BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — The Boca Raton Children's Museum is focusing on kid and family issues in the days before the Presidential Debate set for October 22nd at Lynn University. While remaining a-politcal, the museum's events feature a powerhouse of area leaders and experts.
Here are the details:
Just in time for the last of the Presidential debates on October 22, Boca Raton’s Children’s Museum will collaborate with Every Child Matters Education Fund to host a national photography exhibit and Forum to help raise the visibility of children’s needs during the 2012 election cycle. Events surrounding the exhibit include two forums on children’s issues, one at the Museum and another at nearby Lynn University–where the final Presidential debate will be held. The Boca Raton Children’s Museum Forum is open to the public.
EVENTS/DETAILS:
Forum on Presidents Helping Children: Boca Raton Children’s Museum, Friday, October 19, 498 Crawford Blvd., 10:00 a.m. – noon. The Forum will focus on the issues that impact Florida’s children and their families.
Confirmed Speakers at Forum include:
T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., noted pediatrician and author
Michael Petit – Founding President of Every Child Matters Education Fund
Dr. Barbara Weinstein, President/CEO, Family Central Inc.
Dr. Denise ST Patrick-Bell, Executive Director, Boca Raton Children’s Museum
Ellyn Okrent, L.C.S.W., CEO Florence Fuller Child Development Centers
Dr. Raphael Wald, Clinical Psychologist
Children & Youth speakers and performers
National Photography Exhibit: Boca Raton Children’s Museum, October 18-31, 498 Crawford Blvd., 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Noon – 4:00 p.m.Sunday. The evocative exhibit is made up of 30 gallery-quality photographs of children chosen from an international photo competition and a display of 11 past presidents who helped our nation’s children. The award winning exhibit travels to Paris when it leaves the Boca Raton Children’s Museum. Art work created by South Florida’s children on the theme of what they would ask the President to do for kids will also be displayed.
DETAILS: While 22% of children live in poverty (16 million nationally and over 965,000 in Florida), only 2% of debate discussions during the primary season dealt with children’s issues. Children’s advocacy and service organizations across the nation are calling for more debate time spent on kids. And the populace agrees. A national poll released September 20 by The F
irst Focus Campaign for Children shows voters want candidates to focus more on kids. In fact, 8 in 10 say candidates’ positions on children’s issue will affect their votes in November.
ABOUT EVERY CHILD MATTERS: The Every Child Matters Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan organization focused on making the needs of children and youth a national political priority.
ABOUT BOCA RATON CHILDREN’S MUSEUM:
Boca Raton Children’s Museum is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization boasting of service to South Florida for the past 33 years. Every exhibit and program is developed to engage the child (and the young-at-heart) in an interactive, free-play, imagination-centered way. Visit the website for more information. www.cmboca.org
