Tuscarawas County, Ohio (WJER) - A local group trying to get young kids interested in science, technology and the arts wants to establish a permanent home.  

Steam Centers board chair Sam Wottle says since last year, they’ve been taking a mobile pop-up museum to community events with hands-on activities like a water table and indoor play gym. She says they now are raising funds so steam centers can move this into a building somewhere in the Dover – New Philadelphia area.

“Children’s museums are a little bit different. They provide interactive exhibits that are built to stimulate children at developmentally appropriate levels. So with a kids’ museum, just think of like general play and activities that kids can do - building blocks or gross motor and fine motor activities,” she says.

Wottle says they want to develop the museum in three phases. The first would focus on ages birth to 6 years old.  The second would be 7 to 11, and then 12 and up.  This could cost up to a million dollars.

“Our board right now is working on putting together a capital campaign to raise funds to purchase a building, renovate it, and start to put in some exhibitry. 

She says Steam Centers wants to launch that capital campaign in March, and it would be a couple of years before they are open for phase one.

The group is having a barbecue chicken dinner fundraiser this Thursday, December 6th, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Park Place Teen Center.  

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