at the National Postal Museum

• The Ford Education Center consists of five new and engaging interactive touch screens on the National Postal Museum’s floor.

• It allows visitors to access museum content through varied media and experiences and provide a welcome environment for them to take a break!

• Using the Ford Education Center should also help visitors realize the value and depth of our website and onsite resources.

Overview

• Goals• Brief History• Mission• Audiences• Features

• Goals:

• To provide on-site access to the digitized museum collection

• Create a space in the museum where – postal & philatelic themes come together, – and web-site & gallery experience come together

• Brief History

• 2002: the Ford Motor Company donated $1.5 to NPM’s Education Department in part to create an exhibition in the museum atrium

• 2003: Opening of the Ford Education Center (version 1.0)

• May 2006: the National Postal Museum launched Arago™, its new websiteArago is dedicated to providing on-line access to the vast collections and treasures of the National Postal Museum. This award-winning website is a gateway to treasures on display and behind-the-scenes. www.arago.si.edu

• 2007-08: integrate Arago and the Ford Education Center to better serve our museum visitors’ access to digitized collections

Missions

• Reinforce the Museum experience

• A place where the museum comes together thematically

• Offers content through varied media & experience

• Provides a welcome environment, as a break during museum exploration

• Facilitates visitor interaction between the galleries and the Ford Education Center

• Encourages interaction within a group of visitors

• Use Arago to access the museums collections and digital assets directly and through mediated interface

Missions

• Extend the Museum experience beyond visit

• Ensures that visitors recognize the Arago & web-site Highlights extend to their homes & schools

• Engages a dialog with the visitors. Personalize the museum experience.

Audiences

• Primary Audience– Families

• Secondary Audience– First time visitors– Curious museum guests– Other People Motivation

Features

0.0 Home screen

Goal: orient museum guests

1.0 Virtual Vault

Goal: Get a mediated access to Arago

2.0 Timelines of Postal HistoryGoal: Recognize the progression of events by

making connections between postal and philatelic themes

3.0 Museum’s Must SeesGoal: Have a deeper understanding of 15

“hit” objects on display in the galleries

4.0 Matching GameGoal: Engage with the museum themes by

matching pairs and identifying topical groupings of objects

5.0 All Aboard to Sort the MailGoal: Experience the challenge of sorting the

mail on board of a moving train

6.0 The ABCs of Stamp CollectingGoal: Be introduced to the basics tools and

methods of philately

7.0 Museum FAQsGoal: Direct educators, including parents, to

resources directly applicable to their museum visit agenda

8.0 Speak Out!Goal: Give feedback and qualitative

information about the Ford Education Center’s experience

9.0 Welcome to the Postal MuseumGoal: Introduce hearing impaired and Spanish

speakers to the museum themes and galleries

Schedule

Time frame

July -Aug 07

Sept - Oct 07

Nov -Dec 07

Jan -Feb 08

Mar -Apr 08

May -June 08

July -Aug 08

Sept - Oct 08

Opening

Planning

Kick-Off

Testing

90%

Executing

Next Steps

Summative evaluation during spring 2009

Publish results from summative in the summer-fall of 2009

Budget

• Our final budget was just under $200,000

• We went over on a couple of details because NPM raised its demands on contractor and accepted to go out of scope