(Berkeley, CA) March 5, 2010 –
Author of "The Philosophical Baby" and UC Berkeley Professor of Psychology Alison Gopnik will speak at Habitot Children’s Museum on Friday, March 5th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The event is open to the public with a donation to Habitot of any amount.

The event is also a reception and thank you for recent donors to Habitot’s Campaign for Habitot, which is replacing critical operational support lost from foundations and corporations since the economic downturn. The Campaign for Habitot has so far raised $85,000 towards $300,000 needed by the end of 2010 to secure the Museum’s future, its strategic goal to serve more families, and its continued service to the community. Hosting Alison Gopnik furthers the Museum’s mission to help parents and caregivers increase their knowledge of early childhood development and succeed in raising curious, creative, and confident children.

Guests will enjoy a moderated conversation with Dr. Gopnik, a renowned author and leader in the study of children’s learning and development, and complimentary wine, cheese and desserts.

About Alison Gopnik

Alison Gopnik’s internationally recognized, ground-breaking work was the first to argue that children’s minds could help us understand deep philosophical questions. Her most recent book, The Philosophical Baby - a New York Times Extended list bestseller and Editors’ Choice - explains the groundbreaking new psychological, neuroscientific, and philosophical developments in our understanding of very young children, transforming our understanding of how babies see the world. Alison has written about the scientific minds of babies and children for years. The Philosophical Baby is her fourth book. She is a regular contributor to Slate and has written frequently for Science, The Times Literary Supplement, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, and the New Scientist, and recently appeared on The Colbert Report.

About Habitot:

Habitot Children's Museum is the East Bay's award-winning hands-on discovery museum for young children, recently nominated “Best Museum” in the Bay Area in Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect.com’s 2009 Parents’ Pick Awards. In 2008, Habitot won “Best Museum for Little Kids” in the San Francisco Bay Area in the same contest.

Through early childhood learning, parenting education, and community outreach, Habitot helps parents and caregivers raise curious, creative, and confident children. More than 850,000 people have enjoyed Habitot’s interactive exhibits, art programs and classes since the museum’s opening in 1998. Habitot ensures its accessibility for all Bay Area families with its Family and Community Partnerships Program, which brings more than 10,000 low-income and at-risk children into the museum every year through scholarships, subsidized memberships and free admissions days. For more information please visit http://www.habitot.org