Sarasota Children’s Museum To Launch Mobile Museum On Wheels
SARASOTA, FL — The Sarasota Children’s Museum, a nonprofit organization founded last year, has received funding from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation that allows it to purchase a trailer to launch a mobile museum on wheels.
The 24-foot, fully solar-powered trailer will allow the museum to more easily attend community events as it ramps up its search for a brick-and-mortar location, founder Christina Fredericks told Patch.
The museum is focused on STEAM – science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics – programming. Experiences range from building simple machines to exploring ecosystems to creating art.
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“All immersive, where we can learn by doing,” she said.
As the mother of four children, she was inspired by her family’s experience when creating the concept for the museum.
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“We always take our kids to do awesome, interactive experiences in Tampa or St. Pete,” said Fredericks, who also has a degree in early childhood education. “And when we’re on vacation, I find out (experiences) wherever we go. It made me think, ‘Why do we not have this here?’”
She’s also watched the demographics of the Sarasota area change over the last 20 years that she’s lived there.
“Five years ago, it (the museum) was not as warranted,” she said. “Now there are a lot of younger families coming to Sarasota. It’s less of a retirement city and more a thriving, young family kind of place. I think it makes sense to have something like this.”
The museum has already brought experiences to neighborhoods and events throughout the community. The mobile museum will allow them to reach even more families.
“It’s designed to bring educational and interactive experiences to children in the community,” Fredericks said. “I really want to spark a level of learning with hands-on experiences and also take down barriers to learning.”
So far, the Sarasota Children’s Museum has brought programming to Mothers Helping Mothers and the Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota, as well as literacy and back-to-school events.
She looks forward to collaborating with more nonprofits, community organizations and even local schools.
“We can coordinate to whatever the curriculum is. We have the flexibility to be ever changing and can mold to whatever is happening,” she said.
The organization is working with Ringling College students. During the fall semester, students will create and submit plans for the trailer’s design, which will include a ramp into the trailer and interactivities both inside and outside it, Fredericks said. The favorite design will be chosen and the work will likely be completed in the spring of 2025.
The search for a permanent brick-and-mortar location continues, she said. They’re trying to determine the best location for the museum.
“What we’re deciding is are we going to be building on a vacant lot, leasing from an existing structure or purchasing an existing structure,” she said.
After that, the museum will launch a capital campaign. In the meantime, donations can be made to the organization online here.
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