dorothea Lensch Society + In-Kind donors

Thank You
$1,000–$2,499
Alyssa Aaby & Fletcher Ray *
Winona & Alan Adams *
Autzen Foundation
Sarah & Cedric Berry *
Phillip & Julie Beyl *
Ashley & Geoffrey Bingham *
The Boeing Company
Coraggio Group +
Robert Countryman *
Shawn & Jennifer DuBurg *
Durham and Bates Agencies, Inc.
Robert & Gwen Elfers *
Agustin & Alysson Enriquez *
Ron Forrester *
Joe Francis & Jennifer West *
Jessica & Brian Getman *
Bob & Polly Gravely *
Judy Graves *
Susan Haas & Jeffrey Nadler *
Bronwyn & Tyler Houston *
Beth Hutchins & Pete Skeggs *
The Jackson Foundation
Ashlyn & Patrick Johnson *
Tori Jones & Dave Nunn *
Kate & Ben Jordan-Downs *
Jason Kirtland *
Lane Realty Works
Amy & Nathan Maki
Kymberley & Stuart McCornack *
Karen Merrill *
Cole Mills *
Neil Kelly, Inc. *
Melissa Oliver-Janiak & Donald Oliver *
Pacific Continental Bank
Papé Material Handling +
David & Nicole Peterson *
Kristi & Troy Reichlein *
Christina Reyes *
Andrew Rosengarten *
Kathleen Rowlands & Bruin Rugge *
Jodi & Alexander Schoenen *
Ruth & Kevin Shelly *
Jamie & Denise Shulman *
Jeffrey & Bryn Marie Sopko *
Lara Spangler & Jim Gilmore *
Dennis & Weise Spidal *
Rob Stackhouse *
Mack & Valerie Stallcup *
Talia & Daniel Stein *
Storables +
Donna Swartz *
Kathy & Mike Swift *
Erin & David Thompson *
Iris & Ryan Tilley *
Tournant Catering +
Travel Portland
Elaine Vote & Pat Willis *
Dan & Emily Watson *
Wells Fargo Foundation
Widmer Brothers Brewing +
Trond & Amanda Williams *

$250–$999
Anonymous
Crystal & Nat Borchers +
Tom & Shalini Broderick
Julio & Stephanie Brown
Campbell Salgado Photography Studio +
George Caspar
Emily & Billie Cleek
Cogent IT
Crater Lake Distillery +
Anne & Robert DeGroot
Timothy Delaney & Kristin Valinsky
Delanie Delimont & Carl Paasche
Devereaux Dion & Mindy Clark
Gretchen & Craig Francis
Fred W. Fields of The Oregon Community Foundation
Holly Freres & David Horning
Jim Gilmore & Lara Spangler
Gray Family Fund
Hama Hama Oyster Co +
Debra Handy
John & Lucia Harrison
Will & Beth Hathaway *
Cindy & James Hill
Heather & David Howitt
IKEA Portland +
Jamie & Oliver Jeffries
Jon & Katie Justin
Kirsten & Christopher Kilchenstein
Kristine Krause & Andrew Swartz
The Kroger Co.
Thomas Kuech
Cheryl & Donna LeMay
Michael Lex & Kristin Sullivan Lex
Mayer/Reed
Moda Center +
Multnomah Wisk{e}y Library +
Hollie & Scott Nine
NW Self Storage Foundation
Olympia Provisions +
The Peterson Family Trust
Portland Thorns +
Portland Timbers +
Traci & Sean Ray
Kristin & Dean Repnik
Kathryn & Matthew Richards
Yoon & Alex Richards
Scott Valley Bank
Tiffanie Shakespeare & Carl Lerche
Shannon Pratt +
Soter Vineyards +
Sprout Pediatric Dentistry +
Sabrina & Marc Stoffregen *
Mika & Roger Thomas
Thomson Reuters
The Vintage Hotel +
Deb & Ben Walsh
Meghan Walsh & Michael Jevack *
James Watkins & Arthur Hung
Tyson Wisbrock & Effie Manos
Judiaann Woo & Gregor Halenda
Rachel & Alex Young

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2016–17
Karen Chong Chair
Jessica Getman Vice Chair
Bob Gravely Secretary
David Peterson Treasurer
Kirsten Kilchenstein Officer at Large
Ron Forrester
Joe Francis
Bronwyn Houston
Adrienne Livingston
Melissa Oliver-Janiak
Kristi Reichlein
Jamie Shulman
Jeffrey Sopko
Sabrina Stoffregen
Erin Thompson
Iris Tilley
Samantha Tran
Trond Williams
Mark Youngblood
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
Robert Countryman
Shawn DuBurg
Bob Elfers
Andrew Frazier
William A. Harris
Heather Howitt
Al Jubitz
Tom Kelly
Julie Mancini
Don Vollum

SOURCES OF OPERATING REVENUE
14%
3%
1%
53%
29%
Total Revenue $4,803,419
A full audit is available at
portlandcm.org/audit

OPERATING EXPENSES
2%
2% 2%
4% 2%
5%
6%
5%
7%
56%
9%
Total Expenses $4,261,071