Innovation is all about looking forward; dreaming up new technologies, medicines, systems, and solutions that will make the world of the future a better place. But looking back on decades of progress has its merits as well. It’s hard to believe that our distinctive building in Liberty State Park has welcomed curious learners and science enthusiasts for more than 30 years! We are proud of the experiences and opportunities we have been able to offer our guests and partners, and we’re grateful for the support that has made our work possible.
Currently, more than 800,000 children and adults visit us annually for engaging science experiences in our multiple exhibition galleries, theaters, labs, and the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium—the biggest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. Liberty Science Center also serves 280,000+ Pre-K - 12 students and teachers who participate in an extensive suite of immersive STEM education programs in eight laboratories in LSC’s Center for Learning and Teaching, in other unique learning spaces throughout the Center, and in their own schools and communities throughout New Jersey, the region, and beyond. LSC’s team of STEM educators provides dozens of specially tailored science programs on site, off site, and online. During the past six years, 3,257 schools and 1,735 informal education groups have participated in LSC programs. These organizations come back year after year, and they spread the word to other educators about the good work happening at LSC.
Working with outside experts and partners, LSC delivers opportunities to high-needs communities, including devoted Sensory Days for those on the autism spectrum. The Science Center provides vital experiences and instruction to the 99,000+ students from low-income communities, including free Community Evenings for those in qualifying districts. LSC assists teachers, providing them with important and unique opportunities for professional development in the teaching of science. And every summer, we battle vacation learning loss by providing lively science and technology experiences at LSC Science Camp, which includes many Jersey City campers who attend on full scholarship.
Looking ahead to the next 30 years, LSC has undertaken an ambitious expansion called SciTech Scity, a mini city of tomorrow. This 30-acre innovation campus is devoted to using science and technology to address humanity’s greatest challenges, from inadequate healthcare to climate change, and create a better future for all of us. It will include a business incubation facility with research labs and offices, a residential housing complex, public space for community events, and a brand new science-focused high school. To ensure that the Science Center remains a state-of-the-art destination as SciTech Scity rises around it, we have also undertaken a campaign to upgrade, reimagine and expand the experiences in LSC’s permanent gallery spaces.
As we continue creating an extended community of future-focused citizens, Liberty Science Center invites you to explore the impact our work is having right now on the learners and community members we serve today.
Liberty Science Center is steadfast in advancing our mission to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. We are actively working to remain relevant and responsive to the evolving needs of the students, educators, and families we serve while reimagining and revolutionizing informal STEM education.
Liberty Science Center has been a recognized leader in STEM education throughout the tri-state area for 30 years. From pioneering virtual programming, such as our Live From Surgery programs, to world-class resources, such as our Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium, to passionate and knowledgeable educators, Liberty Science Center is well equipped to provide engaging and enriching interactive STEM experiences.
Our STEM education programs model and encourage best practices that promote learning science by doing science. Our professional learning workshops equip teachers with tools and techniques to give students more meaningful, collaborative sense-making opportunities.
Liberty Science Center will continue to design, develop, and deliver transformative experiences that spark and sustain interest in STEM. As the demand grows for dynamic STEM educational programming connected to current science and technology, defining new career pathways, and investigating issues such as climate change, so does the significance and
LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER
Our numbers tell our story of service to the state and to our community
800,000+ annual attendance
280,000+ Pre-K-12 students served annually
99,000 low-income NJ students served annually
4,457 guests from high-needs communities in NJ attended Community Evenings in 2025
3,000+ schools served in the past 6 years
741 educators took LSC professional development courses in the past year
9,700 students participate in Live From Surgery annually
469 campers at LSC Science Camp in the past year
25-30 LSC Science Camp scholarships, valued at more than $1,000 each, to Jersey City public school students annually
929 guests at LSC Sensory Day programs in 2025
$3.15 million raised to support STEM programs at Genius Gala 13
226+ uninsured patients participating in SciTech Scity’s Healthcare Innovation Engine’s pilot programs
5 Healthcare Innovation Engine Roundtables hosted by SciTech Scity
667 startups in SciTech Scity’s network
All this and the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere as we strive to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers and close the STEM-workforce gap.
SCHOOL PROGRAMMING
PRE-K THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL
Liberty Science Center’s unmatched array of on-site educational tools and unique assets make it the region’s top destination for science learners. Where else can students tour the planets in the hemisphere’s largest planetarium, design and 3D-print a unique object at their own MakerLab work station, view real NASA data sets on a sixfoot illuminated globe called Science on a Sphere, and touch a live horseshoe crab— all in a single day?
LSC attracts more than 280,000 science students each year with its combination of lively, hands-on workshops, expert STEM instruction, and programs that cover every science discipline imaginable. Our educators also travel to schools throughout New Jersey and into New York, delivering laboratory lessons, science demonstrations, and assemblies. Each experience is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and expertly targeted to students’ grade level and curriculum needs.
