For Immediate Release: Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett today announced completion of a three-year agreement between Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) and the new Kids International Discovery Museum (KID Museum) that will bring a nationally recognized model of hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) and arts programming for children and families to the region.
To be housed on the lower level at Davis Library, 6400 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, the “MakerSpace” will offer opportunities for local children and families to explore what they can make using a wide range of materials, tools and technologies.
The 7,500 square-foot space will feature a digital media lab that integrates electronics, textiles and recycled materials, and 21st-century tools such as 3D printers and laser cutters.
Trained staff, plus resident artists, scientists and inventors, will facilitate projects and exploration in both “open make” drop-in sessions and more structured workshops.
Activities will be geared toward elementary and middle school-aged children, ages six to14, and special programs are under development for school field trips and programs aligned with school curricula.
Recognizing the urgent need to motivate youth to develop the skills critical to succeed in the 21st century, both government officials and private-sector leaders have pledged support for the initiative.
The project is also an example of the type of “maker” programming that President Obama called for at today’s White House Maker Faire.
County Executive Ike Leggett said, “Within the hour, The White House will host its first Maker Faire. In fact, the President is calling for commitments from communities across the country to create more opportunities for students to learn through the experience of making things themselves. Here in Montgomery County, we’re already responding to the President’s call through this new public-private partnership and innovative use of library space. Today,” Leggett noted, “we take another big step toward our library of the future.”
County Council Vice President George Leventhal said, “KID Museum offers children between the ages of six and 14 a perfect introduction to STEM programming. We hope that introduction will lead to a new generation of doctors, engineers and inventors.”
The MakerSpace will open to the public in the fall, and KID Museum anticipates it will serve 20,000 visitors in the first year of operations – dramatically expanding access to maker programming for youth and families in the National Capital region. There will be an $8 fee per person for admission, with discounted programs available for school groups and other organized visits.
“Thanks to the KID Museum, Montgomery County and the greater Washington DC region is on the cusp of joining such cities as Boston and San Francisco in having a vibrant and thriving children’s museum that will provide many opportunities to stimulate children’s creative learning and problem solving skills,” said County Councilmember Roger Berliner, in whose district the library is located. “And, I can think of no better first home for this museum than the Davis Library, a true community hub for our residents. Congratulations to Cara Lesser and her KID Museum team on this new beginning. I look forward to celebrating what is certain to be a successful enterprise.”
“This partnership represents yet another way in which libraries can evolve to serve our community in the future -- as a resource for interactive learning that goes beyond the limits of the printed book,” said Carol Legarreta, MCPL’s Public Services Administrator for Community Engagement, speaking on behalf of Director Parker Hamilton.
Since MCPL had already implemented makerspaces and maker programming at a few branches, Hamilton recognized the fact that this project could be the perfect partnership for the library system. The joint programming, Hamilton felt, could serve as a model from which to develop STEAM programming in other branches. Plus, KID Museum could have a space in which to begin prototyping activities and testing and refining its programming while providing an interactive cultural and educational resource for children and families that sparks passion for learning.
The County Council approved a grant for FY15 that would fund support for the outreach and operations for a prototype KID Museum facility. A special effort by Leventhal to incorporate updates at Davis Library was a catalyst that made the space viable for the partners; Council President Craig Rice and Councilmembers Berliner and Hans Riemer were also responsible for helping to advance the partnership. Other County department directors and agency heads who have had significant roles in the partnership are: Gabe Albornoz, Recreation director; Dan Hoffman, the County’s Chief Innovation Officer; and Dr. Joshua Starr, superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools.
Other supporters of KID Museum’s early work to bring maker programming to the community include: Discovery Communications, Google, Capital One, JBG Companies, Tower Companies, the City of Rockville, the Mead Family Foundation, and the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation.
“We live in a town filled with think tanks,” said KID Museum founder and CEO, Cara Lesser. “Our new program space will be a ‘make tank’ – where young people develop creative problem-solving skills with hands-on activities that integrate science, technology and art. Nothing engages the mind more than figuring out how to make something – whether designing a robot that interacts with its environment or engineering weight-bearing structures out of cardboard – a maker space offers the tools, materials, expertise and collaboration to bring an idea to life.
“KID Museum’s MakerSpace will bring our region a much-needed space to cultivate the next generation’s innovative thinking and to invent the future right in our backyard,” Lesser said. “If ever there were a place to incubate these skills, it is here in the National Capital area.”
Plans are in the works for KID Museum to establish a permanent home in Montgomery County and serve the DC metropolitan region.
Background and Future
In 2013, the County supported KID Museum’s initiative to produce the first official “Maker Faire” in the DC region – the 2013 Silver Spring Mini Maker Faire that attracted 12,000 people – a record number for an event of its kind. The County and KID Museum have partnered again to host the 2014 Silver Spring Maker Faire on September 14.
Across various pop-up events and festivals, KID Museum has recognized the region’s thirst for high-quality programming that encourages STEM learning and spurs creativity and global citizenship. An economic feasibility study, financed in part by Montgomery County’s Department of Economic Development, documented a 2.2 million person market for the museum and projects 250,000 visits annually once the museum has established its permanent home.
The MakerSpace will function as a true prototyping space and KID Museum will actively elicit input to create programming that meets the needs of the local community. Lesser said, “At the end of the day, this program is about inventing the future, one kid at a time.”
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MCPL contact: Carol Legarreta, 240-777-0030
KID Museum contact: Cara Lesser, 301-346-8779
Media contact: Bonnie Ayers, 240-777-6507