We’re Growing!
Help us reach our building expansion
fundraising goal!
We have exciting news…we’re growing! For the first time since Akron Fossils & Science Center opened its doors 20 years ago, we are adding on to our building. As the audience of children and families we serve has grown, we have felt the need to grow with them. To better serve and accommodate this need, we will be adding a 500 sq. ft. multipurpose room to the back of the science center and building an outdoor science lab and learning garden! These expansions will foster incredible new opportunities for learning and exploration. To make them possible, we need YOUR help!
We have a goal to raise $110,000!
Donations can be one-time gifts, multi-month pledges, or larger pledges paid out over time. The best part? Every dollar, up to $10,000 will be MATCHED by a generous donor!
Keep scrolling to learn more!
Dollars Raised to Date
$3, 400
Goal
$110,000 for building expansion and outdoor learning lab
Dollars Remaining
$106, 600
What is being built?
The building expansion will be a 500 square foot addition to the back of Akron Fossils & Science Center, facing our outdoor playground. This new all-purpose room will provide critically needed space for our growing home-education and weekend programs and will allow us to launch new offerings. For example, the expanded space will allow hands-on science labs, group workshops, and dedicated areas for additional classroom activities, demonstrations, and more.
With its easy access to the park, the new room will also allow us to integrate more outdoor learning experiences with our indoor curriculum, giving students real-world opportunities for discovery and exploration.
Why Build?
Annual Summer Campers
250+ campers K-5
Outdoor Education
Akron Fossils & Science Center sits on a beautiful, 2-acre park. Along with providing a safe place for kids to play, it serves as a unique hands-on learning space for our students and visitors.
In addition to our expanded indoor space, we plan to revitalize and enhance our existing outdoor space by installing upgraded playground equipment and creating an outdoor science lab and learning garden. This enhanced outdoor space will serve as an extension of the classroom, providing hands-on opportunities for exploration, creativity, and experiential learning.
Akron Fossils and Science Center has been operating for over 20 years and has experienced remarkable growth during that time. Every year, our educational programs ignite curiosity and a love of science in thousands of children and teens, while providing families with a welcoming environment to learn and explore together. Our hands-on activities, interactive exhibits, and outreach efforts foster creativity, critical thinking, and family engagement, building lasting memories and strengthening connections within our community.
The expansion of our home-education programming, especially our S.T.E.A.M. classes, has been a tremendous success and a key driver of our recent growth. What has been especially rewarding is seeing how enthusiastically families have embraced these programs, with many returning year after year and sharing their positive experiences with others.
School Groups
100+ Annually
Home-Educated Students
200+ Students K-12
We have been utilizing all available space in our building and made some much-needed upgrades last year. We painted the entire building, replaced the wooden fence with a vinyl fence, waterproofed the lower level along Cleveland Massillon Road, replaced the bridge over the creek, replaced the roof, and resealed and striped the parking lot. We also created additional parking on the other side of the creek for overflow. These upgrades have not only improved the safety and appearance of our facility but have also made it more accessible and enjoyable for all of our visitors. Because of these improvements, families now experience a brighter, safer, and more welcoming environment when they participate in our programs or attend special events. These expenses came to approximately $75,000.00.
We are so happy to have been able to serve so many people from all walks of life throughout the years, and grateful for the faithful supporters who have helped to make that possible. However, with GROWTH comes a need for SPACE! We are simply bursting at the gills—not a bad problem to have! And that is why we are planning this $110,000 expansion- so that we can continue to provide excellent, hands-on educational opportunities for more and more learners for generations to come.
Will you help us grow?
Both one-time gifts and pledged contributions are deeply valued and play an essential role in helping us move forward. While single-sum donations provide immediate impact, some supporters have chosen to make a pledge that can be fulfilled in two or three installments over two to three years. We have already received commitments from several loyal supporters and are seeking a few additional partners to help underwrite a portion of the project. We invite you to thoughtfully consider supporting this exciting project!
Remember, every dollar donated will be matched, up to $10,000!