Advocate for Free STEM Programs!

Thank you for partnering with Pacific Science Center and inviting our Science on Wheels and Digital Discovery Workshop programs into your school.

Science on Wheels has provided STEM education programs across Washington for 50 years. This past year, PacSci provided 81% of our programs at no cost to low-income schools across the state largely thanks to $1.5 million in Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) funds, along with support from private donors.

Ahead of the 2025 Legislative Session in January, PacSci is being considered to receive $4.6 million in the Governor’s budget proposal. If this funding were included in the final budget, it would allow Science on Wheels and Digital Discovery Workshops to serve more schools across the state and begin to refresh well-loved program materials.

Educators, parents, and administrators like you are essential to helping the Governor understand the impact these programs have on Washington students. Please take 5 minutes to sign the letter below and let the Governor’s office know why Science on Wheels or Digital Discovery Workshops deserve to receive funding from the state! Personal anecdotes are highly encouraged.

Please email Braden Sigua with any questions. All letters will be submitted to the Governor’s office on your behalf after you complete the form.

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Write a letter in support of OSPI's request for hands-on science learning(Required)

Please include 3-5 sentences on why PacSci’s educational programming has been important to you or your students in the letter below. See the dedicated space provided.

Dear Governor Inslee,

As an educator I am thrilled to see that Superintendent Reykdal included $4.6M in funding for hands-on science learning in his budget proposal for the 2025-27 biennium. I urge you to include the funding requested by OSPI in your budget proposal to the Legislature.

As a [insert position] at [insert school or school district], [insert 3-5 sentences on how Science on Wheels or Digital Discovery Workshops have benefitted you and your students, and why you would like to see increased funding for these programs. Personal anecdotes are highly encouraged].

PacSci is the largest provider of science education outreach in the region, igniting curiosity in students across Washington State and beyond through live, interactive, inquiry-based programs that take place virtually, in the classroom, and at the Science Center. OSPI and PacSci are aligned in our understanding of how critical access to hands-on science learning is for our youth and for our future STEM economy. The Washington state law requiring districts to teach the state’s K-12 Science Learning Standards (Next Generation Science Standards) includes a crucial component: students must engage in hands-on science and not merely learn about them secondhand. Many students, however, don’t have access to interactive learning experiences to meet these standards due to lack of resources in their communities. This lack of exposure to hands-on science experiences negatively impacts their likelihood of both meeting state science standards and developing a lasting interest in science and science-based careers.

In the 2023-25 biennium, $1.5M in OSPI support benefitted 61,279 students in FY 2024, and is on track to support over 122,000 Washington State students with free hands-on science learning in their own classrooms.

Science on Wheels and Digital Discovery Workshops are expanding service in support of PacSci’s aspiration to provide free programs for every K-8th grade low-income school in Washington State. Achieving this is not possible without significant investments from the Legislature. OSPI believes PacSci can play a key role in improving STEM learning outcomes in elementary school and requested $4.6 million for this work. This funding will support updated curriculum, upgraded exhibits, and new equipment to increase Science on Wheel’s capacity to serve more students and will provide free programs to 75,000 students in fiscal year 2026 and 88,000 students in fiscal year 2027.

We urge you to support an investment in the future of Washington State students by including hands-on science learning in the amount of $4.6 million in your budget proposal. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

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