Seattle, WA. Pacific Science Center (PacSci) is a famously hands-on place of learning. Despite closures for the pandemic, the organization established online programming through Virtual Field Trips, Curiosity at Home, Science in the City. This summer, PacSci will be expanding those programs and administrators are excited to welcome more than 1,500 youth to camps that will fully occupy the facility. Another 1,700 youth will participate in camps provided at four other locations in the area as well as virtually. PacSci administration says that, “Just as science continually evolves, so too will our programs and operations.”
PacSci launched Curiosity at Home, a portfolio of free, interactive, and fun digital programming that ignites curiosity and supports STEM learning. It includes videos of live science shows, hands-on STEM activities, tutorials, and more. Curiosity at Home has received more than 350,000 visits from more than 140,000 individuals. Check out the Science in the City video below. It can be found on the Pacific Science Center’s YouTube.
PacSci’s virtual learning opportunities provide a wide array of STEM related programs.
This past fall, PacSci launched Virtual Field Trips to continue to serve educators, students, and families during the school year. Virtual Field Trips are interactive programs that bring the fun and excitement of a PacSci field trip to wherever students are learning. During the 2020-2021 school year, PacSci served more than 28,000 students, half from Title I schools or low-income communities through Virtual Field Trips.
The response to both programs has been “overwhelmingly positive.” Teachers and schools are appreciative that Virtual Field Trips support NGSS standards, which makes it easy to integrate into their lesson plans.
According to PacSci administration, COVID-19 has been a catalyst for innovation. Digital and virtual programming is something PacSci staff has always wanted to incorporate but didn’t know how or didn’t have the resources. COVID also removed all the geographical barriers and allowed expanded access to science education far beyond Washington State. Now people from all over the world can experience PacSci programs and offerings, and ignite their curiosity for STEM.
Tens of thousands of fans of all ages have participated in the new virtual education programming provided in the last year.
From Pacific Science Center:
PacSci is preparing for the world premiere of a very exciting in-person hockey exhibition in October. Additional focus areas include anti-racism work, resuming private event rentals this summer, and installing a state-of-the-art lighting system on the iconic arches. Other developments include finalizing joint programming with community organizations, plans to resume Science on Wheels, and a re-envisioning of the membership program.
PacSci relies on philanthropic support from the community, and with this help can ignite curiosity in more students. Goals include further prioritizing systemically underserved communities and providing even more scholarships for summer camps.
Some elements of renewal, such as building a modern maker and innovation lab and transforming the courtyard, will require additional philanthropic investments.
PacSci is almost entirely dependent on support from the community, including individual donors and corporate partnerships. Now more than ever, PacSci is reliant on the community “to ensure that Curiosity Never Closes!” Find where to make a donation today.
Our Mission
Pacific Science Center ignites curiosity in every child and fuels a passion for discovery, experimentation, and critical thinking in all of us.
Our Guiding Principles
Delight our guests: We offer warm hospitality and highly-engaging interactive experiences. People of all ages and levels of science sophistication find their time with us entertaining, enriching, and memorable. Our guests recommend us and seek to visit often.
Model science as a process: We show that science is a boundless and timeless process of inquiry, discovery, and problem solving. We inspire people to ask questions, develop hypotheses, conduct experiments, and evaluate evidence in all aspects of their lives.
Embrace experimentation and innovation: Experiments and innovation are central to the experiences we provide and the work we do. We also demonstrate that failure is a key ingredient of progress.
Enable access for all: Our facilities, programs, experiences and the benefits they provide are accessible to people of all backgrounds and financial, social, physical, and intellectual abilities.
Support educators and education: We support high-impact science education, focusing on PreK-12.
Serve as a community laboratory and living room: The community gathers at Pacific Science Center to discuss, debate, and collaborate on opportunities and challenges in which science and technology play roles. People come here to learn about and celebrate scientific and technological achievement. We pay special attention to the issues relevant to our city and region.
Run a smart and responsible business: We invest to sustain and grow our long-term impact. Our work attracts investment from public and private sources. We are leaders in socially and ecologically responsible behavior.
Expect and nurture excellence in our people: We attract, develop, and retain exceptionally talented people who believe deeply in our mission and who reflect the community we aim to serve. We expect excellence, and we inspect what we expect. Our culture is collaborative, creative, joyful, and fun.
Seattle, WA. Seattle Theatre Group (STG) is preparing to reopen doors for limited in-person events in July. There are restrictions in place to keep patrons safe. Virtual events will continue, such as the upcoming DANCE This Virtual Performance, above. STG includes the Paramount, Moore, and Neptune Theatres.
