SAN JOSE CHILDRENS DISCOVERY MUSEUM
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Mission Statement
Mission: Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose inspires creativity, curiosity and lifelong learning. Vision: Today’s children become tomorrow’s visionaries. Aspiration: At Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, children find joy in play and discovery; parents, teachers and caregivers find support for their vital roles; youth find avenues for self-expression and achievement; the community finds reflections of itself; and the world finds a champion for nurturing a sense of wonder.
About This Cause
Values: Children - We respect children and the adults who support them, striving to understand and respond to their individual developmental needs, learning styles and cultures. Play - We believe play is essential to healthy development and lifelong learning. Integrity - We create experiences rooted in authenticity, a spirit of discovery, and a commitment to excellence. Curiosity - We encourage wondering, asking questions, exploring and inventing. Intersections - We value multidisciplinary exploration, unexpected insights and new connections. Community - We celebrate people, cultures and discoveries, building global awareness and understanding. Learning - We believe that interactive engagement with ideas, materials, the environment, and technology promotes creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and growth. Educational Exhibits: Children’s Discovery Museum has over 150 semi-permanent exhibits, a traveling exhibition hall, 2 visual art studios, a theatre and an early learning center. Its galleries host a variety of permanent and traveling exhibits. Semi-permanent hands-on exhibits include Mammoth Discovery! Dig Deeper, an exhibit based on the discovery of the fossils of a juvenile Columbian mammoth along the banks of the adjacent Guadalupe River, WaterWays, Rainbow Pizza & Market; the Wonder Cabinet; Secrets of Circles; Bubbalonga; Art Loft; Art Studio; Garden and Streets. Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose’s newest initiative is an ambitious project to help change the equation with respect to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning while also demonstrating that a healthy, active lifestyle can be fun. Through visually dazzling math- and science-inspired activities that get kids and families moving, Kids in Motion exhibits and programs will thrill and captivate children so they become excited at an early age about the wonders of the world around them. Our Streets and Intersection spaces will be activated with movement, light and activity. Children will dance, pedal, wiggle, pump as they explore, predict, problem solve, take action, question and collaborate with others as they interact, observe and make sense of the phenomena surrounding them. Kids in Motion will create opportunities for more than 300,000 family members every year to advance science and technology learning, build 21st century workplace skills and develop a healthy lifestyle, addressing two critical areas: (1) California students in fourth grade are ranked 44th in math and 42nd in science, and (2) in Santa Clara County, 33% of toddlers are overweight or obese. CDM’s Early Childhood Initiative seeks to create compelling learning environments for all young children, and has pioneered groundbreaking approaches to early childhood learning. We have worked in partnership with dedicated foundations and organizations sharing the vision for special early learning environments and experiences devoted exclusively to meeting the needs of very young children. In partnership with FIRST 5, the Knight Foundation, the Morgan Family Foundation and the Junior League of San José, this vision took shape as a 3,100 square foot early learning laboratory called The Wonder Cabinet. Visitors walk through the cabinet filled with wonders, a concept inspired by early "curiosity cabinets" of the 16th century, into spaces such as The Forest, the ABC Case, and The Sand Laboratory. Program development has been guided by recommendations of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Strategies have included engagement of very young children in early learning experiences in literacy, math, science and art in a uniquely rich and stimulating environment; mastery of key developmental assets associated with school readiness; increasing parent knowledge and confidence by modeling behaviors, interactions, and activities that can be replicated at home; and creation of a gathering place for parents and professionals to learn from one another on an ongoing basis. Educational Programs: Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose (CDM) offers numerous in-depth educational programs focused on children, youth and schools. As cultural institution located in the heart of Silicon Valley, CDM is home to visual and performing arts for family audiences. The Museum regularly operates five performance and visual arts spaces within the Museum, where children, parents and teachers observe, imagine, create, and perform. Arts performances, exhibits, and education represent 50% of overall programming, making the arts accessible to a broad and diverse populace. Additionally, in recognition of the needs of our diverse community, CDM hosts numerous weekend celebrations each year, such as: El Día De Los Tres Reyes Magos; Lunar New Year, Children of the Dragon; Diwali Festival of Lights and Family Lunadas. The Museums youth programs provide an enriching and empowering learning experience for youth from diverse social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds to participate in meaningful and productive after-school activities. Discovery Youth offers young teens the opportunity to work closely with adult mentors, learning new tools and becoming deeply engaged in projects which are valued by their peers and by adults in the community. Operating during the school year, Discovery Youth is a hands-on media and technology and community service-based program. In Summer of Service each participant spends two or more weeks of their summer performing community service work throughout Santa Clara County. Students work in community-based non-profit organizations, serve as role models and mentors for young children, take part in environmental service projects, build media and technology skills, and develop leadership skills. Organized into five teams, each with its own theme of service, the program allows participating youth to collectively complete approximately 7,000 hours of community service each summer. To support interactive learning directly in the classroom environment, CDM develops and facilitates interactive learning programs, Laboratory Stories, Stage Door Stories and Family Science Nights, at elementary schools. These unique programs integrate content across curricula, meet California Content State Standards, and are adapted for each grade level.