Program areas at Pacific Science Center
Pacific Science Center is Washington's leading institution for informal Science learning for people of all ages. Using the covid-19 crisis as a catalyst for innovation, we developed digital programs that created new opportunities to serve the community. Curiosity at home provided more than 496,000 youth, families, and teachers with free, age-appropriate activities across multiple stem topics. Led by Science educators, virtual field trips bring pacsci's world-class stem education into classrooms to supplement stem curriculum with easy-to-schedule content free from geographic barriers. This year, we delivered 546 programs to 28,279 students (16,263 attended title i schools). Since 1973, Science on wheels has been reaching out to rural, small, and underserved communities that have limited access to stem education. Suspended due to covid-19 restrictions, this in-person program has resumed in fy23.
While onsite programs were suspended due to covid-19, pacsci resumed limited operations in 2022. This included 9,115 visitors to a special exhibit, hockey: faster than ever in winter 2021-22. Pacsci is also home to seattle's ultimate imax experience and the most breathtaking laser dome experience in north america resumed in spring 2022. General admission, including the tropical butterfly house, planetarium, live Science shows, tinker tank makerspace, just for tots, and free laser shows, resumed in fy23.
Camps for curious minds helped fill gaps in in-person childcare and provided safe, enriching experiences throughout the summer at five locations. Pacsci offered more than 100 unique camp experiences featuring a variety of steam topics, including engineering, robotics, astronomy, chemistry, anatomy, epidemiology, environmental education, computer Science and more. 24 sensory-friendly and 13 girls-focused offerings ensured camps experiences were accessible to all. We are very proud to have nearly doubled the amount of full scholarships we provide to youth to 315 in fy22 and served 3,425 in total. We have expanded our locations to six, including south seattle, for fy23.