Forging the Future
by Sparking Curiosity for STEM
SAINT LOUIS SCIENCE CENTER
2023 ANNUAL REPORT
Board Members
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Mark J. Bulanda – Chairman
Joshua Randall – Secretary
David Baringer
Pratyush Kumar
Dr. Gena Gunn McClendon*
Dr. Glen Stettin
Frank Thurman
Dr. Jeremy Williams
Dr. Mark S. Wrighton
* Deceased
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Dr. Mark S. Wrighton – President
Kevin R. Alm
Barry T. Cervantes
Jim Curran
Susan S. Elliott
Beverly Estes Guyton
Richard C.D. Fleming
Paris Forest
G. Patrick Galvin
Harvey A. Harris
Jerome Harris – Ex-Officio
Dr. Martin H. Israel
Jamie Jabouri
Frank D. Jacobs
Tishaura Jones – Ex-Officio
Robert J. Krieger
Dr. Toni Kutchan – Ex-Officio
Carol B. Loeb
Gregg Maryniak
John F. McDonnell – (Life Trustee)
RADM Lee J. Metcalf, USN – (Ret.)
Edward Monser
Elizabeth E. Niedringhaus
Kenneth A. Olliff
Dr. Sam Page – Ex-Officio
Donn Rubin
Kent Schien
Kathleen R. Sherby
Judy Sindecuse
Dr. Donald M. Suggs
Zar Toolan
Kenneth L. Wagner
Candace Webster – Ex-Officio
Dr. David J. Werner
METROPOLITAN
ZOOLOGICAL PARK AND MUSEUM DISTRICT BOARD
MEMBERS
Darnetta Clinkscale – Chair
Michelle Harris – Vice Chair
Thomas C. Mummert – Treasurer
Jill Nowak – Secretary
Brad Bakker
Shelia Hudson
Kenneth Powell
Christine Chadwick – Past Chair
Matthew L. Pollock
“Thank you to our dedicated board members whose leadership guides our work in bringing science and technology to the forefront for our community, enables us to serve as a resource to connect people of all ages with curiosity for STEM, and carries our mission to inspire everyone to be curious and engaged in science forward as we help to forge the future of St. Louis.”
–Todd Bastean, President & CEO
Dear Friends of the Saint Louis Science Center,
As we reflect on an impactful year of igniting curiosity for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), we are pleased to share this look back at 2023, featuring highlights of the ways that we brought STEM to the forefront for our guests, community members and everyone touched by the work we do, whether they were inside the walls of our building or out in our St. Louis community.
Last year, we celebrated two major milestones in the history of the Science Center: the 60th anniversary of our iconic James S. McDonnell Planetarium and the 25th anniversary of our Youth Exploring Science (YES) Program. Our city and region are poised to be a next-generation hub for STEM, and we continue a longstanding history of serving as a resource for our St. Louis community to explore science and technology, discover how STEM impacts our daily lives, and find inspiration to pursue the real-world education and career opportunities accessible STEM learning can help unlock.
In 2023 alone, the Science Center connected more than half a million people with STEM learning experiences. We are proud that our institution serves as a leader in STEM education and programming for people throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area, and we were honored that the Science Center ranked nationally within the top five in two categories in the 2023 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, placing #5 in the Best Science Museum and #2 in the Best Free Museum categories, a testament to the nationwide reputation of the Science Center and the impact we make.
Whether you are a philanthropic partner, a Science Center member or simply a friend of our organization, we hope that in reading this report you will remember that you, too, are part of the Science Center’s impact. Thank you for making our work and mission possible. Our objective is to inspire everyone to be curious and engaged in science. Your continued partnership, collective generosity and support for our mission in this year and beyond will allow us to continue making a meaningful impact in the lives of the people we serve by making fun and engaging STEM learning accessible to everyone.
As we look ahead to the future of our institution, we are dedicated to building strong foundations for STEM literacy, strengthening our standing and position as a leader in STEM in our community, and helping forge the future of our region through curiosity for science and technology.
Sincerely,
Todd Bastean
Dr. Mark S. Wrighton President & CEO Chairman
By the Numbers
Whether it happens within the walls of the Science Center or out in our community, delivering STEM education by making science learning accessible to everyone is why we’re here. Here’s an overview of our impact in 2023.
TOTAL PEOPLE SERVED
563,318
Includes 549,941 people at the Science Center and 13,377 people served through off-site programming.
AUDIENCE BREAKDOWN
42,600+
hours of Energy Stage programming
GALLERY GUESTS ENGAGED
Guests at the Science Center spent more than 97,000 hours engaging in gallerybased, team memberfacilitated STEM activities through more than 176,000 interactions with Science Center educators.
4,100+ hours of Earth Sciences programming
14,600+ hours of GROW programming
23,298+
hours of Life Science Lab programming
To learn more about the audiences we serve, read our latest Opening Minds to Science report at slsc.org/reports
800+
Energy Stage programs
1,500+
Film showings in the OMNIMAX® Theater
1,300+
Star Shows delivered in the McDonnell Planetarium
7,900+ hours of Makerspace programming
950+
Discovery Room sessions
1,000+
Group visits to the Science Center in 2023
Highlights
2023 was a milestone year in more ways than one. Our Youth Exploring Science (YES) Program celebrated 25 years of impact and an ongoing legacy of success in transforming lives through STEM learning, while our iconic James S. McDonnell Planetarium marked its 60th anniversary and a history of inviting our St. Louis community to look up and reach for the stars.
