What happens when generosity meets imagination? A museum can begin moving.
In 2025, the Rickel Foundation awarded Sarasota Children’s Museum a generous $15,000 grant to support the fabrication of our STEAM Machine. Today, that investment is helping us bring hands-on learning directly to children and families throughout our community.
Taking discovery on the road
The STEAM Machine is Sarasota Children’s Museum’s mobile children’s museum—a joyful, interactive learning environment designed to travel throughout the region.
Through engaging activities rooted in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics, children are encouraged to experiment, create, solve problems and follow their curiosity wherever it leads.
With the Rickel Foundation’s support, we completed fabrication of the STEAM Machine and put it on the road. In this first year of service, it reached nearly 2,000 children (so far) and their families through hands-on, interactive experiences.
Creating meaningful moments for children
Every visit from the STEAM Machine offers children an opportunity to learn through play. These encounters help build curiosity, creativity and critical-thinking skills while making educational experiences more accessible to families across our community.
The Rickel Foundation’s contribution did more than help complete a vehicle. It helped create hundreds of moments when children could ask questions, test ideas, build something new and discover just how exciting learning can be.
Watch the STEAM Machine reveal on Instagram.
Building the future of joyful learning
The STEAM Machine is an important part of Sarasota Children’s Museum’s growing mission. As we expand our mobile programming, we are also preparing for a permanent home in our newly acquired 19,000-square-foot space at 3400 Wilkinson Road in Sarasota.
Support from community partners like the Rickel Foundation is helping transform this vision into a lasting resource for children and families throughout the Suncoast region.
With heartfelt gratitude
We extend our sincere thanks to Jay Rickel-Finnegan and the entire Rickel Foundation leadership team. Your generosity has helped put wonder in motion and bring meaningful STEAM experiences to hundreds of local children.
We look forward to welcoming the Rickel Foundation team—and our entire community—to Wonder 2026, our third annual fundraising and showcase event.
Wonder 2026
Saturday, November 14, 2026
9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
3400 Wilkinson Road
Sarasota, FL 34231
Come explore our future home, experience the joy of learning through play and discover what we can build together.
