Please Touch Museum

We were honored to host America250PA's closing dinner in historic Memorial Hall. It was an evening filled with inspiring remarks, electric performances, and spectacular fireworks 🎆

Over 10,000 children and families visited Please Touch Museum with free admission this summer during the third annual Ready Set School event series sponsored by Independence Blue Cross, Independence Blue Cross Foundation and Keystone First. We are grateful for their ongoing support of the children and families of Philadelphia who returned READY and SET for SCHOOL!

PTM President & CEO Patricia Wellenbach shared the important role of children's museums in supporting early literacy alongside Denise Adusei from the Bronx Children's Museum, Carole Charnow from Boston Children's Museum, Tanya Saine Durand with Greentrike, Laura Huerta Migus with Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Arthur G. Affleck, III from Association of Children's Museums on a panel hosted by Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. During the conversation, Trish shared, “Children’s museums have become community museums. And the more we can talk about that, the more we can move from a nice to have to an essential need to have for the future of all of our cities, our states, commonwealths and the country. Because this is where we’re building the resiliency, the creativity and the curiosity in the youngest children so they can go on to be the leaders of tomorrow.”

Today, after nine years of leading the Please Touch Museum as President & CEO, Patricia Wellenbach has announced her decision to transition from Museum leadership in 2025. While she remains in her role until a new President & CEO is identified, we thank Trish for her courageous leadership and for igniting our imaginations. Trish embodies the Museum’s “4Cs” — creativity, compassion, confidence, and curiosity — that has helped us establish the Museum as a place of learning and a canvas of perpetual wonder for children and families in Philadelphia and beyond. We will share updates on the search for our new leader, who we hope to have identified and in place by the close of 2024. https://lnkd.in/e6qmZm4X

Thank you Sheila Watko and NBC 10 for visiting the Museum today to learn how to make a snowman indoors and preview our upcoming Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve Celebrations for children and families. There's always something happening at Please Touch Museum, which is why a membership is the perfect holiday gift for the young families on your list. And, from 12/21 through 12/26, we are offering $10 OFF all membership levels with the code GIFT10 at checkout. See the story on NBC with Patricia Wellenbach and Rachel Kiskaddon: https://lnkd.in/ejXBNyP9

Please Touch Museum President & CEO Patricia Wellenbach has been invited to serve on Mayor-Elect Cherelle Parker's Transition Team. Mayor-Elect Parker told journalists attending the Transition Team press conference that she received tough questions from the second, third, and fourth graders who participated in PTM’s Children’s Mayoral Conversation in October – and we couldn’t agree more!   Mayor-Elect Parker also shared that she looks forward to Trish’s counsel as part of the Transition Team's Steering Committee and admired the innovative thinking that happens at Please Touch Museum. As Philadelphia’s only Children’s Museum, we think deeply about our role in serving young families in the city; and know Trish’s visionary leadership will support the Transition Team Steering Committee for Mayor-Elect Parker's administration.

Today, Please Touch Museum had the honor of hosting 100 students from Philly's elementary schools, who posed questions to the nominees for the 100th Mayor of Philadelphia as part of our Children’s Mayoral Conversation. ⁠ ⁠ Special thanks to 6abc Action News's Tamala Edwards for moderating this conversation, and to the students at Inquiry Charter School, McMichael Elementary School, and St. Rose of Lima School for representing the voice of Philadelphia’s children to the Mayoral candidates.⁠ ⁠ Watch a recording of the Children’s Mayoral Conversation here: https://lnkd.in/g6UdFzvE

Tune in tomorrow as Please Touch Museum livestreams a conversation between local elementary school students and candidates running to be the 100th Mayor of the City of Philadelphia! Moderated by 6abc WPVI-TV Philadelphia's Tamala Edwards, the Children’s Mayoral Conversation will focus on the issues most important to the young children of Philadelphia. This conversation is part of the Every Voice, Every Vote initiative by Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Can't watch tomorrow? A recording will be available after the event. Read more about the event and Please Touch Museum's work to inspire civic engagement in young people at the link.