YOUTH EXPLORING SCIENCE TURNS 25
The Science Center marked the 25th anniversary of our Youth Exploring Science (YES) Program in November. At a ceremony at the Taylor Community Science Resource Center, which houses the YES Program operations, the Science Center, YES Program alumni and special guests gathered to reflect on the history of the program and honor 13 distinguished YES graduates with inclusion on the YES Alumni Wall.
Since its inception in 1998, the YES Program has empowered more than 1,200 area teens to advance their education in STEM, with generally more than 90% of those individuals pursuing higher education, workforce development or military service after high school. YES alumni have gone on to become scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, medical professionals, researchers, IT professionals, educators and other community role models.
1,200+
~90% area teens empowered pursuing higher education, workforce development, or military service
MCDONNELL PLANETARIUM 60TH ANNIVERSARY
In April 2023, the McDonnell Planetarium celebrated six decades of inspiring the St. Louis community to learn about space, worlds beyond our own, and the science and technology that allows us to explore them. In two special anniversary events, Science Center philanthropic partners, members and friends were invited to celebrate the 1963 opening of the McDonnell Planetarium. In addition, attendees got a preview of the new As the World Turns display, which debuted in October 2023 to introduce guests to the topic of geospatial science.
In the summer, the St. Louis community had the opportunity to see the technology humans are using to explore Mars up close with Roving with Perseverance, a free display inside the Planetarium lobby featuring two full-scale replicas of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover and Ingenuity helicopter, which have played key roles in exploring the Red Planet. During the display’s opening weekend, nearly 8,000 Science Center guests had the chance to meet scientists and experts from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as they gave in-person talks and answered questions about the ongoing Mars 2020 Mission.
60
The McDonnell Planetarium also served as the St. Louis community’s place to learn about the solar eclipse observable in our region in October 2023. Premiering a new Star Show, ECLIPSE, in July, the Planetarium team encouraged guests to learn more about why these celestial events happen and how to view them safely. Then, in October, the Planetarium offered space- and eclipse-themed activities as part of the Science Center’s SciFest: The Great Outdoors / Eclipse Expo.
~8,000 Eclipse guests met NASA scientists from the Mars 2020 Mission new Star Show premiered in July
Community Science
In 2023, 16 teens graduated from the YES Program with plans to pursue military service and college degrees in areas like engineering, computer science, nursing, forensic science and more.
from underserved parts of the St. Louis area throughout their high school years. Entering as freshmen in high school, the YES Teens engage in a curriculum of project-based and interactive learning, as well as college and career readiness training. YES is the only four-year informal STEM education program in St. Louis that delivers opportunities in a work-study framework and prepares participants for the in-demand STEM careers of the future—including many right here in St. Louis.
At the 2023 NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship) MidwestSTL Regional Competition, YES Teen Kiaira Merrill won 1st place and was named the 2023 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. YES Teens Elias Scott and Sayana Scott won 3rd and 4th place respectively.
the program continued to provide YES Teens with hands-on and real-world learning experiences that helped prepare them to join the 21st century workforce. In July, the YES Networking Extravaganza allowed 64 YES Teens to meet with more than 30 professionals from a variety of fields and backgrounds to learn about the types of careers available and practice important networking skills.
The program was emceed by KMOV’s Maurice Drummond, who shared stories about how networking helped him to advance his career.
At October’s YES College and Career Fair, more than 20 local organizations, colleges and businesses came to the Taylor Community Science Resource Center to help inspire the YES Teens’ educational decisions, internships and future careers. And in December, a special visit from the Office of Financial Empowerment, part of the City of St. Louis Treasurer’s Office, came to talk about financial resources for college, ACT testing, comparing colleges and more.
SUMMERTIME SCIENCE, STEMTASTIC CAMP, AND POP-UP SCIENCE
Each year, the YES Program helps deliver accessible, hands-on STEM learning by turning outward and connecting with the St. Louis community through efforts like our annual Summertime Science program, newer efforts like our STEMtastic Camp, and Pop-Up Science events around St. Louis.
At the Taylor Building this summer, the YES Teens welcomed elementary school students from the Science Center’s network of community partners to explore hands-on aerospace activities during Summertime Science. The YES Teens led and instructed more than 1,100 kids and over 70 adult supervisors in building their own paper airplanes, testing and improving on their designs, and then participating in a contest to see whose plane could fly the farthest. These activities also allowed the first-year YES Teens to develop many of the foundational skills they will hone over the course of the program—skills like leadership, collaboration, workplace fundamentals and more.
Igniting curiosity for engineering and aerospace, the YES Program’s STEMtastic Camp returned for a third year thanks to the generous support of The Boeing Company. Taking place at two schools in the Riverview Gardens school district—Meadows Elementary and Glasgow Elementary—this year’s STEMtastic Camp included 12 YES Teens and served 25 campers, with each camper receiving 15 STEM lessons per week.
St. Louis community members had several opportunities to meet the YES Teens and learn about STEM thanks to Pop-Up Science events. Serving more than 200 community members in 2023, Pop-Up Science brought the Science Center and YES Teens to places like City Museum, the Missouri Botanical Garden and St. Louis City libraries to demonstrate how to explore electrical charges using static electricity, engineer a homemade air cannon using everyday materials, and even construct a simple musical instrument to discover how air can move molecules to make sound.
