DuPage Children’s Museum starts early learning council

DuPage Children’s Museum recently coordinated the development of a new initiative: the Early Learning Research in Action Council.

The council will connect the museum to important research and advocacy networks, will take part in online discussions with the public and will work to further research on informal learning experiences at the museum and beyond.

The first meeting of the council took place last month at the museum and included nationally known researchers in the field of early learning, along with local experts, community partners and museum leaders.

Roberta Golinkoff of the University of Delaware and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek of Temple University, co-authors of the highly regarded “Einstein Never Used Flashcards,” contributed to a conversation concerning the new group’s goals and initiatives.

Several projects that would further connect the museum to leading educational research institutions were proposed. Additional support of the museum’s online content and the development of a museum-sponsored early learning summit were just two of the ideas to come out of the council’s first meeting.

Video excerpts from the meeting can be viewed by visiting the “What’s New” page at www.dupagechildrensmuseum.org.

“Many of us are concerned with what’s going on in the state of education today … in children’s museums, I think you have the secret answer,” said Hirsh-Pasek. “We can learn a tremendous amount by working with museum people about how to have a better state of education across the country.”

The development of the Early Learning Research in Action Council is an important part of the DuPage Children’s Museum’s commitment to extending its influence beyond the institution’s walls as a community partner and leader in public education.

Early Learning Research in Action Council members include:

Ÿ Council Chairman Lenore Johnson, DuPage Children’s Museum board member, retired associate superintendent for instruction in Naperville Unit District 203;

Ÿ Angela Andrews, retired professor of mathematics education at National-Louis University, Aunty Math Online;

Ÿ Lorrie Beaumont, director of Evergreene Research and Evaluation;

Ÿ Louise Beem, DuPage Children’s Museum co-founder, DCM board of directors trustee emerita;

Ÿ Susan Broad, president and CEO of DuPage Children’s Museum;

Ÿ Renae Brooks, retired teacher, recipient of the 2008 Kohl/McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Award;

Ÿ Lindsay Cochrane, program officer for education at the McCormick Foundation;

Ÿ Roberta Golinkoff, School of Education at the University of Delaware;

Ÿ Cynthia Heidorn, superintendent of Mundelein Elementary District 75;

Ÿ Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, department of psychology at Temple University;

Ÿ Judith S. Lederman, director of teacher education at the Illinois Institute of Technology;

Ÿ Norman G. Lederman, chairman of the department of mathematics and science education at the Illinois Institute of Technology;

Ÿ Cynthia Mark-Hummel, director of early learning research and education at the DuPage Children’s Museum;

Ÿ Ron McDaniel, DuPage Children’s Museum board member and president of Western-Cullen-Hayes Inc.;

Ÿ Nicole Rivera, department of psychology at North Central College; and

Ÿ Patricia Schacht, department of psychology at North Central College.