We're Honored!

The Museum has been recognized with several wonderful awards recently.

We were honored to receive the Michelle Norris Memorial Award from Children's Friend at their annual meeting – presented to an individual or organization that has provided extraordinary support and/or assistance toward their mission of improving the futures of Rhode Island’s most vulnerable children. The award is presented in memory of Michelle Norris, a Central Falls first grader who was abducted from her neighborhood and murdered over 10 years ago. We were selected in recognition of our service to children and families in need; the Museum partners with Children's Friend through our Families Together program and serves Children's Friend Head Start preschoolers through our AmeriCorps program.

Left to right: Kimberly I. McCarthy, Chairman, Children’s Friend Board of Directors; Janice O'Donnell, Museum Executive Director; Cheryl Lepre, Families Together Consulting Clinician; Nedria Greco, Families Together Clinician; Shannon Doherty, Families Together Visitation Specialist; Cassandra Kane, AmeriCorps Museum Educator; Mary Scott Hackman, Early Childhood Programs Coordinator; David Caprio, Children’s Friend President and CEO.

Museum director Janice O'Donnell, upon receiving the award: "Thank you so much for this honor. There are many reasons organizations have for not working together as partners – it's complicated, we're busy, we compete for attention, funds and prestige... But there are many much more important reasons for organizations like ours to work in close partnership – those reasons are the children and families we serve. Children's Friend understands that and is a wonderful partner, always cooperative and helpful, always aware that what's most important is the children. We are so glad to be friends with Children's Friend."

AND we were also recognized twice in the New England Museum Association's Publication Awards Competition, which "recognizes excellence in design, production, and effective communication in all aspects of museum publishing." We won first place for our previous year's annual report and third place for the "Life is a Carnival" gala invitation.

Thanks, Children's Friend and NEMA!