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Begun in 2006, Good to Grow! is the Association of Children’s
Museums’ nationwide health initiative.
THE FOUR TENETS OF GOOD TO GROW! ARE:
• Activate children and parents to choose healthy foods
• Increase physical activity
• Reduce screen time
• Nurture a lifelong connection to the outdoors
A key feature of Good to Grow! is the “Growing Healthy
Museums” project. It benefits
more than 300 children’s museums that in turn have the
potential to engage millions
of children and families in making healthy choices. Based
on an in-depth self-study
tool, the project aims to increase the capacity, knowledge,
and skills of museums to
promote health and wellness in their communities.
As part of its self-study, the Creative Discovery Museum
in Chattanooga identified key community needs; environmental
health was a critical concern. According to Executive Director
Henry Schulson, “Our goal is to use our resources to
benefit children and families. And this community sees the
environment as fundamental to its health.” Through a
partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University
of Georgia, the museum created an environmental curriculum
now used in science classrooms across the state. The curriculum
also serves as the foundation for the museum’s “Biofuels
Family Night,” which engages parents and children around
the “essential ideas” of alternative energy. Hands-on
activity stations around the museum pose thought-provoking
questions that encourage critical thinking and intergenerational
dialogue around environmental issues. Knowledge and skills
are reinforced at the end of the workshop with a wrap-up session
that reviews key concepts from each activity. Such an outward
focus on audiences is a hallmark of Good to Grow! museums.
Participating institutions assess their current resources,
develop an action plan that prioritizes the local community’s
needs, engage key local partners, and empower the museum’s
staff to evaluate their progress toward achieving their objectives.
Progress is measured against metrics that include the museum’s
connection to the local community, knowledge of health and
wellness issues, and knowledge of audience groups. Good to
Grow! embraces a vision of museums as resources that catalyze
communitywide health and environmental literacy.
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