Cultivating curious kids: CuriOdyssey announces $35M revamp, fundraising underway

Having raised $19 million from its close network of donors, officials are now ready to branch out to the community at large and garner support aimed at facilitating experiential learning for children of all ages.

Creativity, while always afoot at the center, is kicking into full gear as the team at CuriOdyssey is working to double classroom space, increase program capacity and make room for dozens of new exhibits — all while remaining within the building’s current footprint of 28,000 square feet nestled against the Bayfront.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth in all areas. Our membership has grown tremendously, attendance has gone from 70,000 to 170,000 this last year,” said Deputy Director Joan Martel. “One of the things that makes us so special is that we are an intimate experience. We’re not too big, we’re not looking to quadruple or grow 10 times. We want to maintain that small and intimate experience that’s special for children. … Overall, we’re just going to be using the space we have now differently and better meet the needs of the organization.”

Home to dozens of wildlife like bobcats, otters, foxes, falcons and more; the center has come a long ways from its initial founding in 1953 as the San Mateo County Junior Museum. Due at least in part to the organization rebranding in 2011, CuriOdyssey now serves a much larger portion of the community with its educational programs and is seeking to repurpose its space with the help of the award-winning firm Fernau & Hartman Architects.

To stay true to its roots, portions of the 1980s interior, such as the Douglas fir beams in the underutilized four-tiered upstairs hall, will be reused and incorporated into the new design. What better way to highlight environmental consciousness and pay tribute to the original facility, Martel asked.

“It’s also the story of taking that initial investment from those initial investors in Coyote Point Museum, environmental education museum, and bringing it forward into CuriOdyssey,” Martel said. “I think it tells a beautiful story too, that it really is about being environmentally conscientious.”

The renovation also includes expanding from two to four classrooms, tripling its interactive exhibit space from what can now hold just 40 pieces to nearly 100, and increasing its wildlife and science programs.

The revamp presents an opportunity to design around the needs of its users and promote unique experiential learning opportunities that make a tremendous impact on the lives of children, said Education Director Carl Oosterman.

“If you’re going to teach science, particularly environmental science, you want them to be in the place where it’s occurring. … Any time you can engage their senses, whether it be sound, touch, sight, smell, taste, their retention and basically the hardwiring of their brain is better developed,” Oosterman said. “Those experiences which we provide here, which are real, rich and right now, tend to be highly impactful.”

Saahithi Madiraju brought her son to CuriOdyssey for the first time and said the nonprofit lived up to its name.

“It has so many wonderful things for the kids, for their curiosity. My son, he’s only 18 months old, but he loved it,” Madiraju said after playing with one of the interactive exhibits. “It just captured his attention. Anything that can bring out their creativity and let them think at that age is really great.”

Short of its goal, CuriOdyssey is reaching out to the community for support. The public is invited to gather Saturday, as proposed changes will be announced while a new exhibit is also unveiled.

The team at CuriOdyssey carefully curates interactive exhibits that illustrate various principles of science. Whether it’s conservation of angular momentum or potential kinetic energy, an underlying criteria is staying unplugged, said Exhibits Director Eric Maschwitz.

“We think physical interaction with the natural world is an important cornerstone of our design process,” Maschwitz said. “We don’t trick anything; it’s just science and that’s compelling.”

Maschwitz said he and his crew are anything but short on ideas for new exhibits, but are limited by the building’s limited space. Future visitors will also get a behind-the-scenes look at how the crafty contraptions are made.

“We’re going to have a much more effectively usable, flexible space,” Maschwitz said. “The workshop is [going to be] visible, so the workshop itself is an exhibit. Visitors will get to see the process of how exhibits are built.”

Another major feature of the renovation is a second-story observatory protruding from the main building. Overlooking the Bay, it will provide a rare glimpse into the surrounding tree canopy. Different shaped peepholes will give children a renewed perspective as the world around them is framed in unique ways, Martel said.

But for these improvements to take shape, CuriOdyssey staff said they need the community’s help. TomKat Charitable Trust has increased its $5 million donation by announcing a challenge grant to match all new and increased donations up to $2 million. Striving to break ground on the renovation in 2016, construction could take up to two years, Martel said.

Some of its exhibits will be relocated outdoors as CuriOdyssey and of course, the array of wildlife that call Coyote Point home, will remain in their habitats and be available to the public, Martel said.

A lot has changed since the nonprofit’s inception decades ago and staff believes the future holds a great deal of promise.

“Our region is renowned as a hub for science, engineering, innovation and creativity — we need to equip our children with the critical thinking skills to take on the future,” Executive Director Rachel Meyer said in a press release. “I am confident the community will join us in raising the remaining funds to create a premier, serious science playground and give more kids the power of real science.”

The Bright New Future fundraiser launch and unveiling of the exhibit Reflections and Perceptions begin 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at CuriOdyssey, 1651 Coyote Point Drive, San Mateo. Visit curiodyssey.org for more information.