The Children's Museum of Idaho has created a new exhibit area called Design, Build, Test. The Rigamajig materials were critical in creating this hands-on free play space at the museum. The project funding partially supported the purchase of the Simple Machines Add-on Kit. The Children's Museum of Idaho averages over 10,400 visitors per month. The new exhibit space has been well received by children and their caregivers. School groups have benefitted from this maker’s space exhibit. Youth Project Lead and other students helped to test out the Basic Builders Kit. After only one month of its installation, thousands of children have engaged with the materials and created endless number of creative, unique, complex, and simple projects. The museum is thrilled to see kids tinkering, exploring and discovery new ideas daily.
The Children's Museum of Idaho received the Rigamajig Basic Builder Kit. The museum initiated a Rigama-Give campaign for Giving Tuesday 2024 to help raise additional support from the community to purchase the Simple Machines Add-on Kit. The ChangeX challenge funds went to support this campaign. The Exhibit posters have been hung and the exhibit will open very soon to the public. The Exhibit was highlighted at a Holiday Open House on December 11th. Both team leaders (adult and youth) were in attendance to talk about the new exhibit to community partners. The Children's Museum of Idaho and our Challenge Team members are excited to open this exhibit to the community. Thousands of kiddos are going to enjoy engaging with the Rigamajig materials.
Action plan: Rigamajig at Children’s Museum of Idaho
Timeline: When will you be able to start your project? How often will your team meet? Are there any key dates to share for the project?
The Children’s Museum of Idaho team has decided that the project can start as soon as the Rigamajig Basic Builder Kit arrives, estimated December 2024. The Children’s Museum of Idaho Rigamajig Team will help create the exhibit in the Builder’s Shed. Exhibit impact will be shared with Change X. A report will be sent within 2-6 months from the date of initial funding is received documenting the use and placement of the exhibit.
Budget: You don't need to share exact prices, but please share how you're planning to spend the seed funding & what costs you're anticipating to get your project up and running:
The Children’s Museum of Idaho is planning to use the project funds to support additional Rigamajig Add-On components. The Children’s Museum of Idaho anticipates that more than 6-8 children will want to engage with this exhibit and thus additional components will be needed. The add-on components costs that the team was deciding on were as follows:
The team decided on purchasing the Simple Machines add-on component. Change X funding will support the additional cost for the Simple Machines add-on components. If additional funding is available, the museum will consider additional components. The Children’s Museum of Idaho has submitted grant funding to Sparklight Foundation requesting additional support for this project. Grant was submitted October 31, 2024, and notice will be sent by end of November 2024. Additional funding sources will be searched from the funding list provided on the Rigamajig website (https://www.rigamajig.com/grants-fundraising/)
Impact: How will your community benefit from this project? Do you have any measurable goals for your project, such as the number of people that will participate? Are you hoping to spread knowledge or increase interest in a specific subject?
The Rigamajig interactive exhibit at a children's museum will improve STEAM education by providing hands-on learning experiences that foster problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration. Children engage in open-ended construction projects, which help them develop critical thinking skills while integrating principles from engineering, math, art, and science. By working together, they improve communication and social skills, while gaining an intuitive understanding of basic engineering concepts. This exciting, playful environment inspires a lifelong interest in STEAM subjects, encouraging children to explore further and envision careers in these fields.
Location: If your project requires physical space, have you decided the location? Do you have all necessary permission and permits to carry out your project at the chosen location?
The Change X project – Rigamajig Exhibit - will be installed at the Children’s Museum of Idaho. The Executive Director, Board Chair, Development Director, and Programs Manager are all involved as team members. The Kid Leader and other children helped to determine the location for the exhibit and how and when it should be opened to the public. The Rigamajig exhibit is planned to be installed inside the museum in an enclosed 3-sided room with dimensions approximately 14’x16’. The team decided this location over the other option of the Builder’s Shed in the Great Outdoors Area. The reasoning that it would allow more visibility for the project, ensure parts don’t get lost and offer more interaction space for groups.
Several children volunteered to participate on the Rigamajig team. The Kid Leader and several other children were involved in the initial planning meeting on November 11, 2024. The Kid Leader suggested having the Rigamjig prompts or challenge cards available for the opening event for families and kids to create designs with open ended project ideas. These kids helped to decide the location for the Rigamajig exhibit, when to install and open the exhibit, and what additional components were needed to make the exhibit a success for the thousands of children and families that come to the museum annually.
