Science Learning Center, August 2026 Snapshot
The Science Learning Center (SLC) aims to understand and nurture the life-long relationship people have with science. Science happens here. When people think about learning science, they often consider their school experiences with the discipline, or the stereotypes of men in lab coats, beakers of bubbling colorful liquid, or long formulas scrawled onto a dusty chalkboard.
But making sense of our world is not limited to classrooms and labs. It happens outside, at home, online, and everywhere in between. Our interest in the world around us, our curiosity in how things work, and our connections with science happen daily, long after the last bell rings.
The SLC has been a facility in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics since 1979. Initially created as an outreach arm of the Biological Sciences Department, using ideas modeled after the groundbreaking science museum "The Exploratorium" in San Francisco, the SLC was designed to encourage local students to touch, explore, and ask questions about science.
In 2016, the operation and oversight of the SLC was transferred to the Science Education Department, building on the expertise of Dr. Jim Kisiel, whose area of research focuses on science learning that happens in museums, aquariums and other informal environments, and has been an integral part of the Science Education Department, serving as an outreach arm for the department and college. SLC Program Coordinator (and É«ÖÐÉ« alum), Katherine Huotari has been a driving force in the increase of volunteers and programming in the SLC since her arrival in 2023.
The SLC also helps É«ÖÐÉ« students develop 21st century career skills through leading our educational programs. Our students gain first-hand experience talking about science with a variety of audiences. The lack of science instruction in K-5 classrooms is well documented, and teachers consistently report complex issues that hinder science instruction. As a result, many K-5 schools have little or no dedicated time for science learning.
The SLC operates as a counter to these issues. Students from local schools, where science instruction may not occur, have an opportunity to do science in a fun and meaningful way. Our free educational materials for teachers, and É«ÖÐÉ« student teachers, eases the strain on resources, and gives teachers an opportunity to boost their own science literacy and confidence.
