Children’s Discovery
Jon founded (2001) and still Chairs Children's Discovery
The idea for creating CD was born when I lived with my 2 young children across the road from the Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier. The kids wanted to go there every day and I got excited about how they were learning through play. So as one does, when I came back to Sydney in 2001 I decided to set something similar up in Australia.
CD’s mission is to stimulate 2-13 year old children to learn about the world around them through play. Our STEM programs are based on learning by doing, based on the US philosophy and experience of 'Children's Museums'.
CD runs a major STEM program through libraries reaching over 80,000 children per year across Australia, (and we aim to expand that to over 250,000 children annually) through our Little Bang and Big Bang activities and loan spark boxes. We developed indigenous content, a space box, and are currently developing a climate change program to give agency to children to take positive action and counter anxiety.
CD also established a Children's Discovery Centre in Wollongong University, that opened in 2018, see www.earlystart.uow.edu.au with 100,000 visitors annually.
We welcome your contributions to our work through funding support or your valuable time. CD is a tax deductible charity.