Our vision
We believe that all children deserve the best start in life. Research shows that stimulating playful experiences develop children’s confidence, curiosity, creativity, communication, and instil a can-do attitude.
Our vision is for all communities to value the power of play to support children’s healthy development and aspirations.
Our Work
Our national
science in the library initiative intends to build community capacity through improved science literacy and participation. We achieve this through our training and equipping of public libraries and community venues to run science and discovery programs. Programs include the
Little Bang Discovery Club®,
Big Bang Science Workshops and collections of loanable STEM-themed
Spark! discovery boxes.
Children's Discovery's programs are specifically designed to develop STEM-based (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) knowledge, skills and career aspirations through inquisitive, play-based learning and our unique delivery infrastructure (public libraries and community groups); ensures value for money (over time, programs are able to deliver services for as little as $3 per child interaction); and makes our programs attractive and accessible to groups historically under-represented in STEM.
Since 2011, CD has equipped 375 libraries and trained over 500 librarians in 105 LGAs across Australia. Importantly, over 50% of the LGAs are outside metropolitan areas. Through this infrastructure, we service over 80,000 children per year. This still only represents a small fraction of children’s that would benefit from Children’s Discovery’s programs.
In general, we work with individual public libraries, Local Council Areas, outside-of-school education providers and early learning centres, to develop and deliver STEM-based workshops and equipment. Importantly, our train-the-trainer format of program delivery develops skills of local facilitators enabling a cycle of skills reinforcement and sustainable program delivery.
Our science kits are robust and can be used on multiple occasions simply by replacing commonly-available consumables. By exposing young children (and particularly girls, prior to the reinforcement of gender stereotypes) to fun and engaging STEM-based concepts the door to life-long STEM engagement is opened. Participating in these extra-curricular activities encourages children to choose subjects at school that facilitate advanced STEM-based study and career options.
Festivals and events host many of our large-scale discovery experiences; including,
Kids Dig simulated archaeological excavations,
Build It house construction zones, and
SS Discovery exploration vessels. These engaging programs have been a critical success at festivals and events around the world, including Scifest Africa, Abu Dhabi Science Festival and Science Week Indonesia.
Explore our work
in action at the
Early Start Discovery Space.
Contact us to learn more.
