The Children’s Museum of Central Oregon (CMCO) has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for camps and classes. The Kickstarter campaign aims to raise $50,000 by March 11.
Funds from a successful Kickstarter would be used towards hiring program staff to develop and launch camps for summer 2016. Camps would run for children ages four to 14 years old in the areas of performance art, studio arts, science, engineering and inventing/making. This program staff will then be responsible for developing in-school programming for the 2016-17 school year. Camps will be conducted with community partnerships that include the DIY Cave and Armature, a Creative Space.
This $50,000 is the first benchmark in CMCO’s capital campaign of $3 million.
The $3 million Capital Campaign is set with established benchmarks at $50,000, $200,000, $500,000, $1 million and $1.5 million, and will focus on raising funds for securing a physical space, building out the museum space, operation for two years and creating the foundation for a stable and permanent fixture for the Central Oregon community.
CMCO intends to secure an approximately 40,000 square foot space close to the downtown area. The space will include a children’s theater, hands on science exploration hall with changing exhibits (the MESS hall: Math, Engineering, Science and Stuff), a clay room, a creative painting room and a large “free choice” play area. Also included in this vision are two classrooms to host pre-school through middle school classes, and three open rooms for rentals for special events and birthday parties. Services provided to the community would include a full time educational staff that will work in the community, camp programming and programs in performance art, studio arts, science, engineering, inventing/making for children four to 14 years old.
CMCO will work with local nonprofits serving the community to ensure that gaps in programming and needs are filled, and to not duplicate existing resources. The organization will also serve as a resource for other nonprofits in terms of space, materials and staffing when needed.
For more information or to back the Kickstarter, visit www.childrensmuseum.co
