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1. Cover Letter (pk3)
2. News Release (pk4)
3. Childrens Museum Background Info (pk5)
4. Key Player Biographies (pk8)









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Ryan M. Smart
101 S. Fell Ave C: (847) 848-5765
Normal, IL 61761 rmsmart@ilstu.edu
May 8, 2013
Beau Ebenezer
HOI-19 News Reporter
2907 Springfield Road
East Peoria, IL 61611

Dear Mr. Ebenezer,

My name is Ryan Smart and I am the head intern of the public relations department at the Childrens
Discovery Museum in Normal. I am writing to you in regards of our upcoming event: The Family Fun
Indoor Carnival. As alumni from Illinois State University, I am sure you are aware of the museum and I
would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word.

The Family Fun Indoor Carnival is an event for all ages. We are targeting families who are members and
those who have and have not been to the museum. It is required to register for the event in advance in
order for us to have an estimated number of attendees. We will have traditional carnival activities and
games for all ages. The museum encourages all participants to test their skills at games like ring toss and
Plinko. At the Zoo Crews booth, one can get their face painted and there will be different booths
offering various services.

We are expecting 200 people to join us including all of Uptown Partners. Since the museum was
renovated in 2004 to our new three-story home, our membership has gone up about 42%.

I am enclosing a press kit containing a news release, background information of our organization and
more information on the key players for this event. I believe our efforts are newsworthy and I hope your
station can help us bring this news to the community while encouraging others on why they should
donate to the museum and what they can do to help. Thank you for your time and I look forward to
talking with you soon.

Sincerely,
Ryan Smart



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Childrens Discovery Museum
101 E. Beaufort St.
Normal, IL 61761
Heather Young, PR Coordinator
309-433-3448
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Family Fun Indoor Carnival
Normal, Ill. Located in beautiful Uptown Normal, a place where children gather and parents observe.
The Childrens Discovery Museum located in Uptown Circle is just the place to take your children to not
only have the time of their lives but to gain a life-changing learning experience. The museum surrounds
a diverse population serving the children of Bloomington-Normal with strong ties to the local community
as well as neighboring Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University.

The Family Fun Indoor Carnival will take place on Friday, July 12 from 6-8 p.m. The Childrens Discovery
Museum will host at the museum located at 101 E. Beaufort St. in Normal, Illinois. Admission will cost $2 for
members and $8 for non-members. The reason why this carnival is being held is to spread awareness of
the museum and for family members to engage in activities with their children.

According to the majority of parents the museum has been pleased to acquaint with, satisfaction has
gone through the roof. The Family Fun Indoor Carnival is a way to give back to those who obtain
memberships, live near Bloomington-Normal and for families who have never been.
Get your family out of the house and forget the responsibilities of having a home to goof off and enjoy
the festivities.

Questions regarding the Family Fun Indoor Carnival can be directed to Public Relations Coordinator
Heather Young at (309) 433-3448.
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Childrens Discovery Museum in Normal, which was primarily titled The McLean County
Childrens Discovery Museum, was founded in 1988 in answer to a need in the Bloomington-Normal
community. Six years of planning resulted in a 1,100 square foot preview museum space donated by
College Hills Mall. Innovative, hands-on exhibits dealing in the arts, sciences and communications
greeted our visitors on opening day, March 27, 1994. The public response to this preview was
phenomenal.
In March of 1995, to accommodate the requests for field trips, birthday parties, and hands-on
classes the museum was relocated to 716 E. Empire, St. in Bloomington. The new site provided the CDM
with 8,000 square feet of open space. The museum added programs in partnership with Bloomington
Junior High School, local scout troops and preschool - 3rd graders. In 1997 they officially changed their
name to the Childrens Discovery Museum of Central Illinois to better reflect their visitor population and
independent funding authority.
In 2001 the Museum began a capital campaign to fund the design and construction of a new
24,000 SF museum with professionally designed exhibits as part of a public/private partnership with the