Thank you to the following for their generous support for Community Science and the YES Program:
The Boeing Company Cardinals Care
The Crawford Taylor Foundation Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis Growing Great
Henry A. Jubel Foundation MasterCard
Nestle Purina PetCare
The Saigh Foundation
Norman J. Stupp Foundation – Commerce Bank Trustee
Toyota U.S.A. Foundation Anonymous (2)
Education Programs
Engaging the St. Louis region with accessible STEM learning is central to the work we do, whether people are inside the walls of the Science Center or out among our community. From Amazing Science Demonstrations to participation at local summer camps and community events, in 2023 our Community Science team delivered more than 230 STEM programs throughout the St. Louis area, resulting in nearly 7,500 interactions with members of the public.
AMAZING SCIENCE DEMONSTRATIONS
Our Amazing Science Demonstrations inspire “oohs” and “aahs” with 30-minute presentations that bring science to life. Covering a range of topics—from exploring chemistry with fire to seeing sound, frequency and pitch—Amazing Science Demonstrations helped bring STEM learning to schools, community groups and more, delivering more than 3,500 interactions with community members.
FAMILY MATH & SCIENCE NIGHTS
With Family Math & Science Nights, the Science Center helped provide STEM learning for children and parents alike. These STEM programs invite groups to experience an assortment of science activities covering topics like flight, chemistry, circuits, the natural world and more. In 2023, these STEM programs reached more than 550 community members and showed that STEM learning and family fun can go hand in hand.
REDBIRD ROOKIES, SLAM BLOCK PARTY, PLANTTECH JAM AND MORE
In 2023, community events once again provided the Science Center opportunities to connect St. Louis with curiosity. Participation at events like Cardinals Care’s Redbird Rookies, the Saint Louis Art Museum’s SLAM Block Party and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center’s PlantTech Jam 2023 engaged more than 1,200 people with STEM learning.
Awarding the 2023 Loeb Prize for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics
Amanda Thouvenot from Hoech Middle School was awarded the Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Prize for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics at an event recognizing the finalists at the McDonnell Planetarium in May. For nearly 30 years, the Loeb Prize has honored outstanding science and math educators in the St. Louis area who demonstrate a passion to inspire learning. engineering-focused STEM programming.
The Science Center welcomed Elly Walsh-Rock to the team in 2023. A 2021 finalist for the Loeb Prize, Elly joined the Science Center’s Community Science department to help engage the YES Teens and the local community with engineering-focused STEM programming.
EDUCATOR OPEN HOUSE
St. Louis educators enjoyed a special field trip to the Science Center in December to take part in our latest Educator Open House. Approximately 100 educators attended the free morning event, learning about the STEM education programs and experiences available to local schools for the Spring 2024 semester.
Education, Galleries and Programs
At the Science Center, updates to our STEM galleries and programs helped connect guests with science, from the ground to the sky —and even outer space.
In GROW, updates to our Water Works exhibit allowed guests to “engineer” waterways and direct water to crops and farm animals, while a partnership with St. Louis agtech firm Benson Hill showcased their new Ultra High Protein commercial soybeans. Preschool Science Series and Science Tots welcomed young learners to explore STEM. The Experience Flight room received a refresh, bringing our flight and VR simulators together for the first time. And the Esports Program continued welcoming gamers from the St. Louis community and across the Midwest to play and compete in the growing field of esports.
ECLIPSE
The McDonnell Planetarium premiered a new Star Show, ECLIPSE, in July, encouraging guests to learn more about solar eclipses, why these celestial events happen, and how to view them safely. With each show, audience members received a pair of solar viewing glasses to safely observe the October 2023 eclipse visible from the St. Louis area.
In the leadup to October, we launched a dedicated webpage with eclipse-related resources for community members to learn more about them and discover tips for safe viewing.
7,700+
Pairs of solar viewing glasses distributed to guests in 2023
16,400+
Views of our eclipse information webpage at slsc.org
110+
ECLIPSE Star Shows delivered
5,200+
Science Center guests attended an ECLIPSE Star Show
Thank you to the following for their generous support of the GROW gallery:
Case IH
Gateway Information Committee
Illinois Farm Bureau
Missouri Farm Bureau
DREAM IT. BUILD IT.
Beginning in November, Science Center guests could step into Dream It. Build It., a new, free exhibit focused on building and engineering. Inside, guests can play, experiment and build freestanding structures using KEVA planks—small wooden blocks that can create almost any design. The exhibit invites guests to learn about physics, design and the STEM careers that allow humans to dream and build against the backdrop of St. Louis’ own architectural history.
AS THE WORLD TURNS
Looking ahead at the growing field of geospatial science, the Science Center opened a new, free display in October 2023 called As the World Turns, giving guests inside the McDonnell Planetarium lobby a brief introduction to geospatial data and St. Louis’ rich history in geospatial science. Anchored by an 8-foot-tall Rand-McNally Geophysical Earth Globe, the display provides guests a chance to interact with near-real-time satellite images and explore applications of geospatial data, from GPS positioning to landing on the moon.
