SAN DIEGO CHILDRENS DISCOVERY MUSEUM
320 N BROADWAY, ESCONDIDO, CA 92025 www.sdcdm.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: SAN DIEGO CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY MUSEUM'S MISSION IS TO INSPIRE CHILDREN TO LEARN ABOUT OUR WORLD THROUGH EXPLORATION, IMAGINATION AND EXPERIMENTATION. OUR CURRICULUM-ALIGNED PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITS CULTIVATE SCHOOL READINESS AND LIFELONG LEARNING.

SAN DIEGO CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY MUSEUM PROVIDES SUPPORTIVE EDUCATIONAL AND ENRICHMENT EXPERIENCES IN SCIENCE, ARTS, AND WORLD CULTURES TO CHILDREN THROUGH AGE 10. WE HAVE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS, TWO PERFORMANCE STAGES, AN OUTDOOR MAKER/ART STUDIO, AND A VARIETY OF EXHIBITS, GARDENS, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. WE OFFER EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS AND HANDS-ON EXHIBIT EXPERIENCES TO SCHOOL GROUPS BOTH ONSITE AT THE MUSEUM AND OFFSITE VIA OUR MOBILE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. OUR WORKSHOPS AND EXHIBITS INCLUDE CUSTOMIZED CURRICULUM FOR CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL THROUGH GRADE 5 AND ALIGN TO CALIFORNIA COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS, NEXT-GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS, CALIFORNIA VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS STANDARDS, AND CALIFORNIA PRESCHOOL LEARNING FOUNDATIONS. WE ALSO OFFER AFTER-SCHOOL (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) ENRICHMENT IN ALL 17 PUBLIC ESCONDIDO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS DURING THE ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR. SDCDM HAS SERVED 77 SCHOOLS IN 9 DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND SURROUNDING AREAS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS. TIME SPENT AT SDCDM DEVELOPS CRUCIAL LIFE-SKILLS SUCH AS CURIOSITY, CONFIDENCE, AND CREATIVITY, ALL OF WHICH HELP CHILDREN EXCEL IN LIFE. INTERACTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND GUIDED PLAY ARE CRUCIAL AND OFTEN OVERLOOKED ELEMENTS OF CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. RESEARCHERS HAVE DETERMINED THAT LEARNING OCCURS BEST WHEN CHILDREN ARE MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY ACTIVE, ENGAGED, AND SOCIALLY INTERACTIVE, AND WHEN THEY BUILD MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS TO THEIR LIVES. GUIDED EDUCATIONAL PLAY, WHICH WE DESIGN INTO ALL MUSEUM EXHIBITS AND PROGRAMS, ACTIVELY ENGAGES CHILDREN BECAUSE IT IS FUN, FLEXIBLE, AND SELF-DIRECTED. YOUNG CHILDREN LEARN DIFFERENTLY THAN OLDER CHILDREN AND ADULTS; PLAY IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE, HIGH-QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION. AT SDCDM, CHILDREN ARE GUIDED BY CARETAKERS AND MUSEUM EDUCATORS WHILE PLAYING WITH EDUCATIONAL EXHIBITS AND ACTIVITIES TO ENSURE THEY ARE PROGRESSING WITH LEARNING GOALS. SDCDM IS THE ONLY RESOURCE OF ITS KIND IN THE AREA, PROVIDING SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES AND EDUCATORS ACROSS THE REGION.SDCDM IS A PLACE WHERE EDUCATORS AND PARENTS CAN SEE THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE LEARNED IN SCHOOLS, AND WHERE CHILDREN CAN LEARN TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AROUND THEM. OUR MUSEUM PRESENTS OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPLORATION OF REAL-LIFE TOPICS IN SCIENCE, ARTS, AND WORLD CULTURES. WHEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THE WORLD THROUGH PLAY AND EXPLORATION, CHILDREN BEGIN TO MAKE IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT, ENCOURAGING THEM TO START TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THEIR LIVES AND THEIR WORLD. THESE IMPORTANT INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES ARE A CRUCIAL STEP IN THE EDUCATION PROCESS, ALLOWING CHILDREN TO MAKE CONCRETE CONNECTIONS WITH THE INFORMATION THEY ARE LEARNING.SINCE OUR INCEPTION IN 2000, WE HAVE OUTGROWN TWO FACILITIES. IN LATE 2011 WE MOVED INTO A 13,500-SQUARE-FOOT SPACE IN DOWNTOWN ESCONDIDO THAT INCLUDES A 6,000-SQUARE-FOOT EXPLORATION AND EXPERIMENTATION ZONE AND A 7,500-SQUARE-FOOT OUTDOOR CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY GARDEN. SINCE MOVING INTO OUR CURRENT LOCATION, ATTENDANCE INCREASED FROM 15,000 IN 2011 (IN OUR PREVIOUS FACILITY) TO 180,000 ANNUALIZED(THROUGH ALL