CAMARILLO — KidSTREAM, an emerging children’s museum, is another step closer to becoming a reality, thanks to the support of more than two dozen individuals and businesses who made in-kind or monetary donations to design and build its Visioning Room. KidSTREAM leased the former Camarillo Library site and has renovated the former community room into a Visioning Room, where museum officials conduct focus groups around interactive exhibits that engage and educate children and their families.
“Here, we can give children and families hands-on experiences, and we can collect feedback on what they would like to see and do at the future museum,” said Kristie Akl, kidSTREAM founder and board president. “This could never have happened without the community support of so many.”
Friedrich, one of the first major manufacturers to donate to kidSTREAM, donated two of its high-performance ductless heat and cooling units to help provide all-season comfort for the newly created space. Other donors and in-kind sponsors include the Ventura County Community Foundation which awarded a $30,000 grant for renovations to the community room, Airworks Solutions, Kodiak Construction, Gold Coast Carpenters, Bill Davis Drywall, Inc., Johnstone Supply, Drapery Affair, Deborah Kolb Photography, Meadowlark Service League, Vista Paint, Advanced Sanitation, Trophies Etc. and Party Pleasers. KidSTREAM also acknowledged the contributions of individuals, with special thanks to Annie Barker, David Barker, Christine Blasman, Crystal Money, Brad Willson, Julia Heidenrich, Alberto Perez Badillo, Ken Brand, Gregory Lombardozzi and Jimmy Pertusati.
“We are grateful that these businesses and individuals have helped provide kids in our community with an interactive learning environment where they can explore and learn while giving us valuable feedback,” Akl added. “The commitment of our board, donors and the entire community is propelling this project to reality.”
Like the future kidSTREAM children’s museum, the Visioning Room provides activities and learning experiences that focus on science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math (STREAM).
While the new Visioning Room is currently used by appointment only for small focus groups, kidSTREAM operates without a building, delivering programming on the sites of partner organizations focused on STREAM. Programs have included making glasses for safe viewing of the last solar eclipse, constructing creations from all types of cardboard and other recyclables donated by the community, art workshops in partnership with Studio Channel Islands and a STEM carnival in partnership with California State University, Channel Islands.
KidSTREAM leaders are working with a team of advisory board members, museum designers and consultants to develop a destination-worthy facility proposed for the former site of the Camarillo Library, with an anticipated 12,000 square feet of indoor, interactive hands-on learning exhibits and 19,000 square feet of outdoor exhibits and playscapes. More information is online at www.kidstream.org.
Founded in 2016 as a 501c3 nonprofit organization, kidSTREAM’s mission is to create an engaging environment for children and families to explore, play and discover; inspiring them to become critical thinkers, innovators and life-long learners. For more information, visit http://www.kidstream.org/