Events
COMMUNITY STEAM SHOWCASE
Over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, the Science Center once again held our annual Community STEAM Showcase. This free, all-day event welcomed guests to discover the diverse scientific community right here in St. Louis. Attendees participated in hands-on activities and saw special presentations at Energy Stage led by role models representing the diversity in the science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) community, allowing guests of all ages and backgrounds to see themselves in science.
SCIFEST
In this series of free, all-day expos, families and guests of all ages connect with experts and professionals in STEM. Four SciFest events in 2023 covered a wide spectrum of science and technology themes with Engineering Expo, Animal Kingdom Expo, Play & Creativity Expo and the Great Outdoors / Eclipse Expo.
At SciFest: Great Outdoors / Eclipse Expo in October, the Science Center served as a hub for the St. Louis community to learn about the natural world, including the incredible celestial events known as eclipses, why they happen and how to view them safely.
Approximately 3,000 guests attended the all-day event, where they had the chance to connect with 150 STEM experts and innovators representing more than 30 STEM organizations
4,000+
Guest welcomed at 2023’s Community STEAM Showcase
~12,000
People connected by SciFest with STEM learning in 2023
10,000+
People served at First Friday events in 2023
FIRST FRIDAY
First Friday events continued to serve as St. Louis’ place to learn the real science behind science fiction and popular culture. Featuring a different theme each month, First Fridays in 2023 invited the community to discover the STEM inside a range of topics, including Nintendo, Star Trek, Studio Ghibli and more. In December, First Friday celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Doctor Who franchise with the chance to see the only screen-used, full-scale TARDIS prop available for public viewing in North America, learn about time travel and alien life, and catch episodes of the popular sci-fi series.
SUMMER STEAM CAMPS
The Science Center welcomed back elementary-age learners for a new summer camp experience with our Summer STEAM Camps. These half-day sessions covered topics like dinosaurs and space, while a session on video games allowed campers to design their own video game characters. Helping to minimize summer learning loss that can occur between school years, the Summer STEAM Camps provided a safe, fun place for campers to pique their curiosity about science and technology.
EXPLORING LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS WITH DR. AOMAWA SHIELDS
A collaborative event with the St. Louis County Library brought Dr. Aomawa Shields, astrobiologist and author, to the Science Center’s OMNIMAX® Theater in July. More than 270 people attended the free event, where Dr. Shields gave a presentation on her book Life on Other Planets: A Memoir of Finding My Place in the Universe and signed copies for attendees in a special meet and greet.
STEM CELEBRATION WEEK AT THE SCIENCE CENTER
In April as part of STEMSTL’s STEM Celebration Week, the Science Center hosted the Project Lead the Way Senior Showcase and Missouri STEM Signing Day. With Project Lead the Way’s Senior Showcase, high school students displayed more than 100 capstone projects in engineering and biomedical science. In conjunction, STEM Signing Day with the Missouri Chamber of Commerce celebrated Missouri high school seniors committing to study a STEM field at a 2- or 4-year college or technical school.
JOINT BLOOD DRIVE WITH THE ST. LOUIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE AMERICAN RED CROSS
A partnership between the American Red Cross and the St. Louis County Department of Public Health saw the Science Center serve as a critical hub for the St. Louis community, connecting the public with STEM experts and activities, as well as the chance to donate blood. This collaboration was the first time the two organizations facilitated a joint blood drive featuring educational activities on blood-borne diseases. The event saw the American Red Cross achieve their goal for donated blood units, and many more guests engaged with the STEM activities available.
SCIENCE SPOOKTACULAR
Packed with Halloween-themed festivities for the whole family, Science Spooktacular delivered science thrills at this annual free event. Across two days in October, guests were able to enjoy a themed experience with special activities throughout the Science Center campus, as well as chilling science demonstrations at Energy Stage, including a look at “spooky” items from the Science Center’s Collections.
YOUTUBE SENSATION BLIPPI AND HIS FRIEND MEEKAH BROADCAST SCIENCE CENTER FUN AROUND THE WORLD
In the fall, the Science Center welcomed a pair of special guests recognized by kids and parents around the globe when YouTube sensation Blippi and his friend Meekah filmed segments of their popular educational program at the Science Center. The first episode featured the many different vehicles around our campus and helped spread word about the Science Center to millions of viewers around the world.
5,600+
People served at Science Spooktacular
Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion
SENSORY UPDATES
A new partnership in 2023 between the Science Center and KultureCity®, an organization dedicated to sensory accessibility and acceptance for people with invisible disabilities, helped the Science Center live our value of being inclusive and welcoming to all.
Science Center team members participated in awareness training to be better equipped to identify and support the many types of sensory needs guests might experience. New signage throughout the Science Center campus helped guests identify quiet areas and noisier locations where headphones may be helpful. Sensory bags available for guests included noise-canceling headphones, fidget items, a “feeling thermometer” to help communicate emotions and more.
STL FOR ALL
In early 2023, the Science Center launched the Science and Technology Learning (STL) for All membership program. This new level of membership, designed to help break down barriers to STEM learning, invited St. Louis community members from traditionally underserved and economically disadvantaged communities to visit their Science Center and engage with STEM galleries, events and programming.
Launched as a pilot program in collaboration with the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, the STL for All membership program offered a Science Center membership at no cost to approximately 700 recipient families served by the Urban League. The program will continue to expand to other Science Center community partners in 2024, ensuring more families have opportunities to access fun and immersive STEM learning.
