ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum: Science Education for All Ages

ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum inspires wonder and curiosity through science-based inquiry and hands-on activities. Serving the Rogue Valley since 2002, ScienceWorks is dedicated to the highest standards of science education for all people. The museum contains 17,500 square feet of public exhibit and programs space, including a theater, an Earth & space science classroom, a life science classroom, two exhibit halls, an early childhood space, a retail store and a tinkering studio. ScienceWorks is on three acres with special event capabilities and outdoor learning areas. We typically serve over 50,000 visitors per year, including 10,000 K-12 students. ScienceWorks hosts themed weekends and ongoing fun, educational, science programs for all ages year-round.

Located just a short distance from the heart of Ashland, the museum can serve as a great destination or side trip for a holiday excursion to this small town. Plan for a full day, with a visit to ScienceWorks, ice skating at the Ashland Rotary Centennial Ice Rink in nearby Lithia Park, and a stroll along Main street to enjoy the decorations and do a bit of shopping. Take time to savor a leisurely meal at one of the many charming restaurants before heading home.

An innovative partnership with Walker Elementary School

The Ashland Public Schools District and ScienceWorks recently partnered to temporarily locate Walker Elementary School at the ScienceWorks field while the school is undertaking an 18-month renovation and addition project.

When construction delays impacted the move-in date for students, ScienceWorks stepped up and offered the museum as a temporary classroom for Walker Elementary. Principal Tiffany Burns says, “We are incredibly grateful to our friends at ScienceWorks who have allowed us to do the unimaginable and hold school in a museum! We can now say that we have taught in a pterosaur exhibit, a pirate ship, a theatre, a workshop, and science labs.”

A village of modular buildings at the museum

On September 30, Walker’s students and administrators moved into a “village” of modular classrooms, restrooms and offices onsite. The school is sharing dedicated parking spaces with the museum, as well as using the outdoor portions of the museum for lunch and recess.

Fortunately, no trees needed to be removed or impacted by the work. Once the project is completed, the power, sewer, water and data infrastructure will remain and provide a long-term asset for ScienceWorks and benefit future site users, including the nearby Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market, which operates on Tuesdays every year between March and the end of November.

Throughout the school’s construction period, ScienceWorks is also supporting Walker Elementary students with outreach programming, field trip workshops and a new afterschool program.

Bite-Sized Science — videos and toolkits encourage discovery and fun

To encourage curiosity, discovery, and fun, ScienceWorks recently launched a new nine-week educational series, “Bite-Sized Science,” geared towards school-aged learners and their families. With a new release every Wednesday, kids have gotten a chance to try out bite-sized science experiences, guided in short videos by museum staff.

Each video is accompanied by a free, downloadable PDF guide and will make great use of the Free ScienceWorks toolkits sponsored by Bennion Orthodontics of Medford. Each kit contains an assortment of science tools like a magnifying lens, beaker, funnel, pipette, grease pencil, metric ruler, Petri dish, dissecting forceps, diffraction grating and safety goggles.

There are limited free kits available, and all interested learners should order now to receive their kit, weekly videos, and science experience guides. The current schedule of Bite-Sized Science runs through December 8. Check the website (scienceworksmuseum.org) in December for additional kit availability and sponsorship updates. The science videos are free to all and available to view on ScienceWorks’ YouTube channel.

At-home Story of Science kits explore STEM concepts

In partnership with the Alan and Priscilla Oppenheimer Foundation, ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum developed the Story of Science science kits, a new and exciting opportunity that explores STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) concepts through storytelling, experiment and investigation.

The at-home kits were developed in response to the pandemic-related closure of the museum and in recognition of the gaps that have occurred in science education as a result of remote learning. Science education has been particularly affected by lack of access to labs and scientific equipment.

“We wanted to find a way to help students and families participate in hands-on science even when ScienceWorks was closed,” says Alan Oppenheimer, president of the Oppenheimer Foundation. “We think these kits will help kids engage more deeply with scientific exploration and develop key traits it takes to be a scientist: curiosity, persistence and keen observation skills.”

Each kit includes ScienceWorks original activities with equipment and materials to conduct an experiment, construct a model, and encourages kids and their families to use household items as part of their science exploration. Two kits are available: Story of Science: Infectious Disease and Story of Science: Vaccines. Kits can be purchased for $25 in the Explore Store at the museum or in the online shop.

Providing children with opportunities for discovery and learning

The world needs scientists. The challenges we are experiencing today are opportunities for tomorrow’s inventors, explorers, researchers, and engineers. Children are naturally curious, and our goal is to provide them with opportunities for discovery and learning. Tomorrow’s solutions start with today’s science investigation.
Science Works Hands-On Museum is located at 1500 E Main St, Ashland, OR. (541) 482-6767, scienceworksmuseum.org. Open Wed-Sun, 10am-5pm. Online activities available 24/7. Admission $12.50 adults, $10.50 children, $3 per person 2 and older first Sunday of each month. Free for active duty military and families from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

ScienceWorks membership benefits

Museum membership is an investment in science inspiration, learning, and quality family time. The museum features 100 innovative exhibits, members-only events, special themed workshops and weekends, and much more. Membership benefits include:
• Free general admission for one year
• $2 discount on general admission guest passes (when guests join you on your visit)
• Access to a members-only ScienceWorks online community.
• Discounts on  camps, birthday parties, classes, special events and more
• Priority registration for summer camps
• 10% discount at the gift shop
• Kids birthday club: 15% discount in gift shop during child’s birthday month.
• Monthly member e-newsletter
• Free or discounted admission to  300+ science enters in the US and worldwide with the ASTC passport