The 3W Podcast
From the people that bring you 3W Magazine, welcome to the 3W Podcast! We aim to serve our community by promoting awareness of Northwest Arkansas’ thriving philanthropic movement; To provide a guide of dates to help coordinate events so every nonprofit gets the coverage they need and deserve; To give financially to local charities each year.
The 3W Podcast
The 3W Podcast: Scott Family Amazeum - Part 2
What happens when childhood curiosity meets visionary educational design? Holland Hayden returns to reveal how the Amazeum is transforming Northwest Arkansas through play-based learning and community connection.
Dive into the prehistoric world of "Roar & Explore with Dinosaurs," where massive animatronic creatures roar through lush jungle settings while children build fossils and test their dinosaur knowledge. But that's just the beginning – Holland shares exclusive details about upcoming exhibits including "Namaste India" opening Sept. 27 and a future Mo Willems art exhibition that will delight both children and adults.
The heart of our conversation centers on the Amazeum's groundbreaking $25 million "EXP&ING Futures" campaign. This ambitious project will create three new spaces: an Early Learning Advancement Center focusing on crucial development for ages 0-6, The Hangout providing community connection space, and an expanded Backyard for outdoor discovery. With construction underway after a colorful groundbreaking featuring rainbow sand and tie-dye hard hats, the project promises to revolutionize how families experience learning together.
Whether you're planning to attend Tinkerfest in October (where you can take apart cars with real tools), curious about adult-only museum nights, or wondering how "Priceless Nights" make the museum accessible to all, this conversation reveals why the Amazeum has become the beating heart of creative learning in Northwest Arkansas.
Hey everybody, welcome back to part two of The 3W Podcast with my friend Holland Hayden from the Amazeum. Holland, welcome back again. Thank you Again. Again, again, again again. Holland joined us in part one which aired a couple weeks ago and I hope you all joined the 10-year birthday bash at the Amazeum on July 12th. But now we're going to talk all things just normal, amazing, awesome, Amazeum, perfect, love it. First and foremost, dinosaurs oh yeah, they have been here since Memorial Weekend. They've been here a little. While they roll out, they kind of become extinct. I guess.
Speaker 2:September 15th, mid-september, yeah, so Roar and Explore with Dinosaurs is our latest traveling exhibit. It has interactive exhibit portions where you can build your own dinosaur fossil Super. You can learn more about dinosaurs in a little interactive quiz, and then we have these huge animatronic, loud dinosaurs.
Speaker 1:So when you walk into the Amazeum. You walk in and you turn to the right past the rainbow staircase. Is it kind of back to?
Speaker 2:the left it is. It's a regular traveling exhibits. Okay, so it's about 5 000 square feet of area that we use to create this like fun, interactive, almost jungly area.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I was telling you off air. I have not been yet, but I really want to go and I want to take the boys and some of their little friends. It looks from the photos, the social media, it looks very lush, it is. It is, oh my goodness, like you're in Jurassic Park. We had some great, which is timely because one comes out at the beginning of July.
Speaker 2:It does it does. It's perfect. I know we worked with a great plant sponsor, botanical Plant Company, okay and so they were able to provide plants which really made it come alive, absolutely. We have some great backdrops, we have fun mulch, we have things, and these animatronic dinosaurs are really cool and look very I mean, as realistic as we know.
Speaker 1:Of course, right. What do we know? This was multi-million years ago. They're so realistic.
Speaker 2:Just like the one I saw last week. Clearly a scientist in me, paleontologist Indeed, I mean honestly, you can do a little. Imagine it to play and pretend you're a paleontologist, you're done. Go get all your notes, your field notes, so you can learn about the velociraptor, the ankylosaurus, the T-Rex, the little T-Rex oh, you have a baby T-Rex. We do have a baby T-Rex and, like I said, they're loud. The other day I was walking through the Amazeum with a co-worker and it was a day that we were closed and I didn't think anything about it.
Speaker 2:Which is Tuesday Dark on. Tuesday Correct, and we walked past him going to another exhibition and I mean it scared the pants off.
Speaker 1:Roar, I mean so loud Because you're like you're not dark today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we just didn't think we both jumped, so there's some force behind those roars.
Speaker 1:I love it and it's been a really loud. It is but like but not intimidating, no, but in a new loud way, like the museum's loud in the best way, right, because there's a million different things happening all at the same time. But this is a unique noise.