MINDSEYE AWARD FOR 2022’S HOCKEY: FASTER THAN EVER SPECIAL EXHIBITION
In March 2023, the Science Center was awarded the Mission Moment 2022 award from MindsEye, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to serving people of all ages with visual disabilities in the St. Louis region, for the special exhibitions team’s work making 2022’s HOCKEY: Faster Than Ever special exhibition more accessible for guests who are blind or partially sighted.
During the exhibition’s time at the Science Center, the special exhibitions team hosted hockey players who are blind or visually impaired for a tour of the exhibition, using blinddetectable hockey pucks to engage with the interactive experiences found inside.
Special thanks to Drury Hotels and Mastercard for their generous support of the STL for All membership program in 2023.
Sustainability
The Science Center’s Sustainable Futures Team continued to bring sustainability to the forefront by helping develop, implement and increase sustainability practices and education across the organization, both for the Science Center’s guests and team members.
GREEN LIVING FESTIVAL
In June, the Science Center welcomed back the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Green Living Festival for another free, all-day event dedicated to helping the St. Louis community live green. Over 2,400 guests attended the Saturday event, where they met experts and participated in activities, tours and workshops to explore the links between sustainability and a healthy environment while learning tips about how to make their own lifestyle, workplace, community and home greener.
TEAM MEMBER ENGAGEMENT
Events for the Science Center team helped build a culture of sustainability. The Sustainabili-Chili Cook-Off brought team members together to sample a variety of chilis made with sustainablefriendly ingredients while learning how to decrease their own carbon footprint through food choices. A Grounds Clean-Up event saw more than 20 team members set foot outside to pick up and recycle trash, as well as clean up areas outside the McDonnell Planetarium and remove invasive bush honeysuckle behind neighboring Compton-Drew Middle School. And at The Great Giveaway, team members held an item swap to give used (but still usable) items a new home—a great way to keep items out of landfills and reduce consumption.
UPGRADES TO THE SCIENCE CENTER
Upgrades to the Science Center saw more energy efficient LED lighting placed in staff areas, a new roof with 50% more insulation, and software that helped encourage team members to print less.
“SHAKE AND FOLD” SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGE
Science Center guests were invited to take a “15-second sustainability challenge” to reduce their paper towel usage. In October, new signage installed in both public and team member restrooms invited everyone to get sustainable by showing how only a single paper towel is needed for drying hands if you shake off excess water before using the folded paper towel to capture the remaining moisture.
TRASH TALKERS
The Sustainable Futures Team helped hold the Science Center’s first reduced waste event with our October First Friday, diverting food waste, compostable dishes and utensils from the landfill. Using this event as a pilot, the team helped set guidelines for future large-scale events to divert and reduce waste.
At the December First Friday and Holiday Member Night, “Trash Talker” team members stationed near food service locations and trash bins made their debut, inviting guests to learn more about recycling and composting with an activity sorting their plates and utensils, cups and food waste into the appropriate “recycle,” “compost” and “trash” bins.
2023 Financials
REVENUES
Guest Activities
Education Programs
Philanthropic Support
Membership
ZMD Taxes
Other
Endowment Income
Total Revenues
$3,312,519
$115,661
$1,820,387
$848,077
$13,877,277
$827,724
$646,033
$21,447,678
EXPENSES
Program Services
Operations
Philanthropic & Membership
Administration
Depreciation
Interest Expense
Other
Total Expenses
Net Change in Position
$8,096,521
$3,173,675
$1,858,163
$2,923,266
$3,469,383
$221,535
$15,234
$19,757,777
$1,689,901
Donor Honor Roll
A special and heartfelt thank you to our generous 2023 leadership, philanthropic partners, Science Center members and St. Louis community. Through your charitable support, we were able to serve more than half a million people with accessible STEM learning experiences, programming and exhibits. It’s through your thoughtful partnership and financial support that we’re able to bring St. Louis closer to the sciences at the Science Center and provide exposure to STEM throughout our region. 60 for 60 Challenge
ANNIVERSARY LEVEL
($10,000+)
Kelly and Mark Bulanda
Elizabeth and James McDonnell
Anne and John McDonnell
Peggy and Andy Newman
Judith A. Toombs
APOLLO LEVEL
($5,000–$9,999)
Jeanne and John Champer
Amy and Pat Galvin
Alicia McDonnell
Jennifer and Jeffrey McDonnell
Katherine McDonnell and Antonio Pipoli
Catherine and Christopher Rogers
Kerith and Frank Thurman, Jr.