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Town of Normal to be the cornerstone of their downtown renewal effort. As the plans unfolded for the
museum site, the Town of Normal came to recognize the importance of the Childrens Discovery
Museum building as the first evidence of rebirth in the downtown redevelopment.
Normal knew that the Museum would be a tourism draw and an economic development driver, and it
would give the community a quality of life competitive advantage when courting new businesses and
employees to Bloomington-Normal.
On November 18, 2002, the Town of Normal officially announced a commitment to constructing
a $4.5 million, 34,000 sq. ft. building and to encompass the operations of the Museum within the Towns
Parks and Recreation Department.
The Museums $3.5 million commitment to this project funded the development and construction
of four permanent interactive exhibit galleries, additional programming, as well as furniture and
equipment needed for museum programs and operations.
On November 27, 2004, the Children's Discovery Museum welcomed its first visitors in its new
three-story home. Just recently in March 2012, the Children's Discovery Museum greeted its One Millionth
Visitor to the new-and-improved museum location.
At the museum, one can experience unique hands-on exhibits, classes, and programs that
stimulate ones imagination and curiosity. A visit to the Children's Discovery Museum located in Uptown
Normal, Illinois creates a sense of wonder that excites the love of learning in children of all ages.



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The Children's Discovery Museum is a different kind of museum, where touching the exhibits is actually
encouraged.
The exhibits are designed for kids of any age to touch, climb on, climb into and even take apart
and put back together.
The mission of the Children's Discovery Museum is to inspire the love of learning through the
power of play.
Their mission is accomplished by providing hands-on exhibits, classes, and programs that actively
engage the visitor in experiences that stimulate imagination, curiosity, and wonder.
The Children's Discovery Museum's values many things ranging from a safe, fun, inclusive and
engaging environment, a variety of learning experiences that address all learning styles, flexibility of
thought, and adaptability of behaviors, to allow for meeting individual needs and wishes, a powerful
play experience to a passionate staff, to assist in the development of the whole child surrounded by
healthy relationships, healthy families and a healthy community.
The Museum building itself was built with the health of its visitors and employees in mind. The
Children's Discovery Museum was the first childrens museum in the country to achieve LEED
Certification.




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Public Affairs Coordinator, Heather Young
(309) 433-3448 hyoung@normal.org

This carnival is just one of many reasons on why I love my job. Its challenging but to oversee,
plan and coordinate events that make families keep coming back to the museum is a reward
of its own!

The major focus of Heathers position is to promote the
public image and activities of the Childrens Discovery
Museum and to facilitate the flow of information to area
media outlets, educational institutions and the general
public. She is responsible for the creation of written
documents, brochures and other similar communication
used to promote the Childrens Discovery Museums
educational opportunities, fundraising events and public
programming activities. Heather also coordinates other
marketing/promotion activities within the Parks and
Recreation Department. Her biggest responsibility is
creating and monitoring social media, including the
Museums Facebook and Twitter feeds, its YouTube
Channel and Flickr accounts. She researches and
evaluates upcoming social media trends/opportunities
that best align to Museum needs and goals.


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Public Programs/Educator, Angela Gulley
(309) 43 3-3451 agulley@normal.org

Angie Gulley has been with the Childrens Discovery Museum since 2006. She started as an
intern and worked her way up to part-time then to full-time staff. Shes been part of the
education staff since 2007 and her responsibilities include promoting public programs. Angie
runs family programming including Halloween Hoopa, the Christmas-themed events and Noon
Years Eve. She has a team of interns who help her with her events, such as the Noon Years Eve
event, spring programs, which vary in theme, and summer programs. Angie is part of the lead
staff for cub/girl scouts in which she teaches and coordinates the program. She also trains
other staff to teach as well. The cub/girl scout program was also her first program at the
museum. Angie also teaches the 5-8 year old homeschool programs as well as leading and
coordinating summer camps.

Family events are my favorite because it is a family program and we dont exclude anyone as
far as age goes, so its for families too. Theyre really fun to plan and I enjoy getting a lot of
outside organizations to help because its fun to work in the community that way.