The Children’s Museum of Acadiana (CMA) celebrated the grand opening of Draw Alive™, a new interactive STEAM exhibit presented by LFT Fiber and S1 Technology that invites children to explore technology not simply as something to consume, but as a tool to create.
Draw Alive™ begins with something intentionally simple: a child, a piece of paper, and their imagination. Children draw and color their own creations, scan their artwork, and watch it come to life in an interactive digital world. Through play, children are introduced to concepts including digital literacy, cause and effect, creative problem-solving, design, and storytelling.
The experience builds on CMA’s commitment to hands-on learning while recognizing the increasingly important role technology will play in the lives, education, and future careers of today’s children. Designed with a low barrier to participation, the exhibit allows children of different ages, abilities, and levels of technology experience to create and explore together.
“For 30 years, CMA has been rooted in hands-on, Learning by Doing experiences, so I’ve been intentional, and even a little hesitant, about how we introduce technology into the museum,” said Lore Linton, Executive Director of the Children’s Museum of Acadiana. “Draw Alive changed my perspective because the technology isn’t the experience, it’s a tool for creating. Our responsibility is to meet children where they are in an ever-evolving world and give them meaningful introductions to the skills and ideas that can become pathways to future learning.”
A Community Investment in the Next Generation
The new exhibit was made possible through the support of LFT Fiber and S1 Technology, whose investment expands access to meaningful technology experiences for thousands of children and families who visit CMA each year.
“LFT Fiber was built on the idea that local infrastructure should create opportunities for the people who live here,” said Michael D. Soileau, Director of LFT Fiber. “Draw Alive gives Acadiana’s kids a chance to see technology as something they can create with, learn from, and make their own. We’re proud of what we’ve created together with our partners at S1 Technology and Scout Real Estate Co., and we invite families across Acadiana to bring their kids and experience it for themselves.”
“S1 Technology is proud to help bring Draw Alive to the Children's Museum of Acadiana. Technology touches every part of our lives, and the kids growing up in Acadiana today will be the ones who build what comes next," noted Hunter Thevis, President and Co-Founder of S1 Technology. "Our goal is to spark that curiosity early and give kids a hands-on moment where technology feels exciting, creative, and within their reach. If one child walks out of this exhibit wanting to learn how it works, we've done our job.
CMA also thanks Scout Real Estate Co. for partnering with the museum to help bring the physical exhibit space to life.
The opening comes during CMA’s 30th anniversary year and represents an evolution of its longstanding Learning by Doing philosophy. Draw Alive™ will become part of the museum’s everyday visitor experience while also creating opportunities to support field trips, Camp STEAMology, and future STEAM and digital-learning programming.
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