Award from San Francisco-based social club will fund first-of-its-kind high tech maker space
November 18, 2015, Sausalito, CA – The Bay Area Discovery Museum has been awarded $250,000 from Battery Powered – the philanthropic arm of the San Francisco social club The Battery – to fund the world’s first early learning Fab Lab.
The Bay Area Discovery Museum’s early learning Fab Lab will be a high tech maker space with computers and machines like 3D printers and laser cutters where young visitors will learn to navigate the design process from concept to production and turn their ideas into reality. The Museum will be the first to pioneer meaningful use of these tools for the youngest learners: children ages 3 to 10. Through innovative educational programs, children will develop core STEM skills, including proficiency in emergent technology, electrical engineering and computer science. The early learning Fab Lab will serve as a foundation for an international, scalable model that will be replicated through the Fab Foundation’s global learning networks, and will also be a central resource for Bay Area children from low-income neighborhoods to spark interest in and build critical STEM skills. The early childhood Fab Lab will open to the public in spring 2016, in conjunction with the Museum’s 25th anniversary.
“We are honored to be awarded this grant from Battery Powered, to be among such esteemed peers in this category, and to receive such validation from our local philanthropic community,” says Karyn Flynn, CEO of the Bay Area Discovery Museum. “Our early childhood Fab Lab will provide children with the creative problem solving skills that are critical for success in our rapidly changing world.”
Battery Powered awarded $1.45 million in total to Bay Area organizations that work to improve early childhood education. A short film about this work can be seen here: https://vimeo.com/batterypowered/earlyeducation (the Bay Area Discovery Museum is featured in the section “Experiential Learning”). Other recipients of the $1.45 million include Center for Youth Wellness, Room to Read, SEEDS of Learning, CEPA Labs at Stanford, Playworks, Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) and UCSF Dyslexia Center.
About the Bay Area Discovery Museum
Located in Sausalito, CA, the Bay Area Discovery Museum annually welcomes 300,000 children ages 0 to 8, parents, and teachers to its early childhood education campus. The mission of the Museum is to ignite and advance creative thinking for all children. Our goal is to reach 1 million children a year – onsite at the Museum, in the community, and nationally through our research-based Center for Childhood Creativity – and give them a better start to life.
About Battery Powered
Battery Powered is a member-founded, member-funded program of The Battery, a San Francisco social club. Made possible by Michael and Xochi Birch and the philanthropy team at Amplifier Strategies, the program is designed to help members explore themes, share ideas and activate their generosity to spark lasting change.
About Battery Powered Awards
Established in 2014, the Battery Powered Awards recognize organizations working to catalyze positive change. Battery Powered members nominate organizations for funding consideration. A professional philanthropy team reviews each application for project feasibility, projected impact, and more. Members of Battery Powered select Battery Powered Awardees during a special Allocation Night at the end of each theme. Members vote to determine the top selected organizations and then allocate their funds to the finalists of their choice.