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WHEREAS, the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh glows as a "charm" in the "bracelet" of the North Side -continuing to spearhead the initiative celebrating the potential of "neighborhood resources" on Pittsburgh's North Side to enhance and strengthen the focus of families in Pittsburgh with a coalition of North Side cultural institutions jointly engaged to explore how to build community on many different levels; and
WHEREAS, the Children's Museum has recently forged a coalition with Child Watch, The Saturday Light Brigade, Reading is FUNdamental Pittsburgh, Pitt's Center for Out-of-School Environments (UPCLOSE), the ToonSeum, and Pittsburgh Public Schools Head Start classrooms to create and implement new ideas to serve the youth of the City of Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, in its 26 years the Children's Museum has been awarded many recognitions for excellence, including the MetLife Foundation and Association of Children's Museums Promising Practice Award, National Science Foundation Grant Award, Society for Environmental Graphic Design's 2005 Design Award, the American Association of Museums' Gold MUSE Award, the "Edgie" award from the Association of Science-Technology Centers for its UPCLOSE partnership, and many others; and
WHEREAS, in 2006, after blending the Beaux-Arts-style Allegheny City Post Office and the Art Deco Buhl Planetarium, while preserving and enhancing the best architectural features, structure and warmth of both, with a contemporary building in between, the Children's Museum received a National Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects for its building design - the first children's museum to receive the honor; the Historic Trust National Preservation Honor Award; and
WHEREAS, in 2007 the Children's Museum received the Rudy Bruner Gold Medal Award for Urban Excellence, and in 2008 the Children's Museum received a Western Pennsylvania Environmental Award; and
WHEREAS, the Children's Museum has been awarded the Silver LEED rating - the largest museum with such certification for commitment to environmental building practices; and
WHEREAS, the Children's Museum has last week been awarded the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Services, the highest honor for libraries and museums, celebrating those institutions that make a difference for individuals, families and communities;
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby congratulate the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh on receiving the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Services, and does commend the Children's Museum for being such a good neighbor.
CO-SPONSORED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS:
RICKY V. BURGESS, PATRICK DOWD, BRUCE A. KRAUS,
R. DANIEL LAVELLE, WILLIAM PEDUTO, NATALIA RUDIAK,
DOUGLAS SHIELDS, and THERESA KAIL-SMITH