SERVICES) PRIOR TO MARCH 2020.INCLUDED IN THAT ANNUALIZED ATTENDANCE, SDCDM SERVED 6,500 CHILDREN AND ADULTS VIA OUR MOBILE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. WE BELIEVE ALL CHILDREN SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO SUPPORTIVE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES SUCH AS THOSE OFFERED AT OUR MUSEUM REGARDLESS OF FINANCIAL ABILITY. WE DEMONSTRATE OUR COMMITMENT TO ENSURING ALL CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO HANDS-ON LEARNING BY PROVIDING FIELD TRIP AND MOBILE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM SCHOLARSHIPS TO AROUND 6,000 CHILDREN FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES AND TITLE-I SCHOOLS; DISCOUNTED ADMISSION TO AROUND 10,000 ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY AND VETERAN FAMILIES AND FAMILIES RECEIVING EBT, WIC, AND SNAP BENEFITS; FREE ANNUAL FAMILY MEMBERSHIPS TO AROUND 1,000 FAMILIES THROUGH OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS; AND AROUND 300 MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC CHECK-OUT IN LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, LOCAL AND ALL COUNTY LIBRARIES, AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE CENTERS. WE PROVIDE THESE OPPORTUNITIES IN KEEPING WITH OUR ACCESS-FOR-ALL INITIATIVE.IN MID-MARCH 2020, THE MUSEUM FACILITY AND ITS MOBILE UNITS' USER-SITES WERE REQUIRED BY STATE AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT MANDATE TO CLOSE TO THE PUBLIC DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WITH NO LIKELIHOOD THAT A VACCINE WOULD BE AVAILABLE NEAR TERM AND PRIOR TO THE GRANTING OF LIMITED PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM (PPP) LOANS THROUGH THE U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION PURSUANT TO THE CARES ACT, CERTAIN EMPLOYEES RELATED TO OPEN FACILITY OPERATIONS WERE FURLOUGHED. AS SOON AS AVAILABLE, MUSEUM MANAGEMENT VIGOROUSLY PURSUED, AND IN APRIL 2020 THE MUSEUM WAS GRANTED, A PPP LOAN OF $201,023. TOGETHER WITH GENEROUS DONOR SUPPORT, MUSEUM MANAGEMENT WAS THEN ENABLED TO REASSESS HOW TO BEST FULFILL THE MUSEUM'S MISSION UNTIL ONSITE OPERATIONS CAN BE RESUMED. AFTER OUR DOORS TEMPORARILY CLOSED IN MID-MARCH 2020, SDCDM'S EDUCATION TEAM IMMEDIATELY PIVOTED TO PRODUCING AND PUBLISHING DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL CONTENT -- AT NO CHARGE TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. WE ADAPTED ALL EXISTING PROGRAMS TO BE DELIVERED THROUGH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS (E.G. THEMED WEEKLY PROGRAMMING SUCH AS TINKER TIME, MUSIC & MOVEMENT, ART, NATURE TALK, AND WORLD CULTURE ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS LIVE, DAILY STORYTIMES AND STREAM BLOG POSTS) HONORING OUR CORE VALUE OF 'ACCESS FOR ALL.' THIS WAS WITH A VIEW TO REACHING BOTH MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS -- A WIDE SET OF PARENTS IN NEED OF EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT WHILE TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS AND PRESCHOOLS WERE CLOSED. IN THE SUMMER, WE LAUNCHED REVENUE-GENERATING PROGRAMS, SPECIFICALLY VIRTUAL CAMPS AND SPECIAL EVENTS SUCH AS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DAY. THESE PROGRAMS FOCUS ON HANDS-ON, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING INTEGRATED WITH DIGITAL CONTENT. AS PART OF OUR FALL PROGRAMMING, WE LAUNCHED VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS, MORE REVENUE-GENERATING SEASONAL CAMPS, VIRTUAL BIRTHDAY PARTIES, AND A FREE PARENTING WORKSHOP SERIES. IN Q4 OF THIS YEAR, THE EXECUTIVE TEAM, ALONG WITH THE SUPPORT OF MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS, WILL EMBARK ON A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF IDENTIFYING PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS AND CREATING A CLEAR AND WELL-DEFINED GROWTH MODEL FOR THE NEXT 7-10 YEARS.WITH EVOLVING STATE AND COUNTY REQUIREMENTS AS WELL AS VACCINE AND OTHER MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS WHICH AFFECT ITS CONTINUING CLOSURE, MUSEUM MANAGEMENT IS NOT PRESENTLY ABLE TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL OUTCOME OR IMPAIRMENT TO THE MUSEUM. AT THE PRESENT TIME, IT WILL ENDEAVOR TO FULFILL ITS MISSION THROUGH ONLINE ACTIVITIES AND IT IS OPTIMISTIC THAT THE MUSEUM WILL RESUME ONSITE OPERATIONS IN DUE COURSE.

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