Lynda Fairly of Santa Barbara was elected President of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Museum of Santa Barbara. Lynda worked at Santa Barbara City College for 33 years before retiring as Vice President of Adult Education. She has been involved with many local organizations, including Girl Scouts, Catholic Charities, Center for Successful Aging, PathPoint, and the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.
“I am honored to be working with our Board to complete this important, and very much-needed, project for the children and families of Santa Barbara,” said Fairly.
Other members elected to the board include: Chris Kroes, 1st Vice President; Laura Ragan, 2nd Vice President; Jill Levinson, Secretary; and Scott Hadley, Treasurer.
The Children’s Museum Board of Directors is planning to build a 14,000 square-foot building on Santa Barbara City-owned land at 125 State St., adjacent to the train depot. The proposed museum was designed by award-winning local architect Barry Berkus. The eco-friendly building will feature 7,000 square feet of interactive educational exhibits, a rooftop garden, a classroom, an art studio, and a Museum store filled with unique educational toys and books. On April 7 the Santa Barbara City Council voted unanimously to approve a Memorandum of Understanding with the Children’s Museum and to designate the project a Community Priority.
Children’s museums are gathering places where a diverse cross-section of families can come together to learn, play, and have fun. Traditional museums are about objects and collections, whether they be cars, paintings, or historical artifacts. Children’s museums are dedicated solely to providing children with unique experiences designed to meet their specific physical, intellectual, emotional, and developmental needs. Grounded in well-established pedagogy — the art and science of teaching — children’s museums combine specific learning objectives with play, a concept often referred to as stealth learning.
The first children’s museum, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, was founded in 1899. More than 340 children’s museums now exist in 23 countries around the world, with more than 34 million visitors annually. According to the American Association of Museums, children’s museums are the fastest growing type of museum, increasing tenfold in the last 30 years.
For more information about the Children’s Museum of Santa Barbara, contact Sheila Cushman at 805.680.7235.
— Sheila Cushman is the Executive Director of the Children’s Museum of Santa Barbara.
