Our Center

Mission

Inspire Science Learning for All

Vision

A world where everyone values science to make informed decisions and address critical challenges to enhance their communities

Founded in 1955, Orlando Science Center is Central Florida’s award-winning, hands-on science museum, ranking as one of the most popular museum destinations in the region. Our exhibits and interactive programs bring science to life for over 660,000 annual visitors, including both residents of Central Florida and visitors from around the world.

Guided by our mission to inspire science learning for all, every day we aim to ignite the spark for lifelong learning through impactful and immersive programming, inspiring the next generation of creative innovators.

Through our state-of-the-art STEM Discovery Center, we educate and inspire students and educators both onsite and offsite at schools and community centers. We integrate the latest teaching methods, technologies, and resources into our education programs, reinforcing classroom curriculum and providing real-world learning opportunities, making science relevant and engaging for all.

View of Orlando Science Center from Loch Haven Park to the east.

Values

Act with integrity

Commit to excellence

Embrace teamwork and collaboration

Treat everyone with respect

Be innovative

Conserve nature and steward all resources

Organizational Goals

Orlando Science Center is guided by four strategic goals to serve our community through our mission and vision.

  • Goal 1: Ensure the Science Center is recognized as a trusted and vital resource in the community.
  • Goal 2: Advance STEM literacy through exemplary STEM programs and experiences.
  • Goal 3: Engage our community by serving, reflecting, and embracing all.
  • Goal 4: Secure sound financial positioning to drive future growth.

Accreditations

The American Alliance of Museums (formerly the American Association of Museums) is the one organization that supports all museums. Through advocacy and excellence, the Alliance strengthens the museum community.

Orlando Science Center has achieved subsequent accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for a museum. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public.

www.aam-us.org

The American Camp Association is a community of camp professionals who, for over 100 years, have joined together to share knowledge and experience and to ensure the quality of camp programs.

www.acacamps.org

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has announced that Orlando Science Center (OSC) was granted accreditation by AZA’s independent Accreditation Commission. Following a comprehensive evaluation, the Accreditation Commission determined that the facility meets AZA’s standards for animal wellbeing, care and management.OSC is one of only 15 institutions that is accredited by both AZA and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).

AZA accreditation includes a detailed application and a meticulous multiple-day on-site inspection by an independent team of zoological professionals. The inspecting team analyzes all aspects of the facility’s operation, including animal care and wellbeing; veterinary care; staff training; educational programs; conservation efforts; financial stability; risk management; governance; and guest services. Detailed reports from the inspection team and the facility alike are then thoroughly evaluated by the Accreditation Commission.

www.aza.org

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to transforming how our buildings are designed, constructed and operated through LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building, community and home project types, LEED provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings.

LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement. Through their community network, continuous collaboration with industry experts, market research publications and LEED professional credentials, their global staff is working every day to help advance spaces that are brighter and healthier for us to live, work and play in.

www.usgbc.org/leed

Orlando Science Center’s STEM Preschool has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) – the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children. NAEYC accreditation is a rigorous and transformative quality-improvement system that uses a set of 10 research-based standards to collaborate with early education programs to recognize and drive quality-improvement in high-quality early learning environments.

To earn NAEYC Accreditation, Orlando Science Center’s STEM preschool went through an extensive self-study and quality-improvement process, followed by an on-site visit by NAEYC assessors to verify and ensure that the program met each of the ten program standards, and hundreds of corresponding individual criteria. NAEYC-accredited programs are always prepared for unannounced quality-assurance visits during their accreditation term, which lasts for five years.

In the 30 years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. More than 6,000 programs are currently accredited by NAEYC—less than 10 percent of all childcare centers, preschools, and kindergartens nationally achieve this recognition.

www.naeyc.org

Guests watch large cloud of foam exploding during outdoor Science Live show.

OSC NEWS BLOG

Group experimenting in Dr. Dare's Lab.

SCIENCE MATTERS

A mother and her children examining colored filtered in an experiment about light.

SCIENCE FOR ALL

An employee shows a child the topographical sand exhibit.

EMPLOYMENT

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