According to Elizabeth Langmack, the planned Discover U Children’s Museum is only a dream. The organization, made up of a group of parents, educators and business leaders, does not exist yet on paper. They do not own a piece of land, they do not have a location in mind other then central St. Mary’s County.
“We are in the organization and planning stages right,” Langmack told The Bay Net. The organization, currently applying for 501(c)3 status, wants to create a children’s museum where children and adults of all ages play to explore and discover who they are and all the things they can do.
“We are looking to raise about $10 million to purchase the land and construct the museum,” Langmack said. “But it won’t end there. We are planning on needing to raise $2 – $5 million a year to operate the facility after it is built.”
The concept of a children’s museum is not new by any means. Cities such as Boston, New York, Chicago, Seattle and Pittsburgh each have museums designed to interact with children, create an enjoying learning experience that feels more like fun and adventure than learning in the classroom.
As described on their website, The Children’s Museum of History, Natural History, Science & Technology, located at 311 Main Street, Utica, NY, provides an educationally enjoyable environment for kids from 1 to 101. Similar descriptions are found on at least 100 other websites describing comparable facilities around the country.
Langmack stated the fledgling group is working to build the foundation of the Discover U Children’s Museum to see if it is feasible. “The project will be huge and require a lot of volunteers and contributions if we are to succeed.”
To learn more, call Langmack at 301-997-8790 or fellow enthusiast, Linda Blazemore at 301-997-1331. Interested readers may also email the organization for volunteer application forms at discucm@yahoo.com. Completed forms may be mailed to Discover U Children’s Museum, PO Box 1938, Leonardtown, MD 20650.