Speaker 2:It definitely is Right, and it's a lot of fun to hear because you can hear it throughout the museum, and of fun to hear because you can hear it throughout the museum. Um, and, and kids of all ages like this and parents really like this one, I'm sure.
Speaker 2:So it's really fun to see the kids coming decked out in their dinosaur stuff oh, we do have that costume, we have a lot of cute t-shirts with the dinosaurs on even earrings, everything where kids coming in and they're ready to be their own little paleontologist and learn more about dinosaurs and get there and go. It's fun to see these little experts come in and go. Oh yeah, I'll tell you about this ankylosaurus and I'll go tell me.
Speaker 2:Tell me, please do so, and they say it with massive conviction I mean, that's all truth, yeah and what's really fun, too, is we have a lot of things that in the store that support our exhibit. So if you don't have a lot of dinosaur stuff at home, you can get it in the store and it makes great birthday gifts.
Speaker 1:It sure does. That's one of my favorite things from last year's podcast. Yes, the store has great birthday presents. Yes, and they'll wrap it for you.
Speaker 2:Yes, which I love. Great birthday presents. Yes, and they'll wrap it for you. Yes, which I love Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So I really do encourage everybody to come before September 15th before our next traveling exhibit. Are you revealing any traveling exhibits? Sure, I'm happy to talk to you about it. Yes, okay. So this coming one after Roar and Explore is called Namaste India. So we're going to be working with the Rave Cultural Foundation to do some really fun programming about it. I have even specific notes for it because it's brand new. I am a note girl because I just want to make sure I have it all so you can dine at Adaba, the roadside cafe, you can learn a little bit about cricket, about Bollywood, about a day in an Indian school. So it's really a submersive total exhibition about India. This is going to be so colorful. Oh, the colors are gorgeous. It really is. Have you seen renderings? Oh yeah, I've seen renderings. I've seen all their branding. Everything is lovely and we're excited because it's something a little bit different for us, totally different, and it also is so relevant for so many people in Northwest.
Speaker 1:Arkansas. We have a huge Indian community.
Speaker 2:We do Huge we do and, honestly, india is such a large country but we think of very small portions of the culture, so this gives you a little bit more of an overview. So if you don't know a lot about Indian culture, you're not going to walk in and go, oh, I don't know anything. Right, you're going to be able to relate to something. You're not going to walk in and go, oh, I don't know anything. Right, you're going to be able to relate to something. Oh, wow, really, yes, absolutely. So when does that get here?
Speaker 1:So that opens September 27th. That is a really fast turnaround. Yeah, we're quick like that. Yeah, you are. And then how long does everyone get to experience that? That's about three and a half months. Okay, is that Three? And?
Speaker 2:a half months, three to four months. We have about a quarter, yeah, okay, so it's fun to be able to do that. Okay, because it is a space that continues to change. I love that.
Speaker 1:One of my favorites was the Mattel Hot Wheels exhibit. That was one of my favorites. That was a fun one that was so fun and I still talk about it, yeah that was a great one. But I think once I finally get over to the dinosaurs, that's going to be right up there.
Speaker 2:I mean Roaring Explorers has been one of our most successful exhibits ever. I can see that Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. Well, I'm excited for this India one. Namaste India, namaste India. I love that. It's going to be so beautiful. It will be absolutely beautiful and I like that it's so different?
Speaker 2:It is, it definitely is. And then the one after that we are. Are you saying, yeah, okay, hey, I got to sign a contract. Okay, like I'm good, I'm good, we are working with the Mo Willems group. Okay, to bring in Opposites Abstract, which is an art-based exhibition. I'm like, break it down for me. Mo Willems is a children's author. Okay, I promise you know who he is A children's author. I promise you know who he is. Okay, I believe you. So he has the Thank you book. Oh, yes, yeah, I'm with you. You know, I'm like I know you know him, and so this is about his artwork and about the dimensions of art and how you can get kids into art. So it's something that I'm excited about as well, so maybe we can get him here for an opening. Oh, how amazing.
Speaker 2:Love that we can get him here for an opening. Oh, how amazing. Love that, yes. And then what do we have? So he'll cross over into 26? Like definitely it'll be. 26 is when that starts. You know, after that I don't know if we have any signed contracts yet. So we're working on it, so we have things in the pipeline, but, um, those are the only ones so far. Does that team have to work? So we try and work almost 18 months out, okay, because it requires so much. There's so many moving parts with advertising, with getting funding for it, because, as you know, and so many people know and so many people don't, we are a 501c3. And we truly are funded by the community, not just huge donors, right, so we have to look for funding for things like that. So we really do need to try and work out so somebody can like name Absolutely Naming opportunity. Yes, you betcha.
