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Pretend City Children's Museum Set to Open August 2009 in Irvine

Posted on: Wednesday, 17 June 2009, 18:43 CDT

- Pretend City Uniquely Combines Education and Recreation in a Creative, Fun and Hands-On Environment for Young Children -

IRVINE, Calif., June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Pretend City Children's Museum today announced its grand opening date of Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009, in Irvine, Calif. The 28,000-square-foot museum will be the first educational facility in Orange County to represent a miniature city, empowering young children and families to meaningfully connect with and expand their world in a hands-on learning environment. The grand opening culminates years of design, program and construction work by prominent business and community leaders, educators, and philanthropists.

"With some 250 children's museums operating in the United States, Pretend City will be the first major such institution in Orange County," said Bill H. Lyon, Pretend City's board chair and president and COO of William Lyon Homes. "Moreover, it is the only children's museum of its kind in the country with a focus on helping young children experience the interconnectedness of all professions of a community, and how every person is essential to the well being of a community."

Pretend City Children's Museum is an interconnected city designed for children ranging from infants to eight years old. The city comprises a grocery store, farm, doctor's office, art studio, amphitheater, beach, marina, construction site and many other exhibits. Children will learn through role play based on real-world experiences as they dress up as a police officer, deliver the mail, create art, compose music or put out a fire. Pretend City will also feature two birthday party rooms, an observation room to facilitate educational or product research, and private event facilities for up to 400 adults. Classrooms for teacher and parent training and school field trip orientation will also be available.

Pretend City uniquely combines education and recreation to provide a refreshing outlet for today's children, many of whom experience the world vicariously by watching television, texting on cell phones and playing video games, while others are tightly scheduled into multiple structured activities. In addition, schools must adhere to state curriculum standards, creating a results-oriented environment where young children are not always given the time and opportunity to effectively develop important skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, negotiation, teamwork and leadership. Pretend City is an especially important resource as communities grapple with historic budget cuts faced by public schools and public service agencies throughout the state, providing a place where children can learn these skills through interactive and exploratory play.

"The first five years of a child's life are so important; that's when 90% of a child's development takes place," said William Habermehl, superintendent of the Orange County Department of Education and member of Pretend City's board of directors. "It's so important to build a foundation early and give them experiences that will last a lifetime. If you miss that opportunity, then you have a big void to fill. Pretend City makes learning exciting for children and gives them a foundation they can build on for the rest of their lives."

Pretend City was made possible by the active and generous involvement of a board of directors with an average age of 39 and an average gift of $246,000, including many of Orange County's next generation of leaders and philanthropists. To date, the capital development campaign has generated $11 million toward its goal of $17.5 million intended to support the museum's planning, design and operations. Gifts have come from both private and corporate sources including M&M/Mars, Ralphs, Kaiser Permanente and Rancho Mission Viejo Co. The museum continues to seek capital and operational support from private, corporate and foundation sources.

Pretend City is also working closely with experts and community agencies in education, public safety and children's health to develop a range of programs for parents and children to experience together. Important relationships already formed include those with Healthy Smiles, the Orange County Fire Authority, the Orange County Department of Education, Family Support Network, City of Irvine Police Department, Help Me Grow, Children's Hospital of Orange County, Miocean, UCI Medical Center and YMCA Branch Community Services.

One of Pretend City's key partners, the Children and Families Commission of Orange County, has given the museum a $3.5-million program grant to implement a 10-year, countywide initiative to promote developmental screenings for young children.

"Pretend City is the best-equipped organization to take on the challenge of increasing awareness of the importance of developmental screenings," said Michael Ruane, executive director of the Children and Families Commission of Orange County. "We know what an impact this museum will have over the next 10 years, and that's why we are partnering with them to tackle this important issue."

Conceived by co-founders Alexandra Airth and Sandy Peffer, realization of the Pretend City concept is the result of the dedication and innovative thinking of a distinguished group comprising the institution's Board of Directors, Education Advisory Board and Campaign Cabinet, as well as leading museum planning, design and construction professionals. Pretend City President Pam Shambra brings 20 years of experience in museum development, management, marketing and capital campaign fundraising to its leadership.

Pretend City will be located at 29 Hubble, Irvine, CA 92618. For more information on the museum and to participate as a donor or sponsor, call 949-418-3900 or visit www.pretendcity.org.

About Pretend City

Pretend City is a nonprofit interactive children's museum and the first educational facility in Orange County to represent a miniature city. Pretend City builds better brains through whole-body learning experiences, educational programs and creative exhibits that empower children and their families to meaningfully connect with and expand their world. It is designed to be a unique community resource where families, educators and community agencies come together to help each child reach their greatest potential. The museum is located at 29 Hubble, Irvine, CA 92618. For more information on the museum and to participate as a donor, sponsor or volunteer, call 949-428-3900 x224 or visit www.pretendcity.org.

SOURCE Pretend City

Source: PR Newswire

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