member and high school student Andrew Layman,
pictured in orange, plays at Curious Kids’ Museum as
a child.
Picking plastic apples from a wall of trees and being swallowed whole by a giant bubble is a familiar experience for many children in Southwest Michigan thanks to the 35 years of memory making at Curious Kids’ Museum.
“All the memories I have from Curious Kids’ are good and very hands-on,” said Andrew Layman, a student at Michigan Lutheran High School and member of Berrien Community Foundation’s youth advisory committee, T.E.A.M. “It’s important for kids to get the interactive learning and experiences they get at Curious Kids.”
When asked to consider a $15,000 For Good Grant for renovations at the new Curious Kids’ Museum (CKM) site, T.E.A.M. (Teens Exhibiting Able Minds) saw an opportunity to do even more — so they asked BCF’s board of directors to match their gift.
“The board was excited to rise to the challenge the teens presented,” said Sarah Jollay, chair of Berrien Community Foundation Board of Directors. “We are proud to match this grant and celebrate the leadership shown by our young philanthropists.”
After a devastating fire in 2022, CKM looked at their options and decided it was time to expand. In December, they purchased the former Priscilla U. Byrns Heritage Museum and Cultural Center which will increase their capacity and honor the legacy of Heritage Museum benefactor, Priscilla Upton Byrns.
“My mom started her career teaching kindergarten, and that love for curiosity and imagination never left her,” said Byrns’ daughter, Carrie Vill. “She would be so very happy to know this building will be full of children running around, laughing and learning. She was an early supporter of the Curious Kids Museum when it started and would, no doubt, be the same in this next chapter.”
CKM Executive Director Lori Marciniak is ready to begin construction on the new site on Main Street in St. Joseph so she never has to turn away children who want to play and learn because of lack of space. But, she knows the organization still has a long way to go.
“We need the community’s support to renovate the building and we want to do it without raising the cost of admission so that the museum is accessible for all kids to come and play,” she said.
CKM’s Building Curiosity — Play a Part, Fund the Fun! capital campaign is halfway to the $9.2 million goal to make room for more exhibits, play stations and necessary structural changes for safety.
For Marciniak, it was heartening to have the youth at Berrien Community Foundation see the importance of CKM for kids in the community and to challenge others to give.
“It was obvious that funding Curious Kids’ would be a great contribution,” said T.E.A.M. member and New Buffalo student Emma Raducha. “In a world where a device is in most every child’s hand, we need spaces that help kids step out of virtual realms and explore the world around them.”
While Curious Kids’ Museum has held successful fundraisers in the past, those dollars were earmarked for general operating expenses and keeping their admission price low. Capital campaign dollars will go toward creating exhibits like The Big Dig, which will encourage large motor play, problem-solving challenges and puzzles; On The Go will teach children local history while behind the wheel of a play train, barge or truck; and a 16-foot dinosaur will be centerstage for children to climb and explore.
“This truly is our shot at long-term sustainability,” Marciniak added.
The Main Street location could open in 2027 if the funding is there.
All Rights Reserved.