Speaker 1:Okay, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow.
Speaker 1:I don't know if I knew that you bet. And what is there like a web? Is there like a web? So this is so ridiculous. Like a website. You're like oh, traveling exhibits. Are you people in the amazing, in the museum world? Is there just a like traveling exhibits are us?
Speaker 2:So a lot of different museums create their own and rent them out. So there's a few that are more powerhouses in that. You all may have done that. We have done that. Okay, we have created our few exhibits ourselves. Okay, we have created a few exhibits ourselves. Okay, some of the pieces that we have created for other museums are in Tulsa at the Discovery Lab. We have something at the Science Museum, oklahoma. So we've done a few things like that. There's, I believe, a few things in Pittsburgh. Wow, yeah, we have a whole studio team, exhibition team that fabricates our exhibitions, keeps our exhibitions up and running, because you can imagine a little wear and tear oh, daily, I have kids. I mean, think about it. It needs to be robust and it needs to be.
Speaker 1:It does, because you all are. A hands-on facility 100% we're not. Look, don't touch.
Speaker 2:No, this is a please touch. So we definitely want to make things at last.
Speaker 1:I think that's interesting, the whole like searching out the traveling exhibit.
Speaker 2:Well, it is a process, because not only do we, does timing need to work, but does it fit our educational things? Does it fit in our space? How are we going to? How are we going to promote it? So there's a lot of things that need to come together. So that's why we work.
Speaker 1:So hard and you in marketing do you get to be in on those, Because that would make my level go off a lot.
Speaker 2:I do. I usually am not part of the team looking for them, but I'm definitely part of the team that says here are our options, let's choose the one that's going to work best for us. Do you get so excited?
Speaker 1:from a marketing standpoint, it's fun, like, ooh, that's going to be fun.
Speaker 2:Yes, ooh, you know a timeliness, yeah, and I look at it very differently, I think, than the rest of the Amazeum team For sure, because I see it through a marketing lens, A business, yeah, really are education. They really want to make sure that kids are learning and that is their first priority. I want to make sure that kids are coming in to learn, but we have to have something exciting for them to come into. Oh, I love that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we all work together. I love it. Energy oh, absolutely so great. So much of it at the Amazeum, Okay this is a big one.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'm ready. We have a big capital campaign happening.
Speaker 2:Yes, a $25 million A $25 million capital campaign For expanding futures. Expanding futures.
Speaker 1:And I say it slowly because it's got an ampersand in the middle, which is so perfect for the Amazeum, because it's and.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we are a yes, and facility, we are a yes, and organization, we are a yes, and team. Yes, we can do that and we can do more. Yes, yes, that'll work. Maybe it'll be in the, maybe it'll be farther down the line and we can do something now. So that expanding futures with the ampersand is that yes and and.
Speaker 1:so colorful, yeah, because you all are so colorful, yeah, and I feel like you broke ground mid no, early June, early June, like you broke ground mid no, early June, early June, early June.
Speaker 2:It was fun talk about it because we had liquid nitrogen, we had colored smoke fireworks, we had pyrotechnics there we had a panel that was great that was able to give different insights to the past 10 years at the Amazeum. And being part of this expanding futures project, because you brought in the original um contractor? Yeah, did we did Rob Dodd from Namholz? Yes, yes, chris Siebert from Moda Studio. And being part of this Expanding Futures project? Right, because you brought in the original contractor? Yeah, we did, rob Dodd from Namholz, yes, yes, chris Siebert from Moda Studios and Kayleen Griffiths from Visit Bentonville and you emceed. You did a fantastic job. I did emceed. It was so much fun. I loved doing it. I might have had some microphone challenges, but that did not stop me, but that was just because of a pyrotechnic. It was. It was the wireless pyrotechnics interfered with our wireless microphones. At one point I just threw it down and I just yelled who cares?
Speaker 2:Because we got to have like firework, smoke it was colored, it was rainbow, it all worked out and I think people were really excited about it.
Speaker 1:It's wonderful, and at the very end a loader dumped this rainbow sand that everybody could make.
Speaker 2:um yeah, make like layers, little almost hourglasses, hourglasses. But yeah, it was.