PARTNERS IN SCIENCE
Partners in Science offers high school students who have exhibited outstanding abilities or unrealized potential in STEM fields the opportunity to go beyond textbooks and school-based labs by immersing them in authentic scientific research. About 30 students every summer participate in this intensive, eightweek program.
STUDENT SP TLIGHT
TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
I can’t thank Partners in Science enough for truly the best research experience this summer. I now have a better understanding of what field I’d like to pursue in college and this made me even more curious about research.
Shreyashi Kumar McNair Academic High School
Liberty Science Center partners with teachers, schools, and districts to offer highly interactive professional development programs that emphasize evidence-based learning, exploration of science phenomena, and scientific discourse. In 2025, a total of 741 educators took part in our professional development courses.
The programs can be delivered in person or online to accommodate educators’ intense schedules, and are offered as single courses or themed series. In-demand courses focus on teaching technology and engineering skills, climatechange science, and the unique challenges of science instruction for Pre-K and kindergarten students.
LIVE FROM SURGERY
Liberty Science Center’s flagship educational program, Live From Surgery, offers students a unique opportunity to peer into an operating room and interact with medical experts. This powerful learning experience exposes students to careers in biotechnology and medical science. Live From Surgery sessions can be experienced at Liberty Science Center or transmitted into classrooms virtually.
During each session, students view a procedure, communicate with the doctors, and make close observations of surgical instruments. During Meet the Surgeon sessions, a heart transplant surgeon or pediatric orthopedic surgeon will join live and present students with recorded footage from one of their procedures and discuss their career paths. We partner with the most prestigious hospitals across the region for this unforgettable experience. More than 9,700 students participate each year.
LSC’s Live From Surgery Partners
Live From Surgery programming is sponsored by
SCIENCE CAMP AT LSC
Science Camp at LSC is a summer day camp that keeps kids engaged and entertained as they learn and grow. The camp runs for six weeks in July and August. In 2025, we welcomed 469 campers who entered grades 1 through 8 in the fall. STEM educators lead campers through weeklong explorations using real-world science and technology skills and tools. Parents concerned about summer learning loss value the science-rich content of each course while campers value the lively themes, challenging activities, and new friends.
Science Camp at LSC is newly accredited by the prestigious American Camp Association.
Every summer, Liberty Science Center provides 25 - 30 science camp scholarships to students from Jersey City public schools. Each scholarship includes tuition, all camp materials, uniform, and daily lunch, and is valued at $1,130.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
SENSORY DAY
On LSC’s dedicated Sensory Days, developed in partnership with Children’s Specialized Hospital, the environment of the Science Center is thoroughly reset to welcome only learners who have sensory differences, along with their families and caregivers. Lights are lowered, sound is muted, and attendance is strictly limited to avoid crowding and overstimulation. In 2025, we hosted 929 Sensory Day guests. STEM educators present programming designed with sensory needs in mind. Multiple low-sensory zones are available for quiet breaks and sensory kits with fidgets and noise-reducing headphones may be borrowed upon request.
LSC has partnered with KultureCity to enhance its ability to assist and accommodate guests with sensory needs, incorporating annual staff training and expanded resources. In turn, KultureCity has classified the Science Center as a Certified Sensory Inclusive® Venue.
COMMUNITY EVENINGS
Liberty Science Center opens its doors several evenings a year to welcome families from high-needs communities throughout New Jersey. All activities, shows, labs, and experiences are available free of charge. The evenings are often seasonally themed and highlight current special offerings for daytime guests of the Science Center.
In 2025, we welcomed 4,457 guests to our Community Evenings!
HUDSON COUNTY STEM SHOWCASE
The Hudson County STEM Showcase, presented by Liberty Science Center and RWJBarnabas Health Jersey City Medical Center, highlights the creativity and talent of Hudson County students in grades 5 - 12. Participants present original research across 22 categories, including software, robotics, animal behavior, biochemistry, and environmental engineering. More than 200 judges volunteer to award medals, trophies, scholarships, cash awards, summer camp experiences, and advancement to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
JERSEY CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISTRICT SCIENCE FAIR CHALLENGE
Since 2016, Liberty Science Center has been the host venue for the Jersey City Public Schools District Science Fair Challenge. In addition to serving as the host venue, Liberty Science Center donates general admission tickets that are presented to the finalists during the awards ceremony held at a Jersey City school.
PROGRAMMING THAT INSPIRES
OUR COMMITMENT TO SPACE PROGRAMMING
Space Talks
In 2025, working astronomers gave seven Space Talks in the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium. The biggest planetarium in the hemisphere is an unrivaled setting for astronomers to use state-of-the-art tools to illustrate their work on an 89-foot dome screen. After each presentation, audience members have a chance to meet the speaker, ask follow-up questions, and hear more about the talk’s topic.
Lunar Mania
This lunar-eclipse event capped off LSC’s “Longest and Craziest Day Ever,” welcoming guests from 10:00 am on March 13 until 4:00 am on March 14, 2025. Guests who made it to the end of the marathon—awake!—won free tickets for a future visit.
NASA Partnership
In 2025, we secured funding for a hands-on astronomy program that LSC will deliver in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Hudson County using portable digital planetarium technology.