For all STG theatres, proof of full COVID vaccination and matching photo ID required at the door. Face coverings are required for all attendees, regardless of vaccination status. Any individual who cannot wear a face covering due to an exemption should contact [email protected] for more information. Requests for accommodations to the face covering requirement will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. COVID policies are subject to change.
Proof of full COVID vaccination includes one of the following: (1) vaccination card (which includes name of person vaccinated, type of vaccine provided and date last dose administered); OR (2) a photo of a vaccination card as a separate document; OR (3) a photo of the attendee’s vaccine card stored on a phone or electronic device; OR (4) documentation of vaccination from a healthcare provider, electronic health record, or state Immunization Information System record.
This informational video regarding current safety precautions at The Neptune provides further insight.
STG is banding together in a national campaign with the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), Event Safety Alliance, Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), Coalition of Performing Arts Centers, and National Independent Talent Organization (NITO), to endorse and adopt this “Safe In Sound” reopening guidance checklist. This CDC-reviewed checklist of safety protocols is being adopted across the industry as the recognized standard for safe and healthy event operations as the live entertainment industry recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the transition to in-person events, online opportunities remain available. The virtual RE:DEFINITION gallery is up online. Tariqa Waters, owner and curator of Martyr Sauce, and the late Jonathan Moore founded the RE:DEFINITION gallery at the Paramount Theatre bar in 2015, a partnership with STG to redefine historic cultural space. The goal of the space was always to elevate underrepresented artists and issues of equity in the community.
This mural was commissioned for RE:DEFINITION by STG during the COVID-19 pandemic and coincides with the 5th anniversary of the gallery at The Paramount.
The events calendar provides a list of virtual and in-person opportunities coming up at all three theatres.
From Seattle Theatre Group:
Seattle Theatre Group® is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization.
Mission:
To create enriching experiences in the arts, engage diverse communities, and steward historic theatres.
Vision:
STG is the people’s theatre. All are welcomed and represented.
Values Statement:
We value Art: Art connects us. It allows us to explore all aspects of our humanity, to debate, to celebrate and to grow.
We value Community: It is our role to advocate for greater participation in the arts, reduce barriers, and include diverse People, Cultures and Perspectives on our stages, in our audiences and within our staff, volunteers and board.
We value Service: We are committed to caring relationships with patrons, partners, artists and staff.
We value Learning for All: We deepen connection to art when we inspire the greater community through education, performance opportunities and healing.
We value our Team: We believe in the power of passionate people who care for our mission and each other.
We value Stewardship: We make the best use of our resources, effectively and sustainably serve our mission, and preserve our assets.
STG presents an average of 700 events annually at The Paramount, The Moore, and The Neptune Theatres as well as at venues throughout the region. Broadway productions, concerts, dance, theatre, lectures, education, community, film, and other enrichment programs can be found in our venues.
A multitude of artists and performers, partner organizations, donors and foundations, volunteers, and most of all – our patrons, make it possible for STG’s mission to be fulfilled.
Seattle, WA. ROOTS (Rising out of the Shadows) Young Adult Shelter has remained in operation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and successfully moved locations. Now located in the University of Washington’s Greek community, the shelter houses up to 45 individuals experiencing homelessness every night, aged 18-25. Above, volunteers pose in front of the repurposed fraternity house.
ROOTS began looking for a new location in April 2018. After several months with no success, an article ran about the search in 2019. The next day, the owner of what is now the new ROOTS building reached out. The deal closed in August 2019. The shelter officially opened its doors after renovations in March of 2021.
The shelter space is thoroughly cleaned daily before guests arrive in the evening.
According to Volunteer Services Manager Jordan Beaudry, the COVID-19 pandemic changed “every facet of operations, from top to bottom.” ROOTS implemented a 6-8 pm cleaning slot that assures “every square inch of shelter space” is safe for guests. This cleaning window will likely stick around as part of the daily procedures, Beaudry says.
To keep guests and volunteers safe, ROOTS has adhered to strict social distancing measures. Before the pandemic, guests were able to eat communal meals. Guests now eat at their individual mats to promote social distancing. Everyone who enters the building is required to wear a mask, have their temperature checked, and complete a COVID-19 screening. It is because of these measures that ROOTS has been able to remain open throughout the pandemic with no closures.
ROOTS has five individuals showers, five individual toilets, and a laundry facility for guests.