Speaker 1:I know the thing with the glass of the jar layers of the beautiful rainbow sand. Yes, it was a great keepsake, it really was a lot of fun, so it was a very interactive hands-on, very amazing, very amazing.
Speaker 2:We didn't do any of the shoveling dirt, absolutely not boring it.
Speaker 1:It's not us, no, and the hard hats were tie-dye. So cute, so cute. I, my husband, works in construction and I've already texted that I'm like listen, I don't know what you're gonna be in charge of at any point in time, but y'all need some jazzy hard hats.
Speaker 2:I tell you, we've gotten so much feedback from people in the construction and development world about those specifically and about like oh, this is definitely going on my shelf. Oh, I'm going to be wearing this one to size. Yes.
Speaker 1:I was talking to Susan Peacock at Crystal Bridges. We were standing with the hard hat and I said I know you have another groundbreaking coming up at some point in time. You need to do one of these with art all over it. Oh, absolutely. It would be so cool. Your rosy and your statues and whatever all over this hard hat. It's very cool. So, like you all are so innovative.
Speaker 2:Well, we like to think so. We do indeed, we like to be again very intentional about what we're doing, and then that goes down to the little details. But we also allow ourselves to kind of be raggedy and make mistakes. But you're real.
Speaker 1:Y'all are real, which is so great, because you did have mic issues and it didn't matter, nobody cared, I just kept moving.
Speaker 2:What are you going to do? What are you?
Speaker 1:going to do, who cares? You just keep going. I love it. So one of my favorite things while I was researching even though I know about the capital campaign, I really had to like dive in and think about it for a second. You have three key components to it, which is so fitting because it made me really happy. We have the hideout early learning advancement center. I didn't say, I said hideout. The hangout yeah, I'm sorry, no worries. And the backyard yes. The Early Learning Advancement Center yeah, it sounds so magical.
Speaker 2:So it's 11,850 square feet and I don't know why I remember that stat so well, but I do. 11,850 square feet of space. It's going to include a cafe, it's going to include a model classroom, so there's going to be more space for programming for our early learners.
Speaker 1:Early.
Speaker 2:So early learners is a huge deal for the amazing because that zero to six age group is where most of development happens. 90% of development happens before the age of five and I mentioned earlier kids learn faster by playing.
Speaker 1:We still did it.
Speaker 2:Kids learn actually 20 times faster learning through play than they do with reciting or trying to memorize. So just having them explore their surroundings from a very young age is something that's so very, very critical and, honestly, something that we're lacking here, in not just Northwest Arkansas but all over. I mean there's definitely a shortage of early child educators.
Speaker 1:Right, because we don't think about it. We think daycare until they go to pre-K, and not unintentionally, it's survival of the fittest. I totally understand, absolutely.
Speaker 2:With a child at that age. So let me break this down for you, because those times that they might spend from daycare, that zero to six, before they go into some type of a structured learning environment, is actually more time than they will have throughout the rest of their structured learning time. So sad. So if you're not paying attention to those first six years, then your child will likely be behind, which is hard, and it is hard. And it doesn't mean that they can't catch up. It doesn't mean that you can't do the work to make sure that they're on par with everybody else. But if you just play, if you just put them in different environments, let them figure things out on their own. Let them not be afraid to fail.
Speaker 1:I literally fail at that.
Speaker 2:I can too, because you just want them to just get to it. Yes, but they need that processing, they need that time to figure it out. Their brains aren't developed like ours, so they're really trying to build those synapses truly and put together those learning pathways, and by failure is one of the best ways to learn. It's so hard as a mom, it's so hard. But one of the things and I mentioned earlier with our play facilitators at the actual Amazeum and on the museum floor, they ask those open-ended questions.
Speaker 1:They do, and I don't think like that and I said that before. I don't. Yeah, I think yes, and on the museum floor they ask those open-ended questions. They do. And I don't think like that, and I said that before. I don't. Yeah, I think yes and no. All my questions are yes and no.
Speaker 2:Well, and, to be fair, I've had to be trained on that. I've had to go through specific training and go okay. So what do you think would happen if we added more weight on this side? What do you think it has to go up and down? Can it go sideways? I mean? No, I don't think like that.
Speaker 1:I'm so boxed in on my thinking, probably because I'm old and I just do.
Speaker 2:I do my math, you know what we know, girl Right.