GEMINI LEVEL
($2,500–$4,999)
Kim and Todd Bastean
Holly and Will James
Gargy and Pratyush Kumar
Rachel Presti and Jeremy Williams
Kathy and Jim Sherby
Marcella and Greg Stevens
Risa Zwerling-Wrighton and Mark S. Wrighton
Anonymous
MERCURY LEVEL
($1,000–$2,499)
Robbie and Ted Beaty
Byerly RV
Barry Cervantes
Jane and Jim Curran
Susan and Howard Elliott
Virginia E. Heagney and James P. Tobin
Bradley Hornburg
Margaret and Martin Israel
Carol B. Loeb
Lee Metcalf
Richard G. Robb
Mary and Zsolt Rumy
Michael Schulz
Seiler Instrument and Manufacturing Company
Judy Sindecuse
Sarah Smith and Dick Fleming
St. Louis Cardinals
Sharon and Glen Stettin
Elizabeth and Zar Toolan
Kay and David Werner
LUNAR LEVEL
($500–$999)
Beverly Estes Guyton
Barbara and Michael Hurst
Jamie Jabouri
Beth and Tim Kastner
Judith Ho and Richard Schulz
Lida and Kenneth Wagner
Anonymous
PLANET LEVEL ($200–$499)
Alastair Anderson
Cannonball Agency
Consumer Protection Legal, LLC
Judy and Harvey Harris
Linda and James Riles
Marie Schmich
Candace and Marco Webster
Mary and Richard Weinstock
Amy White
SPARK LEVEL
($1–$199)
Marcia and Rhett Alden
Lisa Appelbaum and Sara Hopcraft
Carol Armstrong
Terry and Kurt Arthur
Donna and David Baringer
Carol and Bob Barnes
Dana Baum
Vicki and Barry Bean
Barbara Benefield
Maureen and Vincent Borkowski
Joseph E. Brown
Lynn and Mark Burkhart
Erin Burnett
Elaine and Donald Burrus
Gale and Robert Burton
Barbara and David Byrd
Edward Clayton
Kathy and Craig Coldiron
Brother Kent Connolly
Bernie L. Corn
Daniel Curtis
Karen and Jim Dalton
Donna Davis
Harold R. Delaney
Susan and Fred Delano
Carol Demsky
Renee and Harold Denlow
Patricia and Jack Dickson
Richard Engelsmann
Barbara and Eugene Faenger
Linda and John Fassero
Margaret and Frank Flucke
Jane and Lawrence Frederick
Agnes and David Garino
Carol and John Groneck
Jacqueline and Michael Grubb
Judy and William Hamilton
Elizabeth and Tim Hampton
Kenneth Hawkins
Sultan Hayat
Lisa Hays
Richard Heil-Chapdelaine
Barbara and Thomas Hilton
Mimi and Gary Hirshberg
Stacy and Russ Hitzemann
Janice and Whitey Holt
Becky and Jack Hood
Janet and Jerome Husgen
Kathryn Hynes and Peter Postol
Betty and Wayne Johnson
Patricia Jones
Norma D. Juracsik
L. R. Kemp
Marcella Key
Frances C. Kish
Mary and James Kriegshauser
Rebekah and Greg Krumrey
Albert Lai
Laura Landmann
Craig Landon
Barbara Lawrie
Harry Leip
Mayne and Francisco Lopez
Cheryl and John Maayan
Kathleen and Mark Mackey
Lillian Manning
Amy Martin
Deborah and Thomas Maschek
Jennifer McCarthy
John McGuire
Scott Melenbrink
Amanda and Matthew Melton
Brenda and Paul Miller
Roxanne and Andrew Miller
Kirk Mills
Helen and Lawrence Minth
Michael Mitchell
Jackie Mollet
Donna K. Mueller
Linda and Andrew Neiner
Mary and David Nelson
Carolyn and Jack Nickerson
Virginia C. Noe
Heidi and Kenneth Olliff
Mindy Peirce
Glenda and William Phillips
Kim and Guy Phillips
William Piper
Alcee Polk
Carol and Dean Purdy
Joshua K. Randall
M. S. Rao
Kathleen and John Raniero
Debbie Rennecker
Charlotte and William Ridley
Jennifer Rigdon
Robert Ripley
Sandra Roberts
Bobby Sanderson and David Weiss
Barbara Sandmel and Frank Enger
Joan and Lawrence Schacht
Amanda and Matthew Schmitt
Pallavi Sinha and Ajitesh Rai
Miriam and Harvey Solomon
Beverly Schammel Spenader
Shelly Schrappen
Kelley Seibel
Hazel and Eric Seiler
Pratiksha and Jay Shah
Paula and Dennis Sherman
Lynn Shirley
Beth and J. D. Sosnoff
Donna Spence
Karen and Bill Stebelski
Christine and Douglas Stewart
Ann and Dave Stockman
Jill and Stephen Stover
John Taszarek
Darlene and Jerrold Tiers
Erica Uppstrom
Melinda and Ryan Voelkel
John W. Walbran
Marilyn and Nathaniel Warren
Mike Webb
Fred Weiersmueller
Michael Wense
Kristie and David Whitney
Debra Wicker
Anne and P. F. Wiehagen
Kelly Wiest
Rita Wiggley
Pat Williams
Barbara and John Wilmes
Sharon Yorker
Anonymous (5)
Donor Honor Roll
Donor Honor Roll –Corporations & Foundations
$100,000–$249,999
Case IH
The Crawford Taylor Foundation
William R. Orthwein, Jr. & Laura Rand Orthwein Foundation, Inc.
