The MY Town exhibit will provide an exceptional children's museum experience through a neighborhood playscape with a library, store, streets and other elements of vibrant and healthy communities. My Town will be free to the public and include unique opportunities to teach traffic safety skills to young children and engage parents, guardians and other members of the community in thinking about safe routes to school. Exhibit materials and educational programs will be provided in both English and Spanish to serve a diverse audience reflective of Monterey County.
The Measure X Safe Routes to School Program is aimed at developing better infrastructure for students traveling to and from school, educating children and the surrounding community how to safely walk and bike, and encouraging children to use active transportation that will lead to a healthier lifestyle. The My Town exhibit will help to meet the following two goals of the Measure X Safe Routes to School program:
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All children in Monterey County receive pedestrian and bicycle safety education by 5th grade; and
- Parents, guardians, teachers, school staff and surrounding neighborhood community are educated on safe driving, bicycling and walking in support of safe routes to school efforts.
Monterey Youth Museum will develop the Exhibit in coordination with TAMC staff, CSUMB Steinbeck Center, and other community partners including Monterey County First 5, Monterey County Libraries, and Hijos del Sol Art Production. Monterey Youth Museum will also staff the exhibit and store the exhibit pieces when not in use.
The attached draft Agreement outlines the roles and responsibilities of TAMC and Monterey Youth Museum. Other partners are expected to work with the Youth Museum to bring the exhibit to various locations.
The Exhibit is estimated to draw over 17,000 people over the three months at its first location in the CSUMB - Steinbeck Center in Salinas. The Exhibit will provide continuous programming for children every week with opportunities for adult workshops several times per month on topics such as:
How to organize a Walk/Bike to School Event,
Volunteer Crossing Guard Training; and,
How to Start a Walking School Bus.
In addition to the regular MY Town Exhibit program there will be special community engagement opportunities in conjunction with the existing First Friday of the month activities in downtown Salinas. The My Town First Friday event will offer free food to community members, fun family-friendly activities and information about TAMC projects and programs, and information on local transportation resources. Existing First Friday events at the CSUMB - Steinbeck Center draw between 1,000 - 5,000 visitors, and similar levels of participation are expected through the duration of the MY Town exhibit.
The MY Town exhibit will debut at the CSUMB - Steinbeck Center in Salinas during Bike Month, May 2019, and will run through the first Friday in August. After August, the My Town exhibit will move to at least one other location in Monterey County within a 2 year timeframe. Interested cities with display space are encouraged to contact TAMC staff to host the My Town exhibit.