Speaker 1:And so I'm like, oh my gosh, but the 11-year-old will challenge me and I really try to think before I speak, which is not a skill I own, not before I speak, which is not a skill I own, not my best either you and I are very alike like that and I try to think, well, what do you think? Or I try that it's maybe once a month, do I I understand? But I love that yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, that early learning advancement center is going to just be so critical and so wonderful, and one of the things we'd really like to create is an environment where parents can connect, especially with so many people moving to Northwest Arkansas and having littles and when you have a little, especially if you're a stay-at-home mom, you could feel so disconnected. Oh, absolutely, we are hoping that this really becomes an environment where moms, where parents, where au pairs, where everybody can connect and not only find support in each other but find support in the Amazeum team.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I feel like that's what this expanding futures is about. It's really about community connection. It's about that. Yes, and it is because there's a theme in all three of these yeah, it's all community driven with, definitely not a hideaway. I don't know these. It's all community driven, definitely Not a hideaway, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, that's okay, well, and you know, you bring up a really good point, because we do a lot of listening sessions for the community and what do we need? What are we missing? Is there something? In Northwest Arkansas we don't have parents with Facebook groups, with people that have a really buy-in for the Amazeum and what we're doing. We have to listen to them, we have to listen to what they need and you did and we do that. Yes, talk about the Hangout. So, like I said, the Hangout is going to also going to be part of that early learning advancement center. So having that cafe and having an area that's not necessarily behind a paywall, where people can come Right and again, the community, yes is a really big thing.
Speaker 1:And it will flow like the. It's hard to picture, but to me like so you already have a backyard.
Speaker 2:We do, but we're expanding the back, we are making it bigger and bigger. Oh, absolutely yes, we're going to. You know, it's been relatively the same for 10 years Time for a facelift baby.
Speaker 1:But I feel like we're getting some like mud in there. I can't remember, Maybe some rock digging, I can't remember.
Speaker 2:I'm probably rejoining it. We have so many things planned. And you know, we'll see what comes to fruition and what we have to change a little bit because when building starts so we're hoping that we get to keep all the original plans. But we'll see. We'll be flexible.
Speaker 1:We just want a great space when do you think your space will which? Do you all have a deadline of when?
Speaker 2:I mean, ideally it would be around september, october in 2026. Okay, that's the plan. That's the plan. That's what I'm. That's what I'm. I love that Planning, for that's not far at all. Wow, be about a little bit less than 18 months from the time we broke ground. I love that is so fast, so hopefully we can get it going. You know, let's just make sure that the weather holds out, if it will ever quit raining.
Speaker 1:I know Where's the drought. I'm sorry. Everybody's going to like weather. People are going to come at me on that Camps.
Speaker 2:Yes, okay, I know we still have a few, because I wanted to make sure that we still had a few that we can register for. Still Okay, but obviously, as this airs, please check the website Late July. Yes, so we still have Spy Academy, ooh, project Robot or Project Runway Robots, because not only are you going to be able to create textiles, plastics, little bubbles, but they're going to learn some coding on a couple of our different robots. So great, so fun. And then we have a Girls Steam, which is exciting that's fun. And then we have a girls' steam, which is exciting that's fun. So that is just for girls and we're going to just dive into a number of different steam activities. Really, it's just to continue to give girls confidence in that space. Yes, because I know that as you get older, as a girl, you get discouraged from doing that kind of thing. So we want to continue to really push young girls to push through that steam ceiling. If you will, I'd have that Literally, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, break that ceiling. What else is coming down the pipe?
Speaker 2:So we always have so many fun events planned, but one thing that we do every single year is Tinker Fest, and that is going to be in October this year. Yes, it's October 4th. Yes, that is correct. Hey, there's a lot of dates going around my head right now. There's a lot of numbers, listen, so yeah, that was impressive. Thank you. Thank you, and that is something that we've done for many years, and it's indoor-outdoor. It is indoor-outdoor.
Speaker 2:And it is so fun. So if you had to choose one day I can only come to the Amazeum one day, tinker Fest I would choose Tinker Fest, tinker Fest. Not only is it just an explosion of all things Amazeum and Steam but there's some things that you might never get to do again. Get to do again ever. Um, I've never taken apart a car before tinker fest where I can actually like take real tools and just pull stuff out of a car. It's and it won't matter. I mean it doesn't matter and I can see what's behind the dashboard and what these wires just pull things. That's a really fun thing to do. But not only that, but then also be guided by the kids in the mechanic department that's at NTI.
