An Open Letter to Our Community

Twenty-five years ago, ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum opened its doors with a simple belief: curiosity has the power to change lives.

Since then, nearly one million visitors have walked through these doors. Children have discovered that science isn't just something you read about — it's something you do. Families have spent rainy afternoons exploring together. Teachers have found a trusted educational partner. Grandparents who once visited with their own children now return with grandchildren, creating a new generation of memories. ScienceWorks has become part of the fabric of Southern Oregon. 

As we prepare to celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2027, we have to ask an important question: How do we build a stronger ScienceWorks for the next 25 years?

Over the past year, hundreds of community members helped answer that question through our strategic planning process. Parents, teachers, volunteers, members, donors, partners, and visitors all told us the same thing: ScienceWorks matters. They also challenged us not simply to preserve what we've built, but to create an even stronger museum for the future.

That future begins with being honest about where we are today.

Like many museums and nonprofits across the country, ScienceWorks is struggling with rising costs while remaining committed to keeping admission, memberships, camps, and educational programs as affordable and accessible as possible. At the same time, our museum was designed to be touched, climbed on, experimented with, and explored. After nearly twenty-five years and almost one million visitors doing exactly that, many of our exhibits and core building systems have reached the end of their useful lives, which is a testament to how deeply this community has embraced our mission.

Now it's time to reinvest so the next generation of curious minds can enjoy those same opportunities. These challenges are real, but we are approaching this moment with a clear vision, a thoughtful plan, and a strong foundation of community support.

To continue serving our community for decades to come, we must strengthen both our facility and the programs that bring it to life. That is why we are launching a long-term comprehensive campaign to build the foundation for ScienceWorks' next 25 years.

This is not a one-time fundraiser. It is a long-term effort to strengthen ScienceWorks for generations to come by addressing critical facility needs, investing in our educational programs, and building a more sustainable financial future.

Our first milestone is to raise $500,000 by April 2027.

Reaching that goal allows us to complete critical building improvements, strengthen museum operations, and fulfill a $50,000 Challenge Grant from the Bolger Family Foundation. The Bolger grant supports projects that improve health and safety, strengthen accessibility, modernize key learning spaces, and create new opportunities for sustainable earned revenue. Thanks to generous early support from our community, we have already made substantial headway toward our campaign goal.

We're also excited to share that a generous anonymous donor has created an extraordinary matching opportunity for our community. Every eligible gift made during this initiative will be matched, dollar for dollar, while matching funds remain available. That means your donation has twice the power to move ScienceWorks closer to our first $500,000 milestone.

We also know that asking our community to invest in ScienceWorks means earning your trust. Last month, we completed an independent financial review as part of our commitment to transparency and responsible stewardship. We are proud that the review affirmed the strength of our financial systems and practices, and we are happy to share the completed review with any donor who would like to read it. 

Now we're inviting our community to join us.

Whether you make a gift online, contribute at one of our upcoming fundraising events, or help spread the word, every donation moves ScienceWorks closer to its first campaign milestone — and every eligible gift will be doubled through our anonymous matching challenge while matching funds remain available.

Your investment will help ScienceWorks:

• Create safer, healthier spaces for children, families, staff, and volunteers.
• Improve accessibility so more people can fully enjoy the museum.
• Restore and enhance learning spaces for exhibits, performances, classes, and community programs.
• Upgrade spaces that can generate new earned revenue through rentals and events.
• Support the daily operations that make camps, field trips, and other educational programming possible.
• Ensure the museum’s long-term sustainability so we can continue serving Southern Oregon.

Your support will help us strengthen ScienceWorks — but we know that fundraising alone is not enough. Building a sustainable future requires us to look honestly at how we operate and make thoughtful changes that allow us to focus our resources where they create the greatest impact.

Beginning September 1, 2026, ScienceWorks will be open to the public Friday through Sunday. This change will allow us to focus our staff time and resources where they matter most and invest more energy into making each visit to the museum more meaningful.

One thing we heard repeatedly during our strategic planning process was that our community values the quality of their experience at ScienceWorks. Our goal is to have the Tinkering Studio, Painting Pendulum, and Exploration Station available throughout the weekend, while expanding the kinds of programs our community has asked for, including workshops and classes during the week; building on successful programs like our drone workshop, Museum Lab series, and expert-led speaker events to create more opportunities for curiosity and discovery.

This fall will also mark the beginning of a series of community fundraising events that exemplify the creativity and curiosity at the heart of our mission. Come celebrate with us and be part of the community effort to strengthen ScienceWorks for generations to come.

As we look toward our 25th anniversary next year, we are filled with optimism. We see opportunities to create new exhibits, expand educational programming, strengthen community partnerships, improve accessibility, and ensure that ScienceWorks remains a vibrant gathering place for Southern Oregon.

We invite you to be part of this next chapter. Make a gift today, attend one of our upcoming fundraising events, or help spread the word. Every contribution brings us closer to our first $500,000 campaign milestone — and, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous matching donor, every eligible gift will be matched dollar for dollar while matching funds remain available, doubling your impact.

Together, we can build the foundation for the next 25 years of ScienceWorks and ensure that curiosity continues to thrive in Southern Oregon for generations to come.

With gratitude,

The ScienceWorks Team

Join us on Saturday, September 26 to help create a Community Mural