PacSci Secures Historic $5.25M Grant from the muglia family foundation to Offset State Funding Losses to ‘Science on Wheels’
Pacific Science Center has received a transformational $5.25 million grant from The Laura Ellen and Robert Muglia Family Foundation to expand Science on Wheels, PacSci’s flagship outreach program that brings hands-on STEM learning directly to schools and communities across Washington State.
This is one of the largest philanthropic investments in Pacific Science Center’s history, and one of the first major grants from The Muglia Family Foundation since it formalized its grant making program in late 2025.
A 50-Year Legacy: Shaping Future STEM Leaders
For more than 50 years, Science on Wheels has carried Pacific Science Center’s mission beyond its Seattle campus, delivering live science assemblies, classroom workshops, and interactive exhibits to students in PreK through eighth grade throughout the state. The program complements classroom instruction and supports state science standards, and registration is open to any school, library, or community center serving grades PreK-8.
A Critical Moment for Science Education
Science and education funding continues to face immense pressure at both the state and national level. Science on Wheels was no exception, losing significant support from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) after statewide budget cuts forced difficult tradeoffs among competing priorities. The Muglia Family Foundation’s investment doesn’t just bridge that gap. It positions Science on Wheels for growth, so PacSci can reach even more students across Washington while we work to restore public funding in the years ahead.
Washington state has one of the strongest STEM economies in the country, yet many students still lack access to the transformational, hands-on experiences that build real skillsets and inspire them toward STEM careers.The state’s own science standards call for exactly this kind of learning, but schools are often working against constraints of funding, time, and materials. Science on Wheels exists to close that gap, bringing science directly to students wherever they are.
What the Grant Will Do
Over the next three years, this incredible investment will allow PacSci to:
- Reach 350,000 students statewide with hands-on science learning opportunities
- Offer free and deeply discounted programming for low-income schools and communities
- Develop new curriculum that aligns to state standards
- Build new exhibits to keep programming engaging, relevant, and high quality
PacSci anticipates that an average of 80% of students served over the next three years will come from low-income schools. This support reduces barriers for students to access hands-on science learning.
A Partnership Rooted in Community Investment
The Laura Ellen and Robert Muglia Family Foundation was founded in Seattle in 2000, rooted in Laura Ellen and Bob’s own experience of how access to education and technology can change a life. In the 25 years since, the foundation has funded organizations across the world and their priority areas of entrepreneurship, technology, health and wellbeing, and prevention of sexual and gender-based violence. The Muglia Family Foundation is always guided by a belief in catalyzing lasting and transformational change.
The foundation is now entering a new chapter of expanded giving, and this investment in Science on Wheels is part of that growth. The Muglias’ passion for empowering transformation and encouraging innovation will guide their expanding partnerships and impact in the years ahead, and we’re honored that Science on Wheels is one of them. With their support, alongside PacSci’s longtime community of supporters, the program can reach further into classrooms and communities across Washington, at a time when that reach matters more than ever.
To learn more about The Muglia Family Foundation and their other important work, please visit:
www.mugliafoundation.org