Speaker 1:So we have people that really know that know in the mechanic department and working with other kids.
Speaker 2:Opening up questions and it's so much fun to see that and see these older kids in their teens and early 20s working with younger kids and to see how excited they get too. But you might learn how to pick a lock. You might learn how to make oobleck A skill. What?
Speaker 1:should it all have.
Speaker 2:I mean, honestly, you know, really, picking a lock is a skill we should all know. That was a really fun little activation last year. You might be able to create something with our laser. You might be able to create something with our laser you might be able to work on. I mean, we have so many different things. I think last year we had 25 different activations. That's a lot. It's a lot In the best way, absolutely, because there's something for everyone.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely yes, and you can stay at one station for an hour and then another kid's at the other station station. You have a few different kids at different ages. I promise they're going to find something. Yes, oh yes, they're going to find something that they like, regardless of their age. Yes, and it's something that we work on regionally as well, because not only do we do the tinker best here, but so does the museum of discovery in little rock, so does the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, so does the Science Museum of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City, so does Discovery Lab in Tulsa. Did you all start Tinker Fest? We?
Speaker 1:did not actually.
Speaker 2:That was the Museum of Discovery that started that in Little Rock and we've been an early participant and now it's something that happens all over the country. Oh my gosh, um. But we have this regional cohort, if you will, that has a different. Tinker fest, or discover fest is actually in um in oklahoma city because they have tinker airbay, so it's getting a little confusing oh fair, yeah, it was.
Speaker 1:Yes, we had a cross that bridge this year. One of the taglines of oklahoma is like discover yeah, so, so yeah, it works for them.
Speaker 2:But we we have something every weekend for four weeks so you can go To Oklahoma City, you can then go to Little Rock, you can go. Everything's really within driving distance. So if these people that are just love making, love tinkering and tinkering sometimes is a word that people think I don't, I kind of know what that means.
Speaker 1:But I just think it means I was so happy when this word came back.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because what I remember hearing is oh, grandpa's out tinkering Right, exactly exactly and that's exactly what it is. Yes, there's no real end but there's no judgment to it and you're just trying different things with real tools and trying to figure things out and you're just tinkering and you've had amazing tinkerers come.
Speaker 1:We have almost full circle because now they work for you. Some of them work for you. We have absolutely that. Came to Tinker Fest and tinkered and just stayed involved.
Speaker 2:Yeah oh, absolutely, and now that's their full-time job. Yes, this is absolutely true. I love those stories. It's really remarkable. I mean, even a couple of years ago I was standing at the car take apart talking to one of the students at NTI who was in bentonville schools and one of those programs and he said the reason he got into the mechanic program was because he came to tinker fest and was able to do this car take apart and thought, wow, that's something I could do.
Speaker 1:I really like that it's like you're getting this person their future it's.
Speaker 2:It's remarkable, isn't?
Speaker 1:it, I love it. Priceless nights.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, thank you so much. Walker Family Foundation. Yes, for helping us continue that going. So Wednesday nights is our pay, as you like night. So if you want to pay full admission, lovely.
Speaker 1:If you can't pay anything, that's fine too. We still love you.
Speaker 2:Because this is about access, yes, and those people that might not be able to come and pay the $12, $14, which we know can add up, which is why a membership is so good it is. But, yeah, come on out on a Wednesday night after 4.30 and it goes until 7.30.
Speaker 1:So you have a few hours after school or during the summer, obviously it's a perfect time and then think about it in a year and a half, when the hangouts open and the cafes open, yeah, it'll be perfect. And then your priceless nights and dinner, everything, everything wrapped on. You know what I mean. Yes, you bet I know. Yes. Thank you to the Walker Family Foundation.
Speaker 2:And we see tons of people that come through on priceless nights. That that's when they come. You know that's when they come. You know that's the evening that they come.
Speaker 1:And sometimes that's just easier for family and schedule-wise. Yeah, you betcha, yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, from a schedule perspective and there's so much energy that happens on a Wednesday night because it is an open-arm evening, it's probably more family-focused, yeah, instead of just the mom and all the kids?
Speaker 1:Sure, yes, I love that.
Speaker 2:Okay, what about let's see Amazeum UnGala oh, I already have a date for next year. Of course I do april 24th, 2026 and we don't have our honorary chairs yet. Okay, we're a theme yet, but you know it's gonna be big, because it always is it's going to be huge.
