Hasta La Ideas

After three months of sifting through more than 1,500 entries, then testing out the five finalists, the Museum of Science and Industry here in Chicago have finally made their pick for who will spend a whole month living in their museum for their aptly titled promotional experiment, Month at the Museum. Although they didn’t wind up picking either of our two favorites, they still went local, which wins them points, and selected Kate McGroarty. Here are the official details from the museum:

Beginning Oct. 20, 2010, McGroarty, 24, will become the Museum’s roommate for 30 days — taking in all the Museum has to offer, getting amazing behind-the-scenes access, sharing it all with the world — and taking home a $10,000 prize at the end of it all. McGroarty, a teacher and theatre artist, Minnesota native and 2008 Northwestern graduate who now lives in the Chicago neighborhood of Ravenswood, wowed the MSI judges with her natural curiosity, creative spirit, wit and writing skills. McGroarty was also the clear favorite with the public, garnering the top position after more than 20,000 online votes were cast in a week.

And before you start wondering/worrying about where exactly she’ll be living in a museum not usually accustomed to overnight visitors (except for ghosts and mummies), of course they made sure to shore up some choice sponsorship deals along the way:

As if getting to live in the Museum for 30 days wasn’t cool enough, Kate will be treated to sleek and modern living accommodations, delicious meals and a technology package she gets to keep. Both the winner’s office and private sleeping quarters will be designed and furnished by CB2. Sodexo Leisure Services, the Museum’s exclusive caterer, will provide the winner with breakfast and lunch daily, while Whole Foods Market will provide dinner and snacks. And the technology package to document the entire experiment is provided by Best Buy and supported by Geek Squad.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.