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CHICAGO CHILDREN'S MUSEUM HONORED FOR WORKPLACE EXCELLENCE BY CHICAGOLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Contact:
Natalie Kreiger
Chicago Children's Museum
312.464.7727

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICAGO- October 19, 2005 – Chicago Children’s Museum received the “Right Workplace Award” at the third annual “Right Award for Workplace Excellence” award ceremony held by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Right Management Consultants on Thursday, November 3, at the University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center.

The award distinguishes businesses that create workplace excellence and improve their competitive advantage by designing and implementing unique people practices. Every year leading figures within the business and non-profit industry join together to celebrate their achievements at this distinguished and unique event.

Chicago Children’s Museum was honored for installing programs and incentives that promote employee learning, involvement and workplace diversity.

"We are pleased to have received this great honor from the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Right Management Consultants,” said Chicago Children’s Museum President and CEO, Peter England. “As part of our continued commitment to workplace diversity and professional development, it is our goal to empower our staff for excellence.”

Chicago Children’s Museum is an educational institution that teaches children through hands-on interactive exhibits. In order to foster this type of educational atmosphere, Chicago Children’s Museum recognizes the importance of educating their employees to possess the same knowledge and skills as leading childhood educators.

As part of their program to constantly promote a ‘learning’ workplace, Chicago Children’s Museum encourages employees from all levels to participate in every stage of the decision-making process. Employees travel to other children’s museums to work with leading childhood educators, sharing ideas and discussing each museum’s own successful business practice.

“Employee involvement instills a sense of loyalty within Chicago Children’s Museum employees because they feel a sense of ownership and see how their actions have a direct impact on the bottom line,” said England.

Diversity at the museum means more than providing opportunities to serve communities that are underserved by conventional educational and cultural institutions. The museum believes that the exhibits and business as a whole should reflect the surrounding communities, so they actively foster workforce and employee diversity. In particular, the Graduate Diversity Program is a program CCM and other cultural institutions intend to launch to increase racial/ethnic diversity in middle and senior management positions.

“This award recognizes organizations that have designed and implemented positive people practices improving the culture of their company, resulting in their competitive advantage,” said Paul Benson, chairman of the Workplace Excellence Committee and regional vice president for Right Management Consultants. “Along with maximizing engagement and performance of employees, this leads to successful business results.”

Right Award for Workplace Excellence winners were selected based on their ability to clearly demonstrate the connection between their people practices and business success in award applications, interviews and site visits by judges. Guest judges included Richard and Emily Axelrod, founders of and principals in the Axelrod Group as well as Carolyn Sperl, president of C.J. Sperl & Associates and president of the Society of Human Resource Professionals. “U.S Cellular, Foote Cone & Belding, Elkay Manufacturing and Chicago Children’s Museum exemplify workplace excellence and set new standards for all Chicagoland businesses to model,” said Jerry Roper, president and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber. “These honorees implement practices, often with limited finances, that recognize people as their most valuable resource in fostering business success.”

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