The Dream We Carried Together…

Some moments feel bigger than the day they happen. For me, the upcoming groundbreaking will be one of them.

When we first began dreaming about a children’s museum in Grand Forks, my own kids were small enough to fit on my hip. We were searching for a place where they could explore, imagine, and learn…a place that reflected the curiosity and creativity of every child in our community.

The idea of a Grand Forks Children’s Museum wasn’t new; it had been brewing for nearly 40 years. But something about this time around felt different. The conversations didn’t fade like they used to, they kept circling back, gathering energy, gathering people.

If not now… when? If not us… who?

That was six years ago. Six years of networking, meetings, fundraising, sketches, setbacks, proof of concept and small victories. Six years of people stepping forward with ideas, encouragement, and expertise. Six years of believing -sometimes stubbornly- that Grand Forks deserves a place where children could see themselves as scientists, engineers, artists, builders, and dreamers.

But the truth is, this vision didn’t grow because I held onto it. It grew because others picked it up and carried it with me. People who helped turn a fragile idea into a shared mission and who had the vision, courage, and the belief that something extraordinary could grow from a simple idea.

It grew because a Board of Directors was formed, and collectively stepped in with wisdom, expertise, skills, accountability, and a shared sense of possibility. They asked the hard questions, protected the mission, and kept us moving forward even when the path wasn’t clear.

It grew because of early champions like Dean Opp, a former teacher, founder of the Summer Performing Arts program, and one of the first people to embrace the idea. It grew because of my parents, Greg and Susan Opp, who encouraged me from the very beginning and never wavered in their belief that this museum belonged in Grand Forks. It grew because my family gave me the grace to pursue this vision.

It grew because of city leadership like Dana Sande & Brandon Bochenski & the support from the Grand Forks City Council as well as our local legislators representing the state of North Dakota working so tirelessly for us.

It grew because we found an Executive Director who could turn momentum into movement. Katie Mayer brought structure, strategy, and a steady hand, bringing the kind of leadership that transforms a fragile idea into an organization with direction and staying power.

It grew because of the staff who joined along the way, each one adding a piece we didn’t even know we were missing:

• Betsey Aasen carefully manages the donor database, ensuring every gift is honored. She also guides the Museum’s marketing, helping build a clear, consistent voice as we grow.

• Alyssa Donacki guides our hands‑on STEAM programming for Full STEAM Ahead and our outreach. Her bubbly energy turns gatherings into joyful, community‑building experiences.

• Diane Martinson leads the Museum’s fundraising and now lends her expertise to early educational programming. Her leadership deepens donor engagement and supports the hands‑on experiences at the heart of our mission.

• Kate Slominski, Gaming Director, recruits and oversees gaming sites and donations-a role that has become essential to sustaining and expanding our revenue streams, strengthening the Museum’s reach across the region.

Most of all, this museum grew because so many people in this community saw the vision and supported it with their generosity, encouragement, and volunteerism every step of the way. These are the people, along with so many volunteers, who have turned a dream into a team. A team into an organization. An organization into a movement.

Sharing the wonder, hope, and imagination at the heart of the Grand Forks Children's Musuem.

My children are older now. They’ll likely be too old to enjoy the museum in the way we once imagined, though I know there will still be ways for them to be part of it.. Yet, that truth doesn’t dim this moment for me. If anything, it makes it more meaningful. This was never just about my kids. It was about every child who will grow up here in our Grand Forks community long after mine have grown into their own lives.

When the first shovel breaks the ground, it won’t just mark the start of construction. It will mark the moment a community’s belief becomes real. A moment shaped by hundreds of hands and hearts including donors, partners, volunteers, educators, families, and neighbors who said, “Yes. This matters.”

I’m proud of what we’ve built together. Proud of the persistence it took. Proud of the future this museum will create for children who haven’t even been born yet.

Next week, as we stand there on groundbreaking day, I’ll be thinking about all the people who carried this vision with me, and all the children who will one day walk through the doors of a place we once only dreamed about.

This is their moment. Their museum. Their future rising.

Sally Miskavige, Vice President Board of Directors, Grand Forks Children's Museum