Imagine a child walking into an operating room and preparing a patient for open-heart surgery. With the defibrillator in hand, it is up to the child to save a life. This is one of the planned exhibits for the Children’s Science Center of Northern Virginia.

Two years ago, a founding board in the Northern Virginia area saw a need for a children’s museum that made math and science exciting. According to a poll by the Educational Testing Service, American educators say today’s children are behind on the path of being competitive for science and engineering jobs. This Children’s Museum board says this can be a solution to that ailment.

“We want to make science and math cool again,” said board member Leo Rydzewski. “A museum like this can play a unique opportunity and awareness of what fields are available for children.”

“Math is declining in our school system and children aren’t doing well in it,” said Brenda Hyde, chairman of the board.

“Only 5% of our graduates go on to study math or science.”

Rydzewski gave a presentation to the Reston Association Thursday, July 24 and received positive feedback from the board. RA President Robin Smyers called the museum a positive opportunity for Reston and offered any needed help from the association.

Most museums of this desired caliber start small at an interim site. Rydzewski said some interim sites for children’s museums can be as small as 1,000 square feet, but this board plans to have their interim site be 20,000 to 40,000 square feet. A plan to open the interim site is projected in the first quarter of 2009. A permanent site — which is planned to be anywhere from 100 to 150 thousand square feet — is targeted to open five to seven years after the opening of the interim site.

About one year ago, Rydzewski and real estate agent Joseph Ritchey were in contact with 10 to 15 developers for a permanent site in the Dulles Corridor. Factors such as metro location, being near underprivileged areas, and in a geographic area with a steady base of donors all came into play. The board decided seven months ago that Reston was the ultimate location.

“Reston is a great community,” Rydzewski said. “It’s an ambitious goal, but given the demographics and the people here, there is a very strong chance of having a world class children’s museum there.”

The board wants a lively, interactive, and educational experience that families can enjoy. On the exhibit level, no final decisions are set, but board member’s are continually sparking ideas.

“We want to go as far as using our building as an exhibit,” Rydzewski said. “We can hand out hardhats and teach the kids on how the building was constructed and how it is environmentally friendly.”

Rydzewski said businesses would be able to sponsor exhibits that correspond with their business: For example, having the construction company sponsoring the exhibit on how the building was constructed.

The children’s museum board wants its facility to be a community building used not just for the museum, but also for theater or music performances and other events.

“We want this to be a vibrant part of the community,” Rydzewski said. “We want this to be a place where three, four, or five things are happening at once. We view it as a community resource.”

Once the board determines its interim location, a major fund-raising project will begin. Many businesses and groups are interested in sponsoring the museum, including the Junior League of Northern Virginia, which has already provided financial support and will continue to be an important role in the museum’s creation according to Rydzewski.

“We want families to do more things together with their children,” said Hyde. “And with this museum, they can actually do those things together. You can only go into the district so many times – it’s not only fun and educational for the kids, it’s going to give families a great time.”