2020 Hindsight, 2021 Vision
Happy New Year! And good riddance to 2020. Like most of you, we had a vision for 2020 that blurred significantly around March when we temporarily closed to support efforts to contain COVID-19.
The reality of COVID-19, temporary closure and accompanying uncertainty made continuing our mission to create playful moments of interactive learning for a curious, creative community a challenge. Fortunately, at the Scott Family Amazeum, we believe challenges lead to innovations and set to work making the every day amazing moments that guests expect at the Amazeum available any time, any place, for everybody.
Within a week of closing on March 13, we launched AmazeumYOU, an online collection of videos featuring our incredible team of Play Facilitators doing what they do best, facilitating interactive, engaging activities for children and families to do at home. AmazeumYOU expanded to include over 70 videos and enhanced the development of virtual camps, Unfield trips, and professional development opportunities for educators.
Our team created ways to interact with the community and spread the every day amazing spirit to children and families in challenging situations. Cards, notes, and even chalked messages on sidewalks and parking lots brightened the day for members, residents of long-term care facilities and the NWA Children’s Shelter. Through a partnership with Crystal Bridges Museum of Modern Art, IDK? Café and the Arkansas Community Foundation, our team created and distributed over 4,000 Family Adventure Kits along with free meals for families facing food insecurity.
When we reopened with new processes and procedures in place to enhance the health, safety and well-being of guests and team in July and celebrated our 5th birthday, we knew from the response of guests that the work done by our team kept the every day amazing spirit alive.
Zing in the New Year 2020 celebrated the spirit of creativity and community within our community. As we look forward to 2021 with the benefit of 2020 hindsight, we take the learnings from the past year and apply them to make every day amazing moments available to greater numbers. Our first home-grown exhibit debuts at the end of the month. New opportunities for teens and adults to explore their creativity in the workshop start in March. The pivot to online educational programming that began during our closure continues to expand and reach greater numbers.
In 2021, we're wishing for a return to normalcy and the ability to interact more extensively (and directly) with the community. We're enhancing our Maker in Residence Program to increase opportunities for teens and adults to explore their creativity mentored by experts. Education programs (both virtual and in-person) expand with greater options for learners at the Amazeum and in their homes and classrooms. Work in our Creative Studio continued through our temporary closure and new experiences that integrate science and the arts are emerging on the museum floor.
2020 is done. We invite you to look forward with us and experience more fun in 2021 at the Scott Family Amazeum.
