Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert

Our intent is to build a peaceful Zen lawn that is a private space for scheduled classes for children of all ages and parents (i.e New Mommy classes, Zen Dads, etc.) as well as a place for our staff to find peace and balance in their lives. This space will be for yoga, meditation, journaling, sound baths, readings and the like. The space will consist of an artificial lawn surrounded by positive quotes and graphics with a storage container full of all the necessary equipment to make it as easy as possible to participate in guided classes from our Staff and outside practitioners. We hope to bring yoga to all children including those on the Spectrum who may benefit from the mind body connection and fostering self-regulation, as part of our reopening as a Certified Autism Center. Yoga is transformative for children fostering mental well-being. Research suggests that regular yoga practice can reduce anxiety, improve attention span, and promote self-regulation skills. It helps children discover the mind-body connection fostering a sense of inner balance. This request aims to expand access to yoga programs for children, empowering them to thrive physically, emotionally and mentally.

Contact: Cindy Burreson/CEO

Email: exec@cdmod.org

Phone: (760) 321-0602 x103

In conjunction with the Museum's journey to become Autism Certified and ensure that our guests with sensory sensitivities and their families feel welcome, we plan to build a space designated as a Low Sensory Zone.

This space will provide an area where a visitor having a sensory "meltdown" will have a designated room they can go to and feel comfortable, safe and be able to regain composure in privacy.

Low Sensory Zones have a huge impact on the decision for a family or individual to decide to visit an attraction or location. By providing this Low Sensory Zone as well as Sensory Guides for all of our exhibits, we want our families to be able to pre-plan their family's trip to the Museum knowing that we are here to make their experience the very best it can be.

Contact: Cindy Burreson

Email: exec@cdmod.org

Phone: 760.321.0602 x103

Website: www.cdmod.org

The Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert (CDMOD) in partnership with the Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD) will offer 625 first grade students in five elementary schools a School Tour visit. Each student will participate in the Amazing Animal Adaptations hands-on lesson as a part of that visit. This interdisciplinary lesson combines life science, local ecology, and the creative arts together to meet Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. Students will learn about four different animals and how they are uniquely adapted to live in the harsh desert environment. They will then create their own imaginary creature that combines adaptations to make an amazing animal. The post-visit lesson will build on these ideas exploring habitat and writing.

The School Tour program is informed by the latest research in child development including best practices in informal learning and experiential education. The hands-on lessons use an inquiry-based pedagogy to encourage thoughtful, creative, and collaborative learning. School tours benefit students both academically and personally. The hands-on lesson provides a unique environment where children directly experience the arts, sciences, and humanities in interactive environments. Interdisciplinary lessons that merge the arts with science, engineering, and math promote greater understanding than a subject offered by itself. The Amazing Animal Adaptations lesson combines life science and art and connects it to our local environment to get students think about how desert animals have evolved to survive here. Understanding that children gain knowledge through play and investigation, this lesson promotes thoughtful and creative experiential learning.

Students comparing liquid layers in test tubes, experimenting with light rays to see how they bend through various shaped lenses, and making robotic drawing machines are all scenes that will take place in the new Hands-on Learning Classroom. This fall the Museum will move its Gift Shop into the Admissions Lobby, and convert the former space into a Hands-on Learning Classroom. Last year, with help from the Anderson Children's Foundation and the City of Rancho Mirage, the Museum equipped a new STEM Learning Lab (STEM = science, technology, engineering and math). This new classroom space will utilize equipment from the STEM Learning Lab and expand the museum’s capacity to provide schools and family groups with quality, informal education opportunities. This year, funding from the Anderson Children's Foundation will be used to provide basic classroom materials, redevelop the space with classroom furnishings like tables, stools, cabinets and drop-down electric power for student workstations.

To take full advantage of this space, the Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert is developing new classroom programming to complement its current Field Trip program. Groups coming for field trips will have the option of spending part of their field trip in the exhibit galleries and part in a hands-on, material-rich classroom exploration. Initial programs developed will focus on science and engineering topics for children from Kindergarten to 5th grade. The Anderson Children's Foundation is further helping the Museum and the community by providing field trip scholarship and bus funding, so ten low-income schools in the Coachella Valley can attend programs in the Hands-on Learning Classroom.

Funding from the Anderson Children's Foundation builds the museum’s capacity to provide high-quality STEM education and opens new hands-on educational opportunities for students and teachers throughout the

The STEM Learning Lab provides young children with hands-on scientific experiences, encouraging them to explore their natural curiosity and learn about the world. The Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert helps elementary school develop their science curriculum, host Family Science nights, and continue their Little Scientists program. During Family Science Nights, museum staff teaches parents practical ways to help their children learn about science. Families develop their communication and critical thinking skills as they explore the museum. The Little Scientists program introduces 2-5 year old children to science, using simple and fun projects like creating a tornado or vortex in a bottle. In addition, the STEM program hosts a variety of field trips and activities for children of all ages.