Beaudry says ROOTS is “always looking for volunteers,” particularly in the overnight or overnight adjacent shifts. The ROOTS team has hopes to expand the facility to include drop-in daytime services, transitional living, mental health resources, and wraparound services. To implement these goals, donations are necessary. Cash donations of any size “go a super super long way,” according to Beaudry.
The ROOTS team is excited to provide expanded services like transitional housing in the future.
ROOTS emphasizes the peer-led approach to foster connectivity and shared humanity. For those looking to get involved, click to learn about donations and volunteer opportunities.
From ROOTS:
Founded in 1999 with the vision that everyone deserves a safe place to call home, ROOTS (Rising out of the Shadows) was Seattle’s first overnight shelter designed to meet the unique needs of homeless young adults ages 18 – 25 years old.
The organization’s mission is to build community and foster dignity through access to essential services and a safe place to sleep for young adults experiencing life on the streets.
Since its inception, ROOTS has served over 8,500 unique guests and provided them with hot dinner, breakfast, laundry, showers, clean clothing, hygiene items, and referral services.
In 2017, ROOTS added onsite case management that resulted in 87 guests exiting shelter into housing, and in 2018 showed an increase of over 100 guests exits to housing. With young adults and other low-income persons in mind, ROOTS advocates for social justice and long-term solutions for the communities it serves.
On any given night, ROOTS has 45 overnight shelter beds open for young people ages 18-25.
Seattle, WA. University Heights Center (UHeights) has been offering a wide array of activities throughout the pandemic. The majority of events are currently held online with select in-person offerings coming up this summer. The UHeights Center, above, hosts resident organizations involved in education, arts, business, and green building in the U District.
UHeights offers a variety of pay-what-you-can activities on a weekly or monthly basis. Class topics include Zumba, Finding Your Poetic Voice, and Thursdays at 10 which showcases different programming weekly.
The center also facilitates access to human services in the neighborhood. UHeights manages a community fridge and has hosted an expanded schedule of NorthWest SHARE’s Free Vegetarian Food Truck throughout the pandemic. The truck has been giving out free meals four times a week (Wed, Fri, Sat and Sun – 6 to 8 pm).
The NorthWest SHARE vegetarian food truck has been providing free meals outside of UHeights throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
UHeights has a hygiene station at the corner of 50th and University Way. The station includes two toilets (one is ADA accessible) and a handwashing station. Restrooms are cleaned frequently and regularly to ensure cleanliness. The center also serves as a site for the Seattle Street Sink, installed right by the bus stop to provide handwashing solutions during the pandemic. Other health resources include the University District Street Medicine’s van in the parking lot with the intention of providing resources for the neighborhood’s community members experiencing homelessness.
The University District Street Medicine (USDM) van provides health resources in the UHeights parking lot to aid community members. The van schedule is updated on the UHeights website.
As gathering restrictions begin to lift, UHeights is offering limited in-person activities like outdoor yoga and Zumba. To explore upcoming events, both virtual and in-person, visit the events calendar.
From UHeights:
The Mission
University Heights Center promotes life-long learning, creativity, culture, community activism, and the preservation of our historic building.
Our Values
Above all, University Heights Center (UHeights) is devoted to our local community: our children, arts and culture, education, civic involvement, sustainability, and the lifelong education of individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. We believe in fostering community, culture, and educational opportunities in the U District and Greater Seattle area. Moreover, residing in one of the most historic elementary school buildings in Washington, we strive to preserve and maintain our iconic structure for generations to come.
What We’ve Accomplished
Founded in 1989 by University District residents and businesses who believed this building would serve as a vital gathering place for the community, UHeights has been serving the Greater Seattle area since 1902. We continually provide new programs, services & activities to the center aimed at strengthening our neighborhoods while meeting the needs of our diverse and growing communities.
Annually, UHeights welcomes over 250,000 visitors through its doors and over 200 groups choose to make us their home for classes, workshops, community meetings and more. From aerobics to belly dance, from city meetings to dance classes, from green gardening to shopping at Seattle’s largest farmers market, UHeights has a little bit of everything.
Every year, UHeights participates in many special events throughout the University District and we are always looking for more ways to strengthen community. Have an idea for a class or a need in the area, let us hear it! We appreciate all suggestions. We are always on the lookout for new programs or services to meet the needs of our diverse and ever-changing neighborhoods.
Because we value our neighborhood, we also work closely with other organizations seeking to improve and strengthen the neighborhood. UHeights holds a variety of community events free to the public every year focusing on events that meet our mission and encourage community participation.
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