On June 13, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and Ball State  formally dedicated the renovated Sandlot Kids' Clubhouse—an interactive children's area where young fans can put on a uniform, appear on a trading card and enhance their educational skills through baseball.

Young guests to the museum's clubhouse will also be able to visit the exhibit's signature feature—"What's on Next," an interactive literary exhibit built around a 37-inch flat panel LCD screen television. Through touch-screen computers, children can select pre-recorded books, short movies and music videos featuring Hall of Fame members such as Robinson, who will attend the event.

The room is the result of an ongoing relationship between Ball State Teachers College and the Baseball Hall of Fame formed during frequent collaborations on Ball State's Electronic Field Trips—virtual field trips that reach nearly 20 million students with each broadcast. Best Buy Children's Foundation, which provides funding for the field trips, donated the flat panel television for the exhibit.

"Teaching children and adults through technology-driven, interactive learning environments has been a hallmark of Ball State's innovative educational efforts locally, nationally and internationally," said Ball State's Acting President Beverley J. Pitts. "It's rewarding to see our partnerships with the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Best Buy produce an inspiring space where stories and personalities from baseball history will come to life." 

Some of the selections available at "What's on Next" are: 

• "Curious George Plays Baseball"—Narrated by Robinson, former 3rd baseman for the Baltimore Orioles
• "Who's on First"—Performed by Abbott and Costello
• "Players in Pigtails"—Narrated by Terry Donahue, a veteran of the All American Girls   Professional Baseball League
• "Baseball Boots"—Featuring Dora the Explorer
• "Casey at the Bat"—Narrated by Tim Wiles, National Baseball Hall of Fame research director, as the Mighty Casey
• "Perfect Control"—A 1932 short movie for children starring Babe Ruth 

"The Sandlot Kids' Clubhouse brings together interactivity and artifacts and teaches about diversity in an environment ideal for young visitors," said Hall of Fame President Dale Petroskey. "The generosity of Ball State, the Best Buy Children's Foundation and the Ruth and Vernon Taylor Foundation will not only allow us to teach young baseball fans who visit the museum, but it will also bring them joy." 

Away from the big-screen stars, children will be able to peep through knotholes to view museum artifacts, hone their math skills with a magnetic baseball game, dress up in replica uniforms, and "step into" a Cracker Jack baseball card and have their picture taken.

"While entertainment will certainly be the hook, acquiring knowledge through literature will provide a fun foundation to this imaginative classroom," said Roy Weaver, dean of Teachers College.

The exhibit, which is expected to host more than 400,000 visitors annually, will be staffed each summer by a Ball State student intern. Ashleigh Gundy, from Crown Point, Ind., is the first Ball State student to intern for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

(Note to Editors: For more information, contact Layne Cameron, media relations manager, at (765) 285-5953 or lscameron@bsu.edu. A print-quality photo is available to download at www.bsu.edu/photoservices.)

Ball State's Electronic Field Trips: Produced in conjunction with Best Buy Children's Foundation, these innovative, interactive educational experiences include such distinguished partners as the Smithsonian Institution, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, NASA, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Park Service and many others. The live broadcasts provide children across the country access to some of the nation's best museums, scientific organizations and experts.