Dear Friends,It is with great enthusiasm that the Children's Museum of St. Johns begins its second year, and I am excited to continue working to achieve the vision of the founding members of our organization: to create a facility within St. Johns County that offers interactive experiences for children and families which inspire creativity and a lifelong love of learning.
Year One is Distinguished with AccomplishmentsLast year was filled with accomplishments: we became a legal entity by filing our Articles of Incorporation with the State of Florida; we were designated an official tax exempt 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization by the IRS; we launched our website, www.explorecmsj.org; we put together an exciting hands-on exhibit, "Walk Like a Timucuan", which was offered to community children at Ancient City Kids Day 2007 and at the 2008 Lighthouse Festival; we held a series of community roundtable meetings to generate feedback from the community on our mission; we hosted "Just Tri It!", our first annual kids' triathlon; we assembled a wonderfully dedicated 16-member board of directors; and we established the CMSJ Community, a nearly 1,000-person mailing list of individuals interested in helping make CMSJ a reality.
We truly appreciate all groups and individuals who have made contributions to CMSJ, both financial and otherwise. Though we made a tremendous amount of progress last year, we are still working to achieve our goals and CMSJ will become a reality only with continued support. We will look to you, the CMSJ Community, as a source for volunteers, feedback, and advocates who can help to generate awareness and enthusiasm for CMSJ within St. Johns County.
Goal Number One for Year Two-Finding a Home for CMSJ!
One of our primary goals for this year is to locate a physical site for CMSJ. We have a Site Selection Committee dedicated to achieving this goal. Led by one of our newest board members, Mary Ann Dufresne, they are working hard to find a site that is easily accessible for both residents and visitors, meets our aesthetic goals and mission statement, and invites children to learn through fantasy and play. We will keep the CMSJ Community apprised of any new developments regarding site selection and perhaps seek to obtain feedback from you regarding potential locations and amenities.
Please Join Us for Upcoming Events!
We have many exciting events planned for 2008-2009. On Saturday, October 25, 2008, CMSJ will debut its newest hands-on, interactive activity "The Great Bubble Blow-Out" at Ancient City Kids Day. On Saturday, December 6, 2008, CMSJ will sponsor a float in the St. Augustine Christmas Parade. On Sunday, December 14, 2008, CMSJ will host a holiday fundraiser at the Limelight Theater, a matinee performance of a family favorite - "Annie Junior!" CMSJ will participate in the Annual Lighthouse Festival in March 2009, and CMSJ will sponsor its second annual kids' triathlon, "Just Tri It!", in Spring 2009. Additional details regarding these events will be posted on our website www.explorecmsj.org and announced in our online newsletters.
Thank you again for your support. Your continued interest and enthusiasm is a vital component in the creation of CMSJ. With your help, CMSJ is certain to become a permanent and valuable fixture in our community.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Koppman
President, Children's Museum of St. Johns
No comments:
Post a Comment