Speaker 1:It's always a fun time. So much fun.
Speaker 2:It's hard to explain almost to people that haven't been before, because it is so unlike other events in Northwest Arkansas. It's an un-gala. It's an un-gala, I know. I told you we do the un, yes, un-gala A little.
Speaker 1:V12. A little V12.
Speaker 2:Oh or 24-volt racers Of 24. Yeah, you've got to double that. You've got to go faster than 12.
Speaker 1:Or the turtling. I'm so sorry, no turtling.
Speaker 2:But there's always so many activations there and it's adults only and it's our only fundraiser throughout the year. That's an event, so we really rely on that. But you also have adult nights. Yes, now that is like a you know, miniature version, if you will, yes, of ungala. So 25 bucks, what like, for a couple hours. So, yes, on um. So we have three um adult nights a year in an ungala. So we have four very specific adult programming every year. Our next one is October 7th, right after Tinker Fest. That's not right. It's October 17th, it is. I was close until you said right after Tinker Fest.
Speaker 1:I was like three days later no, it's.
Speaker 2:October 17th, just kidding. So I was almost there 13 days later. It's fine quick. It's still quick and it's faster it's a fun night for the girls to go out on this day in India is gonna be absolutely there yeah, so you'll be able to see it, and testic is the budget and the entire museum is open. It's fun date night, fun girls night out. We had such incredible um activities and even our catering was amazing at our cowboys versus dinosaurs adult night, which was a huge success last time.
Speaker 1:So early summer. It was okay. Yeah, and it was, it was a ton of fun so do people dress up for these things? They?
Speaker 2:we had so many people on theme for the dinosaurs versus cowboys, I think we'll do something a little spooky science or neon for October. We're working on that right now, but I'll have a theme in the next couple of weeks.
Speaker 1:Oh, my gosh, that's going to be so fun. I hope that we push people need to wear costumes or just be on theme. Don't let it stop you, but it's more fun to be on theme.
Speaker 2:it is more fun to be on themes yeah, oh my gosh, so you might even get an extra drink ticket if you're on thing I love that right.
Speaker 1:Who doesn't need another pass? Yes, absolutely. What have we not touched on?
Speaker 2:gosh, we've touched on so many things, but there's one thing I'd love to talk about. It is our Youth Maker Program. Okay, and it is something that just continues to have a lot of momentum behind it. It is for our teen makers, so it's actually like oh, there's a market coming up, we just had our market.
Speaker 1:Okay, I lied and it's okay, but I saw something about it.
Speaker 2:But we have our next cohort that will be accepting applications right now in the fall time, because it's, like I said, a great program. So kids come in. They'll start with a workshop. That's like how do you be creative, how do you find something that you want to make, that you want to possibly sell, to make that you want to possibly sell? And then we narrow it down that people apply for the actual program and they'll have open make times. They'll have a mentorship program. We'll come in and talk to them about marketing and branding and price structure and packaging. And how do you then create a website? These kids are so lucky. And how do you sell these effectively? What is your spiel when somebody walks up to your table and they practice it? And then it all culminates with a youth maker market. So how many cohorts a year? So we do about two a year, and so there's a spring, summer and then, like a fall, winter. Okay, and that program needs that amount of time.
Speaker 1:It does to develop. I was gonna say two. I was hoping it wasn't just one like because no, there's. You can lose focus if it's too long, right? Yes, you can. Yeah there's.
Speaker 2:There's two, because there are different workshops that they need to go through. There's different times where, like I said, they have open make time so they come in. They get to use our equipment. Right, what's their commitment? Do that when they apply.
Speaker 1:Um, what do you mean? So I apply. I assume it's like we ask you to be yeah, I did certain open makes.
Speaker 2:Hey, you need to at least come to so many. Then you need to come to some of these workshops that we have so that our team can talk to you about these different things and then, obviously, just being part of that, like being involved, those kids that are a lot more involved, we're going to be more successful in the market. But honestly, we had 15 and that's a small cohort. We had a 15 person cohort at our last youth maker market.
Speaker 1:That sounds like a lot to me.
Speaker 2:And they sold over $3,000 worth of product. This is so exciting. I went over budget. When I went to go take pictures I was like, well, I had to get something here, oh, and I got to get something over here, and so, yeah, and so I just kept buying. So it was. It's a lot of fun. It's so fun to not only talk to these kids and see the confidence from the first part of the year to the market, but the stories from their parents was really amazing and how they've been so encouraged and, wow, you know, this is something that my child actually wants to do for a living. Now, all right that they had never considered, and now we're, we're, we're in it.
