Pacific Science Center Foundation

Filing Period

Jul 1, 2009 to Jun 30, 2010

Signed

Feb 2, 2011

Return Version

2009v1.7

Gross Receipts

$20,070,720

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

Education: a) washington state laser- given the ever-increasing complexity of today's science and technology, school districts need the best tools, the best information and the best support available. Washington state laser (leadership and assistance for science education reform) provides professional development to school districts across the state, showing teachers and educators the best methods to present interactive science education in their classrooms. The program is a partnership among pacific science center, the national science resources center, the washington state office of superintendent of public instruction, pacific northwest national laboratories, educational service districts and leading washington school districts.b) portal to the public- as part of our broad portal to the public initiative, pacific science center creates and hosts events that bring scientists and the general public together. These events put a real human face on the research happening at the universities, government agencies and companies that are right in our own backyard. Through collaborations with such institutions as the university of washington and the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (noaa), pacific science center has hosted events such as earth revealed, marine exploration weekend, polar science weekend and life sciences research weekend. The portal to the public initiative is funded by the national science foundation.

Activity 3

The pacific science center operates the mercer slough environmental education center in collaboration with the city of bellevue, who owns the buildings and land. Located on a 320-acre wetland in the heart of urban bellevue, the mercer slough environmental education center (mseec) hosts field trips, sleepovers, camps, expeditions, internships, parties and public outreach programs, all with a common purpose: to plant seeds of wonder and curiosity about the environment that will have a lifelong impact. Here, children and families explore the network of trails, waterways and wildlife and then return to the mseec to study the science behind what they've seen. Science on wheels- each year, science on wheels travels throughout the state to bring fun, informal experiences with science to schools, fairs, and community events. Using vans filled with exhibits and demonstration materials, science on wheels teachers present programs on a wide range of topics, including geology, physics, math, astronomy, anatomy, agriculture, and engineering. The program is especially important for those communities who are geographically isolated and are without access to museums, universities and science centers, so they can experience science in a lively format not available in the classroom.acceso a la ciencia- acceso a la ciencia is designed to increase the involvement of latino students, parents and families in science and informal science education. The program recruits latino teens from across eastern washington and gives them the opportunity to be advocates for science in their communities. At fairs, schools and community centers, the interns set up and interpret bilingual exhibits and perform engaging bilingual science shows, allowing for hands-on science education to reach a new audience. Funded by a national science foundation grant, the program is a unique collaboration between different community resources: pacific science center, yakima valley/tri-cities mesa, radio kdna, and washington state university tri-cities.discovery corps- pacific science center's discovery corps program works to inspire teens (ages 14-18) to consider a career in science by giving them the opportunity to learn and work at our museum. In addition to fulfilling 100 hours of service on our museum floor, the teens have the opportunity to move up through a defined career ladder, and participate in field trips, lectures, fun social events and workshops on topics ranging from job and life skills to college preparedness. Paid internships are also available which are designed specifically for the program. The majority of teens in discovery corps are from backgrounds traditionally underserved in the sciences.lectures- pacific science center hosts lectures by authors, scientists and leaders both from our region and around the world. Past lecturers have included james d. Watson, the co-discoverer of dna, and former king county executive ron sims.planetarium- the willard smith planetarium hosts school groups and the general public who want to explore space from our museum floor. Our planetarium is one of very few in the united states that features live interpretation instead of pre-taped shows, which makes our experience more interactive. Additionally, all shows align with washington state science education standards.

Filer

EIN

91-0750867