Carole Charnow joined The 9:30 Call to talk about her work at Boston Children’s Museum and as a champion of early childhood development.
Here are some excerpts of what she said:
“Working in the performing arts for so many years and in theater and arts education, I really already had this idea of the community as audience and… as partner.”
“So all of us really just joined hands and said we’ve got to get out of the four walls. We have to be doing more in the community which the children’s museum had traditionally been doing but had had really slowed down over the years. And one of the things that occurred to us for our 100th anniversary, which was in 2013, [was to create] the Early Childhood Summit. And you’ll remember that it was over at the Federal Reserve Bank. Governor Patrick spoke. And this was around the time when all the knowledge around early childhood was really starting to break out into the general public. You know, Jack Shonkoff at the Center on the Developing Child. Strategies for Children had already obviously been doing great work.”
“One [event] I was particularly proud of was when Marty Walsh was running
for mayor and he, in the last debate was here with John Connelly n the atrium. And I couldn’t have done that without you guys because that was that was a heavy lift.”
“I’m gonna be really bold here: I think we have the best staff in any nonprofit in this country. I I know that’s a really big idea, but of course, I’m from the theater.”
“I’m so happy that I am leaving the museum in the hands of a magnificent leader who has been with the museum for eight years, Melissa Higgins. I can’t wait for you all to get to know her and many of you already know her.”
“I mean it’s just extraordinary… this sort of halo effect of the Children’s Museum. We all just feel in awe of this place. It’s like a sacred place in a way. And I think the people who come here really come here with tremendous dedication and commitment to not only taking care of children and making sure they’re safe and happy and having fun, but that they’re learning, they’re growing, they’re able to fulfill their full potential, which is just such a Godly mission.”
“I leave at a time of of insecurity… but so many of us are part of the early care community [and it] is so vibrant and so robust.”
To hear more of Charnow’s comments, watch the video.