Speaker 1:We're already starting it. What are the?
Speaker 2:ages it's about 11 to 18. Oh, so we have a very large range and it works. It works because we're able to get enough one-on-one time with each one of them that they get something out of it.
Speaker 1:What's the average size of cohort?
Speaker 2:because 15 sounded 15 is, I think, is about where we're starting. We we're going to keep them, but the first, the school-based workshops, are open and I mean I think we had 700 throughout all the workshops. But then they apply to be part of the program and you know, we'd love to have more people apply to be part of the Youth Maker program after those workshops, which then does culminate in that market. Oh my gosh, I'd love this. It's great. What'd you get? So many things. I got earrings. I got a very cute key chain. I got a leather cord keeper that looks like a bear no kidding, adorable. I got a caricature of Juan and I oh really, Somebody did it.
Speaker 1:I got a photo and it's so cute.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, I got ears. Yes, it is adorable and it's literally like up on my refrigerator. I'm going to frame it. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen. And I mean, and I got a bunch of greeting cards that were great. I'm keeping them specifically at work because there's a thank you one, there's a birthday one, there's it's just very perfect Stickers. They made it all. Oh my gosh, this is wonderful. They made it all. It is such a great program and always helped support that this year and Wingate Foundation did, and Cox Media, oh wow. So we had a great Three huge sponsors Really good sponsors. Kudos to you and your team. I mean, honestly, it's been so fun to watch this program take off.
Speaker 1:We get to talk about that one more often because I don't think I realized the magnitude of that program.
Speaker 2:It is remarkable, yeah, I mean we're just starting to even think about like financial impact, like true financial impact from kids that are under 18 just at the Amazeum. That's pretty remarkable, pretty niche, but like amazing.
Speaker 1:It's so great because you've got kids that are in public schools, oh yeah, or high schools, public high schools, except for and well, specifically I'll just talk on Bentonville, because that's where my oldest goes but they've got this Ignite program right. This like internship, your junior senior year, but I'm like this is like that, but on a different level. Not it's just like another parallel level, but it's creative and you're bringing in all this mentorship for a 12-year-old and you're setting them up for success for the future.
Speaker 2:Very few 12-year-olds are going to be like no, I do need to think about my packaging.
Speaker 1:Right? No, they're not. My pie structure isn't right they're not.
Speaker 2:My price structure isn't right. They're not. Uh-uh. I love that. It's fun to be able to have that like real world applicable, but they're still having fun. Yes, they're still learning and they're still making something. They're in there making something. In this case, it is about our end product, because that's the focus In so many places in the Amazeum. It's not about that end product, right? So to have that little bit of a shift for this program and to see that and see the momentum around it is really a fun thing to watch. How old is this program? It's relatively new. It's only been a couple years old Okay, I'm not making that up and it just continues to grow, absolutely. That's why I was like girl, I got to bring this up.
Speaker 1:I'm so sad, I didn't. I saw the advertising for the market and it didn't. I didn't really put two and two together.
Speaker 2:Well, and you know to be fair. That's something that we need to work on, because we have to tell that story.
Speaker 1:We do need to tell that story. Awesome place to end.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'll go with that I love that.
Speaker 1:Oh, my gosh, that makes me so happy. Holland, thank you. Thank you for having me, as always. Again, again, again, again, again, again For joining me. I'm sure she'll be back next. Oh, yes, I will. So, yeah, don't forget to stop by your local Walmart and pick up your Hershey's salty snacks which are red dye free, by the way which Holland was telling me a break. We don't have commercial breaks. Very nice, you know what I'm talking about. We have pirate booty Dots homestyle pretzels, and skinny pop Dots homestyle pretzels.
Speaker 1:Cinnamon sugar oh, I haven't had the cinnamon sugar. Oh no, I will get you a bag. They're freaking amazing. And then I just saw they launched a new flavor barbecue seasoning or something. I haven't tried them, but I mean the original is. It's hard to beat so good. Cinnamon sugar is the snack you never knew. You knew, oh, I need it. It's amazing, it's amazing. So you'll have to. You'll need those for the drought in July. You got it. Okay, that's all we have. But thank you for joining us. I really appreciate it, and keep inspiring a culture of giving.