$75,000–$99,999
The Boeing Company
$50,000–$74,999
Margaret Blanke Grigg Foundation
Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company, LLC
$25,000–$49,999
Norman J. Stupp Foundation – Commerce Bank Trustee
Anonymous
$10,000–$24,999
American Direct Marketing
Drury Hotels Company
Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis
Ensign-Bickford Industries Foundation
Gateway Information Committee
Illinois Farm Bureau
Henry A. Jubel Foundation
MasterCard Worldwide
Missouri Farm Bureau
Nestle Purina PetCare
Eric P. and Evelyn E. Newman Foundation
The Saigh Foundation
Taylor Family Foundation
Toyota
U. S. Army
Harlene and Marvin Wool Foundation
Anonymous
$5,000–$9,999
Cardinals Care
Corning, Inc. Foundation
Edison Family Foundation
Essex Industries, Inc.
Haimer USA, LLC
HWP Rigging
KMOV-TV, Inc.
Municipal Tool & Machinery Company
Starrag USA, Inc.
$2,500–$4,999
Blues for Kids
Burns & McDonnell
GrowingGreat
KAL Capital Markets LLC
Laura J. Niles Foundation, Inc.
Seiler Instrument & Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Tarlton Corporation
Toyota U.S.A. Foundation
Anonymous
$1,000–$2,499
ADgraphix
Auto Club of Missouri
Bank of America
BASF Corporation
Bayer
Byerly RV
Cannonball Agency
The Chod Family Foundation Commerce Bank
Crane Agency
John Henry Foster and Bernardine Foster Foundation
The Lay Family Foundation
Madison County Wood Products
Maestro Screen Printing
Shapiro Metals
Spencer Fane LLP
SSM Select Rehab St. Louis, LLC
St. Louis County Farm Bureau
Trane Company
UMB Bank – St. Louis
University of Minnesota
Mary R. Wolff Real Estate Management Co.
$250–$999
Bad Boy Rocketry
Boldt Brothers Building
Maintenance Co.
Breakthru Beverage Group
Brown-Forman Corporation
Cee Kay Supply
Daikin TMi LLC
DDI Media
Frank Leta Auto Group
Intoximeters, Inc.
Jarrell Mechanical Contractors
Johnson Controls, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Sanford N. McDonnell Foundation
Metro Lighting
Modern Litho – St. Louis, Inc.
New System
Origin Agency
The SSA Group
St. Louis Composting
St. Louis Green Teen Alliance
Summit Distributing
Total Wine & More
Toyota Financial Services
U. S. Bank
Woodard Cleaning & Restoration
Donor Honor Roll –Individuals
BACKERS
$250,000–$499,999
Lesley* and William S.* Knowles†
ALBERT EINSTEIN SOCIETY PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL
$10,000–$49,999
Kelly and Mark Bulanda
Steph and Michael Heim
Mrs. Ann L.* and Dr. Wilfred R.* Konneker†
Carol B. Loeb†
Anne and John McDonnell†
Elizabeth and James McDonnell†
Margot and Edward Monser
Peggy and Andrew Newman†
Barbara and Andrew Taylor†
Judith A. Toombs
Risa Zwerling-Wrighton and Mark Wrighton
ALBERT EINSTEIN SOCIETY FELLOWS
$5,000–$9,999
Jeanne and John Champer
Amy and Pat Galvin
Dorothy and Melvyn Lefkowitz
Gargy and Pratyush Kumar
Alicia McDonnell
Jennifer and Jeffrey McDonnell
Katherine McDonnell and Antonio Pipoli
Sima and Philip* Needleman
Margaret A. Ritter†
Catherine and Christopher Rogers
Robert M. Senior*
Chrissy Taylor and Lee Broughton
Kerith and Frank Thurman
Jane Tschudy†
Laurie and Raymond Van De Riet, Jr.
ALBERT EINSTEIN SOCIETY PATRONS
$2,500–$4,999
Anne and Jack Bader†
Kimberly and Todd Bastean
Carol Garr†
Barbara and David Gifford†
Barbara and Michael Hurst
Holly and Will James
Mary and Robert Krieger
Rachel Presti and Deryck Jeremy Williams
Richard Robb†
Nancy and Eric Seiler
Kathy and Jim Sherby
Sarah Smith and Richard Fleming
Sharon and Glen Stettin
Marcella and Greg Stevens
Sarah Trulaske
Anonymous
ALBERT EINSTEIN SOCIETY MEMBERS
$1,000–$2,499
Carol Armstrong
Martha and David Aronson†
Barbara and Daniel Bauwens
Robbie and Ted Beaty
Kim Beisman and Alan Silverberg
Barbara and Barry Beracha
Jo and Doug Brockhaus
Sue and Mark Bronson
Deborah and Samuel Bross
Ann Callis
Barry Cervantes
Lynn and Joe Cornelius
Marcy and Rick Cornfeld
Jane and Jim Curran
Mrs. George B. Desloge†
Hazel and Arnold Donald
Michael Donald
Ellen and Henry Dubinsky†
Susan and Howard Elliott
Rosemary and Robert Emnett
Lorraine and Steve Feiner†
Linda and Steve Finerty
Susan Getzschman
Elizabeth and Tim Hampton†
Stephanie and Mark Hampton
Virginia Heagney and James Tobin
Margaret and Michael Heinz
Judith Ho and Richard Schulz†
Jan Holloway
Bradley Hornburg
Margie and Edward Imo†
Joanne and Joel Iskiwitch†
