Campaigns
Support a Specific Project.
At the Long Island Science Center, you can designate the specific focus of your gift by selecting specific funding opportunities. Your gift can inspire a student's ability to explore their passion and curiosity for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics.
Rising Girls
Girls interest in STEM begins to decline as early as the 4th grade. We are shifting the paradigm.
Many girls still view STEM disciplines as male-centric and unappealing (with few visible opportunities for them). The Long Island Science Center is actively working to overcome societal bias (from parents, teachers, media and the girls themselves) to enable girls to see the impact that they can make using STEM as the foundation for creating transformative social change.
Rising Girls is a campaign designed to educate and empower girls by combining their talents with STEM programs that are centered around their interests. Our program will focus on a holistic approach to STEM, emphasizing the creative and pro-social of a STEM career.
Teen STEAM COuncil
Students who see themselves as scientists are more likely to pursue STEM professions.
This new initiative will focus on creating leadership, educational, and networking opportunities for underserved students. The goal is to fundraise to be able to create these council positions as paid student stipends in order to increase accessibility. The council will work on a variety of projects throughout the year including hosting monthly Teen Science Cafe after-school programs as well as other impactful projects. The concept of the council will be to both engage the community but also to create meaningful dialogues between teens and STEM professionals.
Equal Access
Minorities are the fastest growing population and the most underrepresented in the fastest growing job sector (STEM). We are dedicated to bridging the gap.
On Long Island, many fiscally disadvantaged schools are unable to provide the resources/equipment necessary to accommodate high-quality STEM learning experiences. These budget constraints prevent underserved students (especially low income and minority students) from gaining access to the fastest growing and highest paid career opportunities in our nation. The Long Island Science Center is dedicated to bridging the learning and opportunity gap by making STEM learning effective and accessible to all children in our community.
Equal Access is a campaign designed to educate and empower young people from underserved communities to provide them with the understanding, skills and preparation required for today’s knowledge-based economy. From sparking their interests to building their skills, we inspire young people to explore a multitude of STEM possibilities, cultivating the innovators, educators, researchers and leaders of tomorrow.
Robotics Teams
Equal access to extracurricular activities that engage students in a deeper understanding of STEM.
Our robotics teams are free to all interested students. The team experience encourages students to think creatively and work collaboratively. We have robotics teams for 2nd-4th grade, 4-8th grade, and 9th - 12th grade. The students compete in First Lego League and First Tech Challenge festivals. This program is offered free of charge to all interested students in order to foster inclusivity and to break barriers to access for underserved students.
Homeless Shelter STEAM Outreach
Children residing in homeless shelters often miss out on opportunities to participate in STEAM programming. We are determined to provide STEAM education for those in need.
There are countless children in the Long Island community that are currently residing in homeless shelters. These children and their families struggle to obtain basic necessities that many of us take for granted. Because of this, they cannot afford to participate in STEAM programming, lowering the potential for them to develop a passion for the fastest growing and highest paid career opportunities in our nation.
We are creating a two-part outreach program that will allow children residing in homeless shelters to be enriched in STEAM education.
The first part establishes a fund to allow children residing in homeless shelters to come to the Long Island Science Center at no cost. We found that teachers in schools with students who are living in shelters struggle to fun those students attending school field trips. Additionally, shelters with recreation supervisors are looking for no cost ways to offer field trips to their residents.
The second part provides no cost mobile STEAM programming within shelters around Long Island. This will allow us to go directly to the shelters to provide engaging, interactive STEAM programs for the children, and avoid transportation issues that shelters often have.
MakerSpace
A lecture alone rarely engages the mind as much as your hands. We are committed to providing a connection between lessons and real-world applications.
Inspiration, innovation and genius emerge when one has the luxury of a dedicated space to make, create and invent new things. The Long Island Science Center is building a Makerspace to inspire curiosity, interest in learning, perseverance and critical thinking in a hands-on environment.
Makerspace is a campaign designed for the creation and development of a Fablab Makerspace, a collaborative workspace, equipped with the resources, equipment and technology for making, learning, sharing and exploring. From building a computer to stop motion video to coding a robot, we encourage children to move from consumption to creation!
Our Makerspace will be a hub for hands-on investigation, invention and learn-by-doing projects that will empower students to leverage their STEM knowledge. Makers of all ages can take classes with access to mentorship in robotics, hardware, software, electronics, arts, filmmaking, citizen science, biotechnology, echo tech, wearable tech and more!