Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryan Yee.
Hi Bryan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am the Board President at kidSTREAM, an emerging children’s museum based in Camarillo, CA that is focused on science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and math (“STREAM”). My wife and I both work in the biotechnology industry, are raising two (and soon to be three) young girls, and are committed to giving back to our community. When we learned about kidSTREAM, specifically its vision and mission, our first question was, “how can we help?”
Thinking back to how I got to where I am today, ever since I was a child, the question “how does this work”, has been an itch in my brain that has followed me throughout my entire life. It is the question that drives me to learn random new things. With every new hypothesis came another experiment, which led to new learning, and often a new set of skills acquired along the way. Then another opportunity to reflect on what did or did not work, and successive iterations of testing and learning, often coming with increased speed as those learnings accumulated. This was not the last thing I took apart. As I reflect on those early childhood experiences, now through the lens of an adult looking for ways to give back, I have learned that:
1. Everyone has potential
2. Opportunities are not distributed equally
3. If we are in a position to make a difference, do it
Realizing that the experiences I had at a young age may not be available to children growing up in our community today, and then discovering what was coming together at kidSTREAM under the leadership of Kristie Akl and Michael Shanklin, led my wife and I to ask ourselves how our family could give of our time, money, and resources to make it a reality.
What stood out to me from the very beginning was kidSTREAM’s demonstrated commitment to advancing social equity and access to learning opportunities for children. Too often, experiential learning is available only to families of means, who can take their children to museums, field trips, specialty camps and classes. Because early STREAM-based learning opportunities can change a child’s life trajectory, kidSTREAM is committed to access for all children, regardless of socioeconomic, physical, developmental and emotional ability.
When we finish construction on our planned 30,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor exhibit space, we will take the next big step in fulfilling our vision to inspire and empower kids to become critical thinkers, innovators, and life-long learners.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I joined the project after many dedicated and committed individuals laid the foundation before me and the current team. Since starting as an idea shared with a few close friends around a kitchen table, kidSTREAM has grown from a vision to an emerging children’s museum, which will be located on the site of the former Camarillo Public Library at 3100 Ponderosa Drive. We plan to open in early 2024, with a soft opening at the end of 2023.
We recently partnered with a local creative team to record a video to share kidSTREAM’s story, featuring a number of people from our earliest days, to those involved in putting pen to paper on our plans for construction. It will be shared on all of our social media accounts in the next few weeks, so be sure to follow us to catch it when it goes live!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about kidSTREAM Children’s Museum?
Childhood is life’s greatest opportunity for learning and building a foundation for a joyful, productive and fulfilling life. Today, children don’t get nearly enough opportunities for hands-on, child-led exploratory play. Children’s museums not only provide that, but they also serve as a lesson for what we need to bring back to childhood and what we need to limit. Psychologists have said that children need balance in their lives. Young minds and bodies need to explore without too many boundaries and too many suggestions. Therein lies the genius of the children’s museum. There is an intentional design to permit the spontaneous behavior that defines how young children should spend their time.
kidSTREAM will provide an engaging experience that will break down socioeconomic and other barriers between children and families, according to Dr. Jamshid Damooei, Economic Department Chair at California Lutheran University. While there are now more than 340 children’s museums in 23 countries around the world, and children’s museums represent the largest growth sector for museums, in the Ventura County region, children and families have little or no access to the unique experiences provided by a children’s museum. The nearest options require, at minimum, an hour’s travel each way, and often much longer due to traffic or the need to utilize public transportation. Further, a children’s museum can serve as a community anchor. In fact, in determining America’s Best Cities, Businessweek placed the greatest weight on “leisure, amenities including density of museums, followed by educational metrics and economic metrics”.
Our vision is to create a regional, community-based resource that brings families together while empowering kids to become critical thinkers, innovators, and lifelong learners. Broad accessibility, cultural representation, innovation and interactive learning, and economic, community and ecological sustainability are our core values.
Since incorporating and becoming a 501(c)(3) in 2016, kidSTREAM’s board of directors and a large group of volunteers have actively reached out to over 55,000 children and families throughout Ventura County with hands-on STREAM-based learning opportunities. Currently, the primary use of the site is to showcase kidSTREAM’s vision, specifically to potential stakeholders. With the creation of our 2,500 square foot Vision Room, we have been successful in casting the vision of what is to come. Additionally, kidSTREAM has conducted outreach away from the site, around the entire county, specifically targeting communities and populations with barriers to access. Part of this targeted strategy is committing to bilingual communication and offering discounted admission to those in need of assistance.
Most recently, kidSTREAM was gifted the former Camarillo library from the City of Camarillo in December of 2022. This property includes 2-acres of land on a community campus. Our capital campaign goal is to fund the renovation and build-out of a world-class, destination-worthy resource for the Ventura County region. The foundation has been laid for kidSTREAM to take the next steps to renovate and expand our reach which will enable us to reach an estimated 150,000 children a year.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
kidSTREAM’s Board of Directors and volunteers, and the children and families we serve, invite you to join us in bringing the full vision of kidSTREAM Children’s Museum to life as we rally to fundraise so that we can complete construction and open our doors to children and families in Ventura County. By donating to the museum, we can make this transformative vision a reality in our region. Your support, lending us your networks, and helping us get the word out will make an impact on generations of children.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kidstream.org
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/ kidstreamchildrensmuseum/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/ kidSTREAMChildrensMuseum - Linkedin: https://www.
linkedin.com/company/17899288 - Twitter: https://twitter.com/
kidstream805
