By the summer before opening, it was time for Memorial to look to the broader goals and mission of the facility for what would become the actual lesson plans and learning props. Memorial's new HealthWorks! staff wanted to present the kids with factual information in the most creative ways possible. The Visionary Potentiator of Pumped-up Kids (Director) and the High-Flying Kid Motivator (Education Director) met off-site for a day long brainstorming session to create the facility's lesson plans.

Their collaboration resulted in fresh approaches to topics that risked being perceived as "old hat" or boring. Classes were developed around themed "play" and addressed the three areas developed by the Reach and Teach committee. The programs were designed to be interactive, fast-paced and cover a wide range of material in a 45 to 60 minute period. Memorial also wanted to allow for customization of programs to meet the needs of individual classes with specific attention given to the program components of a teacher's choice.

Options for visiting classrooms on opening day were: "Safety: You've Got What it Takes," "Mission Possible: A Healthy Body!" and "Who's the Body Superstar?". Descriptions for each follow:

Safety: You've Got What It Takes!

Personal safety often comes down to making good decisions. Students will review common personal safety rules through role play, demonstration and games. Content will include traffic/pedestrian safety, sport safety, home safety and stranger safety. Attention will also be given to the reasons people sometimes make safety-poor decisions and "positive" versus "negative" risk taking.

Mission Possible: A Healthy Body!

Many of the simple decisions we make daily affect our health. Student teams will investigate exercise, nutrition, rest and sleep, drugs, attitude and hygiene to uncover the mystery of how they fit together to shape our well being. The "hows and whys" of decision-making will also be discussed.

Who's the Body Super Star?

All of our body parts are important, but is there one that is the super star? Students will examine the merits of the heart, lungs, brain, stomach, bones and muscles as they determine who should have the super star title. The importance of working together and being a "team player" will also be emphasized.

While developing the HealthWorks! class plans, Deborah and Becky discovered that the original classroom prop and equipment list they had conceived needed additions and modifications. Some items, like a game board scaled large enough for children to actually walk on, and the theme song to "Mission Impossible" (for the "Mission Possible" program), were based on program themes and could not have been planned for without first developing the curriculum. It was also understood that curriculum planning would be an on-going process with additional lessons and future program development. Reg Wagle, Memorial Health Foundation was emphatic, "One of the restrictions that we imposed on our ourselves was that on opening day we would offer three 'best in the world' programs instead of thirty average ones."

To assist the visiting teachers, Deborah and Becky also devised materials which directly linked the lessons taught at HealthWorks! to two of the state proficiency guidelines used in the curriculum design. In addition, teachers would be provided with both pre- and post-visit information packets. Prior to a visit teachers would receive general field trip information, information outlining program choices and curricular guideline materials. Follow-up packets would not only include ways to follow up in health classes, but in other subjects such as Science, Math or even English.

It was important that on opening day the facility had individuals ready and on-board to implement the curriculum and help guide the visitors. HealthWorks! volunteers or "Magnificent Mentors of Curious Children" were approached with a variety of opportunities and only asked to commit to three hours a week. HealthWorks! volunteers were provided in-depth training, however, some positions have "special requirements." For example, volunteers at the All About Me! area would have received computer training; and, volunteers at the BodyWorks! area need to be comfortable with using words like snot, burp and scab. More than anything the volunteers needed to be enthusiastic, energetic and passionate about the mission of teaching children about the healthy choices and healthy consequences in their lives.

Volunteer training is particularly important as it relates to the enforcement of the rules and situational procedures. Since daily operations will involve a broad range of people, Memorial needed to prepare for many different types of situations that could occur. At a facility where the primary users are children the occasional cut knee or nose-bleed should be expected. However, what should museum personnel do in response to a bee sting, snowstorm, or even a bomb threat? HealthWorks! staff developed situational procedures for just this kind of event. Outlines were put in writing and then reviewed by a member of Memorial's Risk Management team. Hospital ownership necessitated approval of these situational procedures and policies. The Risk Management team was an excellent review source for HealthWorks! staff.

Once the policies and procedures were in place it was time to consider other operational elements of the museum. Other important practical issues such as the hours of operation, cost for admission, and where to park, were addressed.

It is sometimes difficult to remember, particularly when you have invested years of your life in a project like HealthWorks!, that there are those who do not have an intimate relationship with your facility. Your community has been introduced to your vision and goals through marketing and public relations but they also need to know the day to day nuts and bolts of your operation. When do you open? Is there an admission fee? Can I simply drop my child off? What are my responsibilities when we are there? When it comes to this type of information you must never assume anything.

