2022 Annual Report

2022 Annual Report

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1

INTRODUCTION

Making Room to Grow

Nothing lights up a child's brain like play.

— Dr. Stuart Brown

Play helps children thrive by teaching them to overcome adversity, form attachments, mitigate toxic stress, build confidence, learn empathy, sharpen communication skills, develop creativity, and enhance their resiliency.

For children to flourish in school and in life, we cannot wait until they enter kindergarten to promote their health, safety, and learning.

— City of Pasadena Early Childhood Development Policy, approved November 2022

Our mission

To nurture the potential of all children through kid-driven experiences, inspiring them to become joyful, active learners.

2

IMPACT

Helping Children Thrive & Play Every Day

Our Community
by the Numbers

83

%

83% of PUSD schools are Title 1

<

50

%

Less than 50% kindergarten readiness in low-income families

1,387

1,387 children aged 0-5 live below poverty level in Pasadena

32000

+

Over 32,000 children are in foster care in LA

43

%

Only 43% of kindergartners with low economic status have visited a museum

Kidspace by the Numbers

325000

annual visitors

40,000

free or reduced-price admissions

6,738

member families

1,438

free school visits

30000

families engaged for free offsite

11,500

caterpillars adopted

1000
00000
0000

giggles (roughly)

Impact Stories

My Master­pieces

For the first time since the pandemic, Pasadena Unified School District field trips returned to Kidspace in 2022. Kidspace welcomed every PUSD kindergarten class, over 1200 students and teachers in all. Each class visit included outdoor learning experiences exploring the butterfly life cycle, camouflage, mimicry, and color through hands-on science and art activities. Kidspace supported the on-site visit with award-winning digital content for the classroom.

Impact Stories

Big Day of Play

On October 20, 2022, Kidspace opened exclusively for some very special guests of Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, over 700 youth under the supervision of the Department of Children and Family Services and their caregivers. The joyful event included a day exploring Kidspace’s exhibits, a Halloween parade, and pumpkin decorating.

I truly believe that children must be exposed to positive play experiences like those offered at Kidspace. Through play, children learn how to navigate the world with confidence, and that in turn helps unlock their potential.

— Supervisor Kathryn Barger

3

FINANCES

By the Numbers

Operating revenue in 2022 continued our pattern of year-on-year growth following Kidspace’s 14-month pandemic closure. Earned revenue from admission, membership, retail, and rentals was 38% above our four-year average and provided 82% of our annual budget.

Earned revenue

38%

above average

2022 Financials

Annual Revenue

Scroll to see details of our Annual Revenue growth between 2019 and 2022 →

2022 Financials

General Admission Revenue by Month

Scroll to see details of our Annual Revenue growth between 2019 and 2022 →

2022 Financials

Revenue Sources

17%

ANNUAL CONTRIBUTIONS

83%

EARNED REVENUE

4

CAMPUS ENHANCEMENTS

2022 Capital Improvements

Muddy Boot Farm

Muddy Boot Farm invites children to become farmers, merchants, cooks, or customers in the wonkiest, goofiest farmstand in the land. Kids “dig in” to planting, growing, and the farm-to-table food movement surround by dramatically oversized vegetables, giant, boot-wearing chickens, and a disco complete with a barnyard band.

Funding from General Operating Support grants

Ramps and Rollers

In Ramps and Rollers kids run the town, engineering ridiculous, rockin’ and rollin’ roadways in a monster-filled, city-themed environment. Guests design and build STEAM-based creations together using ramps, blocks, balls, and monster pieces.

Funding from General Operating Support grants

Winding Willow Lake

In 2022, Winding Willow Lake transformed a quiet corner of campus into an imaginative sandy “lake” filled with blue sand “water” and the cutest rowboat around, the Pollywog. Focusing on imaginary play, children are centered in their own storytelling about fishing, sailing, or whale watching, while adults rest on the cozy “dock” built just for them.

5

OUR PARTNERS

Making Friends

Transformative Arts

Kidspace partnered with LA-based, community arts nonprofit Transformative Arts, curator jill moniz, master quilter Lavialle Campbell, and fabric artist Soyoung Shin, to explore the storytelling power and history of Black quilt making.

Over weekends in February and March, Kidspace invited our visitors to work side by side with Campbell on a series of community quilts.

Over 100 families crafted their personal stories into individual fabric patches which Shin then sewed together into quilts which became shared remembrances of the lives, feelings, and hopes of the Kidspace community in 2022.

Click on groups to meet our partners

6

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES

We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to create a future of their own choosing.

Opportunity

=

Education