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.
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
American Alliance of Museums (AAM)
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.
American Camp Association (ACA)
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.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
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.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
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.
