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CMSJ is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide multi-disciplinary, hands-on exhibits and programs that allow young children and their families to imagine and explore in an inspiring, open-ended, and educational atmosphere.
Two moms of young children—Kathy Weed and Wendy Philcox—had recently visited the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry in Charleston, SC and were inspired to bring a similar organization to life here in St. Johns County.
The location for CMSJ is TBD. We are actively seeking donations of a building to be renovated or land on which to build. Minimum requirements are 16,000 square feet of space in building, ample parking, ideally centrally located in St. Johns County w/easy access from major arteries (I-95, Route 1).
CMSJ will launch itself with exhibits designed for very young children (ages 0-7), but hopes to eventually expand our programming and offer exhibits that will appeal to children up to age 12. We also plan to actively involve middle and high-school age students as docents and volunteers in the museum.
CMSJ will bring a multi-disciplinary approach to hands-on learning by offering exhibits and programs on science, arts and humanities, health and wellness, the environment, history and culture. CMSJ will draw on the uniqueness of NE Florida to teach kids about themselves, other people and the world around them. For example, exhibits might include:
• “Dig It!” – An archaeological dig featuring artifacts found in different time periods in St. Augustine’s history
• Timucuan Indians – Replica of an Timucuan village with opportunities to make masks and jewelry native to the tribe
• Water World – An entire room filled with a waist-high water ecosystem, teaching kids the importance of water, especially in the state of Florida
• A Baby’s World – For ages 18 months and younger, a soft colorful room filled with multi-sensory activities.
• Life as a Fisherman – Kids “work” on a replica of a fishing boat, hauling in and weighing pretend “catch” of the day.
Unlike the Cummer which offers primarily art activities for children and MOSH which gears its science and history exhibits towards children of all ages, including middle and high school students, CMSJ will truly be multi-disciplinary, appealing to a wide range of interests for young children and their families.
Three ways:
1) Make a financial contribution. Museum memberships range from $50-$1,000, and a variety of naming opportunities will be available in the museum facility. Goal is to raise at least $5 million to open doors of the museum within 3-5 years.
2) Volunteer your time, talents and ideas. CMSJ is an all-volunteer effort at this point, so if you have time, a specific talent, or ideas to contribute, we welcome all of those.
3) Spread the word about CMSJ! We do not have a large enough budget to afford a mass marketing effort to increase awareness about CMSJ, so we are depending largely on a word-of-mouth campaign to help us increase visibility and support for this new museum.
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