Please Touch Museum

Join us on April 29 in historic Memorial Hall for Imagination Ball 2025 in support of Please Touch Museum’s mission to ensure that every child has access to the power of learning through play.     This year, we’re bringing the magic of the circus to the Museum with a dazzling evening of daring acts, fine food, and circus-themed entertainment throughout the evening.      Proceeds from the Imagination Ball directly support PTM’s community benefit programs, ensuring that all children—regardless of background—can experience the joy of hands-on learning.    To purchase tickets, become a sponsor, or see our full sponsor list, visit https://lnkd.in/egYP5sqR 

Exciting opportunities at Please Touch Museum! We are currently seeking our next Chief Growth Officer and Chief Development Officer. The Chief Growth Officer plays a pivotal role in the Museum’s growth, leading the integrated marketing communications strategy to elevate the Museum’s strategic vision and visibility locally, regionally, and nationally and achieve the Museum’s visitation, membership, and earned revenue goals. The Chief Development Officer is responsible for determining the framework for philanthropy at PTM and setting and achieving annual philanthropic goals that support the advancement of the Museum. Learn more about both of these roles and all of our open positions on our career page: https://lnkd.in/eEs2fQp

Exciting opportunities at Please Touch Museum! We are currently seeking our next Chief Growth Officer and Chief Development Officer. The Chief Growth Officer plays a pivotal role in the Museum’s growth, leading the integrated marketing communications strategy to elevate the Museum’s strategic vision and visibility locally, regionally, and nationally and achieve the Museum’s visitation, membership, and earned revenue goals. The Chief Development Officer is responsible for determining the framework for philanthropy at PTM and setting and achieving annual philanthropic goals that support the advancement of the Museum. Learn more about both of these roles and all of our open positions on our career page: https://lnkd.in/eEs2fQp

For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we asked local elementary students two big questions: 💬 “What makes your community special?” 💬 “What would you change about your community?” Their answers will inspire you! From celebrating kindness to dreaming of a brighter future, these young voices remind us of the power of community and hope.

Today, the Please Touch Museum’s Board of Trustees announced Melissa Weiler Gerber as the Museum’s interim president and CEO, beginning January 14. An accomplished leader with 25 years of CEO experience and extensive board service, Weiler Gerber is founder and principal of CollectivePromise, a consultancy dedicated to advising organizations undergoing transitions. Weiler Gerber joins the Museum after concluding a 14-year tenure as president and CEO of AccessMatters in 2024. She previously served as executive director of WOMEN’S WAY and as senior staff attorney for the Homeless Advocacy Project. Read more about Melissa here and join us in welcoming her to the PTM community!

New Year's Eve is always a special day at PTM 🥳 Thank you to our amazing staff who make the magic at the Museum happen every day, to our members and visitors who bring their children to PTM to learn through play, and to our donors who support the Museum's mission in service to young families in Philadelphia and beyond. We appreciate 6abc WPVI-TV Philadelphia and Nicholas Iadonisi for capturing the excitement of our Countdown to 2025. Happy New Year to all!

📣 Proud to announce our first endowed staff position! 📣 Established in honor of President & CEO Patricia Wellenbach, the Patricia D. Wellenbach Director of Community Programs & Inclusion will oversee the Museum's community-based programs and partnerships that nurture the social-emotional development and early learning skills of young children and deepen the Museum's commitment to underrepresented communities in Philadelphia. We are grateful to the William Penn Foundation, the Neubauer Family Foundation, PNC, Jefferson Health, Comcast, and an anonymous donor for their lead gifts to institute the endowed position and to City of Philadelphia Representative Jazelle Jones for presenting a citation on behalf of the City of Philadelphia and Mayor Cherelle Parker to commend the Museum for endowing the position and for Trish's leadership of the Museum over the past nine years.

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.”