The Interactive Neighborhood for Kids children museum recently purchased a disinfecting machine with the help of a grant from the North Georgia Community Foundation.
The interactive museum allows children to explore, create and learn in a hands-on, contact-heavy environment. When developing plans to reopen amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, museum directors sought to prioritize cleanliness and safety.
One step the museum has taken to create a safe environment is purchasing a ZONO Ozone Cabinet. This machine kills 99.9 percent of common viruses on non-porous surfaces and 99.99 percent of common bacteria on non-porous, porous and semi-porous surfaces.
“This machine will allow INK to reintroduce manipulatives such as costumes and hands-on components that are necessary for learning within our exhibits,” INK Executive Director Mandy Volpe said in a statement Friday. “Since the machine will disinfect toys within 30 minutes, we will be able to reopen the preschool paradise that is crucial for children under 4 to explore and develop.”
The ZONO machine was funded partly by a grant from the North Georgia Community Foundation Coronavirus Relief Fund. Community sponsors including Jackson EMC, Lake Lanier Island Development Authority, Carroll Daniel Foundation, North Georgia Health Systems, Turner, Wood & Smith, Rotary Club of South Hall and Wal-Mart also made donations.
INK currently staggers play blocks to allow for social distancing. In between these blocks, INK staff members perform a disinfecting routine and switch out handheld exhibit items for cleaning.
To find out more about INK, visit their website.