Memorial chose to devote weekday activities to school and community group visits. From Monday to Friday the center would open at 8:00 a.m. with admission for the general public beginning at 3:00 p.m. and running to the closing at 5:00 p.m.. Saturday the general public is invited in from 12:00 noon until 4:00 p.m. Admission was set at $3.00 for students/children and $5.00 for adults. Memorial made the decision early on that money should not be an obstacle for any child.

Memorial designed two visitation "sessions," 8:45a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., but allowed flexibility for situations regarding particular schools. HealthWorks! school visits were based on a 45 to 60 minute interactive classroom activity, a 20 minute Main Brain Theater show and 40 minutes of exploration on the exhibit floor. To ensure proper and adequate coverage while on the exhibit floor and in the classrooms they decided to require at least one adult chaperone for every six students. To encourage adherence to this policy teachers and adults accompanying students will be admitted free of charge.

Memorial also needed to devise a plan for scheduling groups. They had a limited number of spaces and, especially in the beginning, they needed a diplomatic and democratic reservation system. The success of the new facility hinged on visitation. It was all well and good to create HealthWorks! but useless if they did not create a happy and satisfied audience base.

Memorial utilized a variety of reservation systems, allowing groups to contact them via phone, fax or e-mail. Since the classroom capacity was only 60 students per session, the literature advised planning visits as far ahead as possible. Smaller groups (less than 15) would be combined with other groups of the same grade level. To ensure clear and consistent communication a policy was written guaranteeing that verbal confirmation would be made within one day of scheduling, followed by a written confirmation which could be checked for accuracy, signed and returned. A confirmation number would also be issued for each group and needed to be presented upon arrival.

Memorial also developed basic rules for the facility. They reminded their guests to be courteous of others, advised them that there was no food, drink or smoking allowed in the HealthWorks! Kid's Museum and informed parents and educators that all children needed to be accompanied be an adult for the entire length of their visit.

When creating rules and visitation policies do not be afraid to be straightforward and direct. If you do not want gum chewing in your facility for the protection of your exhibits do not recommend that visitors not chew gum, prohibit gum chewing. Most individuals expect that there will be rules and regulations and are willing to follow them as long as they've been informed they exist.

Also, having a set plan for issuing appointment reminders is always a good idea. Remember that many schools and organizations have limited funds for field trips and transportation. How horrible would it be to have a group arrive a day early to find there is no teacher scheduled or miss their visit entirely? It is easier to make plans than make apologies. In the event that a mix-up occurs, and over any length of time it's bound to happen, be sure that your front desk or reception personnel have a resolution strategy. Nothing makes a worse impression than a staff that seems ill-equipped or confused.

Finally, never forget that even though you have been planning your facility for what may seem like forever there are bound to be surprises. Rather than becoming hung-up on the shortfalls, figure out how to turn them into strengths. Encourage your staff and volunteers to keep their eyes and minds open for new ways of doing things and ways to improve present systems. Create communication mechanisms which allow the interchange of ideas not only internally, but with the external public. When all is said and done your center is about THEM!

Exhibit Delivery and Set-Up

Late December 1999 exhibit parts and other physical elements began to arrive in South Bend. It was time to begin to assemble the physical pieces of the project. For the most part exhibit delivery and set-up was well executed. However, there were some minor issues that arose as a result of poor project management during the earlier stages of development.

Most of the exhibit parts and technology were delivered on schedule with a few exceptions. Setting the exhibits up and getting them prepared for grand opening was done piece-meal, as they arrived and as parts were delivered. The "brain theater" was the first major element completed. A few minor technological "glitches" were fixed early in the set-up process and the theater was one of the first exhibits visitors could experience.

Memorial decided to host several pre-opening events as an opportunity to thank all of the sponsors, donors, volunteers and supporters of this project. The Junior League, Memorial Hospital employees, and major donors were invited to a special event to commemorate the grand opening. These special events provided the perfect opportunity for Memorial to test out the exhibit floor and the flow of visitors through the museum. It helped them anticipate such issues as traffic flow, staff needs, computer and other technology "glitches," exhibit durability, etc. In fact, Memorial discovered that several of the exhibits were not fully ready for use. Memorial also determined that early marketing efforts and the popularity of Bill Nye would draw many more people to the grand opening then they had anticipated. This meant that adjustments in the initial plan would need to be made quickly. Instead of opening the museum for full use, Memorial decided that we would control the traffic flow by allowing only small groups of about 15 people through the museum in shifts. Each group would hear something about each exhibit but would be asked to look and listen and not touch. Everyone was encouraged to come back to HealthWorks! another day when they would be able to interact with each exhibit as originally intended. This was really the only way to manage the large number of people who showed up for the grand opening. According to Diane Stove, project manager and Memorial Hospital VP, "We really averted some major issues by bringing staff and special guests through before the grand opening to the public. It saved us a lot of head-aches. We went to school on them and learned what to do and what not to do on opening day."