Discovery Center - Focus on Planning

Community Needs Assessment – Final Report

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:36:07 +0000

Input from the Discovery Center partner organizations was collected during a planning summit on October 4, 2011, with 30 participants from all four partner organizations in attendance. Following that, five focus groups were held in November 2011 and February 2012. One of the focus groups was exclusively for educators from area public, independent, and charter schools. Fifty-eight individuals participated in the focus groups, which were held in the Activity Room at the Great Lakes Children’s Museum. The sessions were facilitated by a consultant from NorthSky Nonprofit Network, with the project architect from Cornerstone Architects in attendance (leadership from the four partner organizations did not participate in or observe the focus groups).

An online community survey was created from the compilation of ideas generated in the five focus groups. The survey was launched in January 2012, promoted vigorously, and kept live for five weeks. The results of the member summit, focus groups, and community survey are all aggregated in the attached report.

April 2012 Community Needs Assessment – Final Report – With Appendices

Everyone who participated in a focus group was given two free passes to the Great Lakes Children’s Museum. One person from each focus group was also selected to receive a tour on the Bay Monitor tug from the Watershed Center’s Bay Keeper. After the online survey was closed, six people who participated in either a focus group or completed the online survey were randomly selected to receive a complimentary cruise on the Maritime Heritage Alliance’s schooner Madeline.

Bay Monitor

Schooner Madeline

Community Survey Goes Live

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:55:15 +0000

We need your ideas! As you can read elsewhere on this site, we are in the process of planning a new and improved Discovery Center ~ Great Lakes for our community. Having completed four highly productive focus groups in November, we are now distributing a community-wide survey to determine a vision for the Discovery Center with broad appeal to various audiences. If you did not have the opportunity to participate in a focus group, this would be a great way for you share your valuable ideas with us.

Consistent with our mission, we are currently designing a facility “where children, youth, and adults can learn the value of historic preservation, the importance of environmental stewardship, the joy of discovery, and the pleasure of water-based recreation.” Please help us create a place that will be an asset to our community and attract community members and visitors on a regular basis.

The community input we gather through this survey is vital, and will guide us in the creation of a new vision for the Discovery Center, along with master facilities plan and accompanying architectural drawings.

The survey should take less than ten minutes to complete and will give us valuable insights. Everyone who participates will be entered in a drawing for a free sail for two on the schooner, Madeline, pictured below.

Simply go to this link to complete the survey. http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22EEGB6SNG3

MHA's Schooner Madeline

Focus Group Report Available

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:16:32 +0000

Four focus groups were held to assist in the Discovery Center’s long-range facility planning process between November 8 and November 20, 2011. A total of total 50 people generously participated, divided equally between men and women. Representatives from business, government, the nonprofit sector, education, and the community at large came together to share their ideas.

A preliminary report was generated outlining some of the many ideas that were generated during those five sessions. You can find it here: Focus Group – Preliminary Report.

Another Focus Group Announced

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:15:58 +0000

We need your ideas!

Due to demand, we have added an additional focus group session. We were requested to add a session during the school-day to make it easier for parents with school-aged children to participate and share their ideas.

If you were not able to attend one of our two prior focus groups, please join us for the final community discussion about the future of the campus for the Discovery Center ~ Great Lakes on Tuesday, November 29th from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. You can register by clicking here.

The Discovery Center currently includes four organizations: Great Lakes Children’s Museum, Maritime Heritage Alliance, Traverse Area Community Sailing, and The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay.

Your input will help guide the process for developing a long-range facilities plan for the site.

This session will be held in the activity room at the Great Lakes Children’s Museum located at 13240 S. West Bay Shore Drive. (See map at bottom of previous post.)

Our discussion will focus on programs, activities and uses of the site and how to create a place that will attract community members and visitors on a regular basis. Input we gather at this session will be used by the four organizations as part of the information gathered to determine a site plan and architectural drawings.

We are looking for a wide range of participants for discussions including representatives of all age groups, interests and perspectives.

Discussion participants will receive free passes to the Great Lakes Children’s Museum and an opportunity to win a drawing for a free sail on the Maritime Heritage Alliance’s schooner Madeline or a ride on the Watershed Center’s tug boat, the Bay Monitor. Coffee and rolls will be provided. Regrettably, childcare will not be available.

Registration is required at Eventbrite.

Focus Groups Announced

admin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:10:21 +0000

We Need Your Ideas and Insights to Enhance Our
Planning for the Discovery Center ~ Great Lakes

Join us for a discussion about the future of the campus for the Discovery Center ~ Great Lakes. The Discovery Center currently includes four organizations: Great Lakes Children’s Museum, Maritime Heritage Alliance, Traverse Area Community Sailing, and The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay.

Your input will help guide the process for developing a long-range facilities plan for the site.

Discussion sessions will be held on
Tuesday, November 8, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, or
Wednesday, November 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

Both sessions will be held in the activity room at the Great Lakes Children’s Museum located at 13240 S. West Bay Shore Drive. (See map at bottom of post.)

We are looking for a wide range of participants for discussions including representatives of all age groups, interests and perspectives.

Discussion participants will receive free children’s museum passes and an opportunity to win a drawing for a free sail on the Maritime Heritage Alliance’s schooner Madeline or a ride on the Watershed Center’s tug boat, the Bay Monitor. Pizza and soft drinks will be provided.

Registration is required at
November 8 session: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2413167850
November 9 session: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2414291210

Planning Blog Launched

admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:55:33 +0000

Planning for the future of the Discovery Center ~ Great Lakes is well underway. Cornerstone Architects, a highly qualified architectural firm has been retained to develop the design for new buildings on a beautiful campus that will best serve the members of the Discovery Center and the community.

In early October, Pam Evans, lead consultant from NorthSky Nonprofit Network, facilitated a planning summit involving members of all of the Discover Center’s member organizations. Community focus groups will be conducted by NorthSky in November. Following that, a survey will be submitted to a broad range of people to get their input on potential plans

These activities will glean new and creative ideas from folks from around our region, well as identifying what the community needs might be fulfilled by an expanded Discovery Center.

Recent improvements at Greilickville Harbor Park and the upcoming and exciting proposed Elmwood Marina improvement project will continue to expand the potential for the M-22 corridor in Greilickville to become a destination and waterfront attraction. Elmwood Township’s stated goal is to tout Greilickville as the “Gateway to Leelanau County.” The Township’s focus is now on developing a waterfront district throughout the corridor. A modernized and expanded Discovery Center fits squarely within those trends.

Today, on October 20, 2011, we launched this blog to share updates and new developments, as well as to capture feedback about the Discovery Center’s long-range facilities planning process.