Bakersfield Adventures for the Mind (BAM) is proposed as a 32,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility for children ages twelve and younger, their families and caregivers. Out of the approximately 350 children’s museums worldwide, BAM will be the first children’s museum to be located on a university campus at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB).

BAM is envisioned as part of a movement of children’s museums throughout the world combining specific learning objectives with play within an informal learning environment. The BAM plan provides a modern educational town square offering lifelong learning opportunities with permanent and rotating exhibits, special events, educational programming and outreach, while aligned closely with CSUB’s vision of excellence and partnership. The project promises a center for collaboration – celebrating creativity, learning and offering Kern County the foundation for intellectual exchange among its students, parents, professors and social service organizations.

Frequently Asked Questions-

1. How did the idea start?

CSUB President Dr. Horace Mitchell made a call for public/private partnerships on the CSUB campus that would benefit their academic mission. See article from Bakersfield Californian attached for more information. The CSUB campus is viewed as an ideal location for the children’s museum because it provides a prime location bringing families together in the name of fun while also introducing the children and the families to the University campus.

2. What will BAM be like?

A projected $15 million 35,000 square foot state-of–the-art children’s museum is proposed for the CSUB campus to be located on the southwest corner near the FACT facility. The BAM audience will be children 12 and younger and their families from through out Kern County. High school, college students and senior citizens will serve as volunteers at the museum.

BAM will have permanent and rotating interactive exhibits that focus on science, technology, engineering and math with indoor and outdoor learning environments, a café, an educational store, classrooms and an Early Childhood Development area. See attached Schematic Drawings of the Conceptual Site Plan, the Interior Perspective and the Exterior Perspective provided by the architectural firm of Renfro & Cunningham.

Proposed ideas for exhibits include: science, space, agriculture, technology, art, theater, wellness, oil, international travel and business among others. The indoor and outdoor exhibit and learning environment themes will be further researched and developed during the Planning Phase.

3. Who is involved with the proposal?

Dr. Larry Reider, Kern County Superintendent of Schools is a partner proposes to have a satellite Learning Center office and a Valley Oaks Charter School Satellite Office inside the state of the art facility.

Jillian Fritch-Stump, Educator/Parent has been working as a volunteer for more than a year on the project. Fritch-Stump served previously on the Kern County Museum Board, helped to found One Book One Bakersfield city wide reading program and has taught in the Bay Area, Bakersfield and archaeology programs for teachers through the Bureau of Land Management entitled Intrigues of the Past. Fritch-Stump also has also conducted several museum based enrichment programs for students in the Bay Area and Bakersfield.

Shirley Oesch the Director of Valley Oaks Charter School who has been researching and developing the concept of a children’s museum in Bakersfield for more than a decade offers her extensive research knowledge of other facilities across the country as well as her hands on experience with operating a charter school of more than 800 students.

Wendy Wayne Grant Writer and Child Advocate has also had extensive involvement in the project providing her wealth of contacts within the child advocacy community.

The BAM "Advisory Board" is made up of more than 15 community leaders from diverse ethnic and professional backgrounds offering their many years of experience in serving on boards, helping other projects to become a reality, and their knowledge of our local philanthropic community. See attached list of BAM Advisory Board members.

The BAM Committees are made up of local citizens including children, educators, parents and grandparents and stakeholders.

The Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) based in Washington, DC has also played a key role in the development of this project providing invaluable resources for this innovative educational project. BAM is an Emerging Museum member of this association. ACM has provided BAM planners with statistics and language about children’s museums for our business and marketing plans, information on grant proposals and budgetary guidance.

They have helped the team understand how to best serve our audience of children 12 and younger and their families, developing our governing board, and important fundraising issues. The ACM also will continue to serve our project as advisors during our Planning Phase helping oversee the building project, personnel and management issues, and other every day questions that arise while planning and operating a children’s museum.

4. What other children’s museums have influenced the planning of BAM?

Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena was recently voted the #1 children’s museum in the LA area has been a huge inspiration to the BAM planners. Kidspace has been a community draw for more than 25 years providing families an exciting, educational center with permanent and rotating exhibits. It serves as a peer advisory group to the BAM planners by offering information on operations, fundraising and teacher training. For more information on this dynamic children’s museum, visit http://www. kidspace.org

Two BAM Advisory Board members will be attending the annual ACM conference in Philadephia in May and will speak on the importance of building community partnerships with emerging museum projects. . This conference is a wonderful opportunity to get up-to-date information on the latest trends in the field, visit 60+ exhibitors, and listen to keynote speeches from national figures and network with more than 800 children’s museums professionals See http://www.childrensmuseums.org for more information.

Other children’s museums that have served as inspirations to the BAM planners are the Exploratorium in San Francisco, the San Jose Children’s Museum, and Edventure, the largest children’s museum in the south located in Columbia, South Carolina and others. The Association of Children’s Museum offers many key peer advisory group resources that BAM planners will be relying heavily on during the Planning Phase.

5. How will BAM be funded?

BAM planners recognize that $15 million is an ambitious project for our community. The BAM Advisory Board plans to complete the project in phases raising the funds through private donations, grants, state and federal funding and with corporate partnerships based on specific exhibits to be located within the museum. The Planning Phase is projected to take two to three years, with the BAM doors opening on Phase I by 2010. See the schematic drawings attached of the BAM conceptual site to see details on the division of Phase I and Phase II of the building project.

6. How can people get involved?

A top priority of BAM planners is to not just have a children’s museum for the community but with the community. Community members are encouraged to call 327-KIDS, email bamforkids@cox.net or explore this for more information on how to donate funds, become a volunteer or how to develop a civic partnership with the BAM project.

7. How will BAM fit into the existing museum community within Bakersfield?

BAM will strive to complement not compete with existing museum organizations in Bakersfield such as CALM, the Kern County Museum, the Buena Vista Museum and the Bakersfield Museum of Art. Special considerations will be given to scheduling events so they do not overlap other events in town. Also educational partnerships will be proposed linking other museums in town to BAM and the CSUB campus with BAM serving as an educational town square where the talents of children in the arts, humanities and sciences will be showcased.