at the National Postal
Museum

• The Ford Education Center
consists of five new and
engaging interactive touch
screens on the National Postal
Museum’s floor.
• It allows visitors to access
museum content through varied
media and experiences and
provide a welcome environment
for them to take a break!
• Using the Ford Education Center
should also help visitors realize
the value and depth of our
website and onsite resources.

Overview
• Goals
• Brief History
• Mission
• Audiences
• Features

• Goals:
• To provide on-site access to the digitized museum
collection
• Create a space in the museum where
– postal & philatelic themes come together,
– and web-site & gallery experience come together

• Brief History
• 2002: the Ford Motor Company donated $1.5 to
NPM’s Education Department in part to create an
exhibition in the museum atrium
• 2003: Opening of the Ford Education Center
(version 1.0)

• May 2006: the National Postal Museum launched
Arago™, its new website
Arago is dedicated to providing on-line access to the vast
collections and treasures of the National Postal Museum. This
award-winning website is a gateway to treasures on display and
behind-the-scenes. www.arago.si.edu
• 2007-08: integrate Arago and the Ford Education
Center to better serve our museum visitors’ access
to digitized collections

Missions
• Reinforce the Museum experience
• A place where the museum comes together thematically
• Offers content through varied media & experience
• Provides a welcome environment, as a break during
museum exploration
• Facilitates visitor interaction between the galleries and the
Ford Education Center
• Encourages interaction within a group of visitors
• Use Arago to access the museums collections and digital
assets directly and through mediated interface

Missions
• Extend the Museum experience beyond visit
• Ensures that visitors recognize the Arago & web-site
Highlights extend to their homes & schools
• Engages a dialog with the visitors. Personalize the museum
experience.

Audiences
• Primary Audience
– Families
• Secondary Audience
– First time visitors
– Curious museum guests
– Other People Motivation

Features

0.0 Home screen
Goal: orient museum guests

1.0 Virtual Vault
Goal: Get a mediated access to Arago

2.0 Timelines of Postal History
Goal: Recognize the progression of events by
making connections between postal and
philatelic themes

3.0 Museum’s Must Sees
Goal: Have a deeper understanding of 15 “hit”
objects on display in the galleries

4.0 Matching Game
Goal: Engage with the museum themes by
matching pairs and identifying topical groupings
of objects

5.0 All Aboard to Sort the Mail
Goal: Experience the challenge of sorting the mail
on board of a moving train

6.0 The ABCs of Stamp Collecting
Goal: Be introduced to the basics tools and
methods of philately

7.0 Museum FAQs
Goal: Direct educators, including parents, to
resources directly applicable to their museum
visit agenda

8.0 Speak Out!
Goal: Give feedback and qualitative information
about the Ford Education Center’s experience

9.0 Welcome to the Postal Museum
Goal: Introduce hearing impaired and Spanish
speakers to the museum themes and galleries

Schedule

Time frame
July - Sept Nov - Jan - Mar - May - July - Sept
Aug - Oct Dec Feb Apr June Aug - Oct
07 07 07 08 08 08 08 08
Planning
Kick-Off
Executing
90%
Testing
Opening

Next Steps
 Summative evaluation during spring
2009
 Publish results from summative in the
summer-fall of 2009

Budget
• Our final budget was just under $200,000
• We went over on a couple of details
because NPM raised its demands on
contractor and accepted to go out of scope