Just 10 minutes from Amgen's Thousand Oaks campus, children can now dig for pygmy mammoth bones, crawl through a rolling wave tunnel, and pretend to shop and cook at a farmer's market, part of hands-on play at the newly opened kidSTREAM Children's Museum.
The museum officially opened May 21 after years of support from local partners, including Amgen and the Amgen Foundation.
“At Amgen, we harness the best in biology and technology to fight the world's toughest diseases,” said Scott Heimlich, Amgen's executive director of Corporate Philanthropy and president of the Amgen Foundation, at the museum's grand opening. “Through the Amgen Foundation, we are committed to making science and related fields accessible and engaging to all. kidSTREAM is a powerful example of that in action.”
That action has included long-standing and ongoing investment in the communities surrounding Amgen's headquarters. Through the Amgen Foundation, more than $500 million has been contributed to nonprofit organizations globally, including more than $100 million across Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
Amgen employees help bring kidSTREAM to life
Amgen and the Amgen Foundation have donated more than $2 million to the development of kidSTREAM. More than 80 Amgen employees pitched in over 750 volunteer hours through board service, on-site renovations, building key partnerships and even packing kits for use at the museum. As a result, another $17,925 in donations was made to the museum through the Amgen Foundation's Dollars for Doers Program, which donates $25 per hour for every hour an employee volunteers at an eligible nonprofit.
“It was inspiring to see Amgen's support for education and the community,” said Anita Lovasi, a senior project manager at Amgen. “I loved volunteering alongside my Amgen colleagues to make a positive impact together.”
For Nick Teverbaugh, a senior manager of data management at Amgen, volunteering at kidSTREAM has been for more than “just giving his time.”
“From the early stages of renovations to supporting community events, outreach efforts, partnerships, and helping advocate for resources and equipment that helped move the museum toward opening, I've been passionate about doing whatever I could to help bring this vision to life,” said Teverbaugh.
Investing in Ventura County Families
That sense of pride was visible throughout the museum's opening day which transformed from celebratory remarks and a formal ribbon cutting to a space vibrantly filled with the energy, squeals and shrieks of children at play.
As a father of three young children, Teverbaugh said the museum's mission closely aligns with what he hopes his own family and community will experience for years to come.
“My family strongly believes in the value of STEM education and giving kids opportunities to learn through creativity, curiosity and hands-on experiences,” he said. “kidSTREAM represents exactly the kind of environment we want our children growing up in, a place that inspires imagination, problem solving and confidence.
For many Amgen employees like Nick, Anita and Hillary, kidSTREAM stands out because of its proximity to campus and its direct connection to local families. The museum creates a new space where children can engage with science in an interactive environment and it demonstrates how long-term community relationships continue to evolve.
For Scott and the Foundation, kidSTREAM represents a prime example of the wonderful evolution of deep and meaningful long-term community relationships. “Founder and former Amgen Fellow, Kristie Akl, first connected with the Amgen Foundation nearly two decades ago through the New Science Teacher Academy,” he said. “Today, that relationship has helped bring a permanent science-focused educational resource to Ventura County.”
Read more about kidSTREAM in recent features in the LA Times and New York Times. Learn more about the Amgen Foundation here.
