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Museum for kids sought
Nonprofit wants to build interactive facility at CSUB
| Saturday, Apr 28 2007 9:05 PM
Last Updated: Saturday, Apr 28 2007 9:11 PM
A nonprofit group wants to bring a children's museum to Cal State Bakersfield.
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Bakersfield Adventures for the Mind is the third public-private partnership proposed at the southwest Bakersfield campus.
President Horace Mitchell will present the proposal to the Cal State University system's board of trustees for conceptual approval May 15 to 16.
Project spokeswoman Jillian Fritch-Stump is confident about the educational proposal's chances for success.
It's designed for children ages 12 and younger and would feature an area for toddlers.
"All exhibits will reflect our local interests," Fritch-Stump said.
Take space exploration.
She envisions partnering with NASA and people in Mojave who have expertise in space travel and exploration.
Other possible exhibits include oil, agriculture and the human body and wellness.
Eighteen community leaders are on the museum project's board. The Kern County Superintendent of Schools is a partner; the entity would have a learning center/satellite facility at the museum, a smaller version of its center at 2020 K St.
The learning center/classroom space would be shared with Valley Oaks Charter School, which has 900 students, said Shirley Oesch, the school's director. Valley Oaks would hold enrichment classes at the campus space, similar to how it uses space at the California Living Museum and the Kern County Museum.
The project's proposed campus location "might lead to (students) seeing themselves on a college campus someday," Oesch said.
The $15 million Cal State project would be built in phases. A capital campaign would start if the project receives conceptual approval.
"We have to know what the lease agreement is before we ask for funds," Fritch-Stump said.
Indoor, outdoor, permanent and rotating displays would be featured.
The museum may be housed on the Camino Media side of campus, near the Facility for Animal Care and Treatment.
There aren't many children's museums on college campuses. Baylor University in Waco, Texas, has one at its Mayborn Museum that draws about 100,000 people a year, said Sarah Levine, director of marketing.
Initially, the Bakersfield museum would be 35,000 square feet, a medium-sized structure.
Renfro & Cuningham, an international firm with offices in Bakersfield, is working on the design.
Adventure is a design component, said Nancy Renfro, firm principal.
"As you walk in, perhaps the exhibits aren't all immediately available," Renfro said, adding visitors may have to peek around corners to find things. "We envision it being very engaging for parents as well as children. We don't think those have to be mutually exclusive."
Environmentally friendly design elements would be featured, something Renfro believes is important to model for the community.
Kern County Superintendent of Schools Larry Reider supports the project and believes it presents families with opportunities to learn together.
He thinks there's a need and room in the community for a project such as Bakersfield Adventures for the Mind and the Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center at the county museum.
"Our community is growing," he said. "We need and deserve every educational opportunity we can get."