Margaret and Martin H. Israel†
Bettie Johnson
Constance and Eugene King
Judy and Jim Kiske
Carol and Ward Klein
Fran and Roger Koch
David Kocs
Patty and Gary Krosch
Hannah and Lawrence Langsam
Susan and Dan Luedke†
Maureen and Gregg Maryniak
Lee Metcalf
Nancy Meyer and Richard Kutta
Renee and Bruce Michelson†
Ellen Nahlik
Jeannette and Alan Nissenbaum
R. E. Nystrom
Anita and John O’Connell†
Cynthia and Raymond Peters†
Eloise B. Ross
Nancy and Donald Ross†
Mary and Zsolt Rumy
Bobby Sanderson and David Weiss
Susie and Bob Schulte
Janice and Ron Schultz
Michael A. Schulz
Mary Louise and Frank Serdy
Judy Sindecuse
Bonnie and William Snyder
Barbara and Warren Stiska
Mary Strauss†
Linda and Dave Swain
James Tabor
Ada Taylor and Debra Jones
Marilyn and Steven Teitelbaum
Elizabeth and Zar Toolan
Ellen Uhlemeyer
Carol Valenta
Melinda and Ryan Voelkel
Lida and Kenneth Wagner
Ellen and John Wallace
June Wartenbe
Karen and Richard Weber
Kay and David Werner
Kathy and Dan Wilke
Pat Williams
Anonymous (2)
† Charter Member
* Deceased
Donor Honor Roll
NEWTON SOCIETY MEMBERS
($500–$999)
Mandy Bodily-Bartrum and Brett Bartrum
Karen and Richard Dyer
Virginia and Christopher Gaebe
Michael Gliebe
Paula and Michael Gross
Phyllis and Brad Hershey
Jennifer and Joe Holzhauer
Linda and Michael Honigfort
Lynne Johnson
Beth and Tim Kastner
Carol Kohfeld and John Sprague
Craig Landon
Christa Leone
Charlotte and Rachel Martin
Charles Oertli†
Ginny and Danny Orthwein
Judy and Paul Putzel
Julie and Peter Sharamitaro
Cynthia and Thomas Siler
Karin and Lewis Sweigart
Michelle and Jeffrey Switzer
Jerome Thomasson
Mackenzie and Joseph Walter
Ruth Ann and Breck Washam
Mary and Sarah Yousef
GALILEO SOCIETY MEMBERS
($250–$499)
Sandra Ahlum and Lent Johnson
Ilona and Rolf Albers
Melanie and David Alpers†
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur W. Altvater
Becky and Michael Asbury
Robert Ashton
Marian and Arthur Auer
Colleen and Russell Barden
Alice and Patrick Behan, Sr.
Denise Bouvrette
Karen and Robert Brandon
David Carr
Shandy Casteel
Karen Condie
Lucy and William Conley
Philip Dahlheimer
Preeti Dalawari and John Vandover
Pam and John Davis
Louise and Steven Epner
Beverly Estes Guyton
Kathleen and David Fischhoff
Katherine and Richard Fitzer
Peter Fuerst
Ruth Fuller
Janice Galeckas and Stephanie Young
Colleen and Matthew Glisson
Edward Goedeker
Kim and Joseph Gorman
Timothy Greenwald
Kristin and John Grigsby
James and Dudley Grove
Carol Gruen
Brian Guntli
Elizabeth and Richard Hall
Judy and Harvey Harris†
Kathleen and David Hawkins†
Dotty and Chuck* Hiatt
Margie Horowitz
Angela and Philip Huddleston
Jamie Jabouri
Michelle and John Jackson
Gerlinde and Michael Koebel
Constance Kovach
Daniel Ladenberger
Nancy and Keith Lissant
Cindy and Ken Luecke
Barbara Luedde and Carl Pruess
Joan and Michael Malloy
Richard McLaughlin
Sharon and Thomas McPherron
Barbara and Victor Meznarsic
John Mohr
Mildred Moody
Linne Morgan
Ellen Murphy
Elizabeth Parker
Kim and Guy Phillips
Joseph Pisoni
Barbara Prosser and Philip Heagney†
Deborah and Richard Radasch
Shelley and James Ringhofer
Jane and Bruce Robert
Susan and Peter Rogers
Marjory Russell
James Schovanez
Paul Sheehan
Leena and Ravindra Shitut
Debra and George Smith
Harley Smith
Louise and Warren Sullivan
Tracy and Joseph Thomas
Blair and William Thompson
Wilda Tierney
Kristi and Eric Van Luven
Neelam and Udit Verma
Janet and Thomas Vogt
Julie and Justin Wagner
Jill and Robert Waxler
Phyllis Weber
Peter Weiss
Kristen and Brian Wellinghoff
Kimberly Williams
Gabrielle and Tyrone Wilson
Lea and Jerry Wilson
Susan and Frank Ziegler
Charter Member
Deceased
Matching Gift Companies
Bank of America
Bayer
The Boeing Company
Bunge North America Foundation
CarMax, Inc.
Corning, Inc. Foundation
Emerson
FM Global
GoDaddy, Inc.
Humana, Inc.
Johnson & Johnson
The Lay Family Foundation
Macy’s
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
MasterCard WorldWide
Pfizer, Inc.
Prudential Financial, Inc.
Charles Schwab Corporation
U. S. Bank
Verizon
The Saint Louis Science Center regrets the misspelling of any supporter or omission of any gift. If you discover a discrepancy or would like to change your honor roll listing, contact us at donations@slsc.org or 314.289.4414
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