Addition will allow KidSenses to grow along with children it serves

The children who were infants and toddlers when KidSenses opened 11 years ago are now teens. And as they've grown, the museum that has provided an opportunity for learning through play has decided to grow with them.

"The Factory," KidSenses planned expansion, will provide new experiences for youth ages 11 into their teens and beyond, said Willard Whitson, executive director of the children's museum.

"The Factory fits with KidSenses' founding group's goal - which was to have a museum that would engage children into their teens," he said.

KidSenses held its 10 year celebration in 2014, he continued, which was a good occasion to look toward the future.

"The Factory will be a makerspace," he explained.

"We wanted to avoid a kid-affiliated name," Whitson said. "And we went with the name Factory because factories are where things are made."

At The Factory, youth will be able to pursue activities that reflect their own personal interests and also learn more about their future aspirations.

"Jobs in our region are going to reflect a STEM-based economy," Whiston explained. STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education is part of the curriculum in local schools. Having a place where youth can apply their classroom knowledge in a fun venue where there's "no such thing as failure," Whiston added, is particularly key to keeping young people interested in those high technology fields.

"We hope we keep the spark going by helping young people see themselves in the future," he said.

The Factory offers a "tremendous opportunity" for area technology-based businesses to provide collaboration and mentoring programs.

"We see it as being a community center and community resource," Whitson explained. "We will have to increase our staff, so it will provide additional jobs, too."

A location for the expansion has not been determined, and museum staff are looking at a number of locations in Rutherfordton.

Currently a capital campaign is in place to raise the $1.5 million to create The Factory. The Town of Rutherfordton pledged $50,000 toward the campaign in 2015. The community can also contribute to the capital campaign, which will be a two to three year campaign, Whitson said. A link to donate can be found at kidsenses.org.