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fact sheet 2007-08
 

Mission


The Exploratorium is a museum of science, art, and human perception founded in 1969. The Exploratorium's mission is to create a culture of learning through innovative environments, programs, and tools that help people nurture their curiosity about the world around them.

 

Audiences


 600,000 people annually visit the Exploratorium
 52% of visitors are adults and 48% are children
 51% are from the Bay Area, 27% from the rest of California, 16% from other states, 6% outside U.S.
 115,000 school-age students and their chaperones visit the museum each year, of these, 90,000 participate in the Field Trip program
 11,500 individuals and families are Exploratorium Members
 44% of visitors receive free or discounted admission
 44,500 visitors attended on Free Wednesdays (first Wednesday of every month) last year
 145 million visit Exploratorium exhibits at science centers and other locations worldwide

 

Exhibitions and Programs


 700 original interactive exhibits, displays, and artworks have been designed, prototyped, and built on site, with currently 400 on view
 Hands-on exhibits explore biology, physics, visual perception, listening, and mind
 Public programs include hands-on workshops, lectures, performances, films, and other special events. Bilingual programs in Spanish, Cantonese, and/or Mandarin are offered 2-3 times a year.
 The museum has hosted more than 275 artists in residence
 Exhibits located at 58 international and 66 U.S. science centers
 Partnerships with 11 science centers naitonwide offer them exhibit collections and educational training
 Exploratorium exhibitions—Memory and Navigation—travel worldwide

 

Education and Research


 An estimated 6,000 teachers from 47 states participate in Exploratorium-designed workshops  
 400 U.S. teachers participate in more than 60 hours of professional development each year
 A national model program improves the classroom success of beginning teachers
 Center for Informal Learning and Schools, a partnership with UC Santa Cruz and King’s College London, develops leadership in the study of informal science learning and institutions, and their relationships to schools
 The Children's Educational Outreach reaches 5,000 underserved children and families in the community 
 Explainer Program hires and trains a diverse group of 75 high school students each year
 The Osher Fellows Program hosts 4 to 6 resident scholars, scientists, educators, and artists
 9 staff members, including 3 PhDs, comprise one of the world’s largest museum research and evaluation groups

 

Media


 28 million Web visits annually access www.exploratorium.edu, which has 25,000 pages of original content 
 50 live Webcasts originate each year from the Exploratorium and remote locations.
 50,000 copies of Exploratorium-developed publications were sold in the past year, with 28 titles in print
 12,500 copies of Member publications are distributed quarterly

 

Facilities


The Exploratorium occupies 110,000 sq ft within San Francisco's historic Palace of Fine Arts, plus offices and exhibit-building shops in adjacent Presidio Buildings. Facilities include:
 multimedia Learning Center with library • 9 wired classrooms • life science laboratory
 Phyllis C. Wattis Webcast Studio • 125-seat McBean Theater • ample free parking
machine, wood, and electronics shops • store and café 
The Exploratorium is available to rent for private events during evening hours. 

 

Budget and Staff


 2008–09 budget: $33,317,000  
 495 total employees; 250 full-time equivalent; 42% people of color
 an international team of 200 volunteers contributes more than 12,000 hours annually

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