PUBLIC PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
Record-Breaking Attendance
More than 131,000 visitors came to the Science Center for the exciting spring programming we presented in March and April 2025.
Wild About Animals and Earth Week
At LSC’s Wild About Animals celebration, you can let a butterfly land gently on your finger in the Butterfly House or learn how newborn chicks peck their way into the world in the Chick Hatchery. Special guests included a kangaroo joey, an umbrella cockatoo, a hedgehog, a cane toad, and more animal friends! During Earth Week, we offered climate-focused planetarium shows and science demos, and welcomed professional researchers, educators, and climate advocates to share their expertise with our guests.
LSC After Dark
The Science Center welcomes an adult audience of fans, influencers, and fun seekers on special Thursday nights to celebrate and explore. Each LSC After Dark event has a lively party theme, grown-up planetarium and laser shows, bespoke smoking cocktails, a DJ, a dance floor, and great vibes.
PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS
Our supporters are invaluable partners in our mission. Working together, we bring innovative ideas and invaluable service to our community.
PARTNER SP TLIGHT
The PSEG Foundation supports initiatives that drive toward achieving lasting results to the challenges facing our communities. Through our partnership with Liberty Science Center, we’re helping young people across New Jersey understand how extreme weather shapes the world around them. The Energy Quest exhibit and STEM programs turn complex science into hands- on learning that sparks curiosity and builds confidence. When young people see themselves in these spaces, they begin to imagine new possibilities for their future.
Calvin R. Ledford, Jr. Director of Corporate Social Responsibility & President, PSEG Foundation
Bristol Myers Squibb’s support of both Liberty Science Center and SciTech Scity’s Healthcare Innovation Engine reflects our commitment to enhance healthcare in our communities and advance scientific knowledge. Together, we’re working to deliver programming that inspires the next generation of health and science innovators.
Al Reba SVP, Cardiovascular & Immunology Commercialization, Bristol
Myers Squibb
DONOR SP TLIGHT
My husband, Joseph D. Williams, was one of LSC’s founders and staunchest advocates for over 30 years. Today it is my pleasure to continue to support this wonderful institution that has meant so much to me and my family.
Millie Williams Philanthropist
We’re delighted to see the Izzo Family Touch Tank go from concept to completion and to know that our donation will help generations of children and lifelong learners grasp the impact of climate change on their local environment.
Ralph and Karen Izzo Scientists & Philanthropists
I have been a volunteer for thirteen years. I am delighted to be at LSC to see the joy that it brings to the children and adults alike.
Frances Curiazza
VOLUNTEERS
From the beginning, volunteers have been an integral part of Liberty Science Center’s mission to inspire curiosity and a passion for science. Our volunteers represent a range of backgrounds, from high school students looking to develop professional skills to corporate teams helping extend their organizational mission, to retired seniors eager to give back to their community. To learn more or apply to volunteer:
Volunteering at Liberty Science Center is deeply rewarding because I get to see curiosity spark in real time. Helping young visitors discover how the world works reminds me why science education matters so much.
Bob Blauvelt
Every day at Liberty Science Center, I get to be a part of a supportive community that is dedicated to fun, hands-on learning. Whether it’s through sharing space facts at Science on a Sphere or helping kids dig up fossils at the Dino Dig, I love seeing their curiosity light up and their excitement for science grow.
Serene Go
I really enjoy volunteering at LSC. The full time staff is so welcoming, friendly and helpful. I get to spend a little time teaching science to small groups and individuals and so many people are grateful and thank me. I feel like I am contributing to an organization that has a goal of increasing science literacy. As a retired science teacher, I know that teaching science is an excellent way to make the world a better place and I’m glad I have that opportunity at LSC.
Carl Hazen
LSC GENIUS AWARD WINNERS
GENIUS GALA
The Genius Gala honors great thinkers and doers in science and technology at a uniquely festive evening event. Proceeds from the Genius Gala help make world-class science learning accessible to students, teachers, and families, especially those in underserved communities.
43 Genius Award honorees have been celebrated at LSC’s annual Genius Gala, including four Nobel laureates.
Genius Gala 13 in May 2025 saw:
• $3.15 million raised to support STEM programs for students, teachers, and families, especially those in high-needs communities
• 109 sponsors
• The first in-person meeting between Genius honoree and CRISPR co-inventor Jennifer Doudna and Victoria Gray, the first patient to receive gene-editing therapy for sickle cell disease
• More than 60 illuminated DNA centerpieces created by LSC’s STEM Innovation team
DONOR SP TLIGHT
THE PAUL AND PHYLLIS FIREMAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Liberty Science Center salutes The Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation, our lead sponsor for Genius Gala 13, for its generous commitment to making world-class science learning experiences accessible to students, teachers, and families, especially those in high-needs communities.
Genius Gala 2025 Platinum Chair Paul and Phyllis Fireman
LOOKING AHEAD
PROJECT SUPERNOVA EXPANSION
In November 2025, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority announced their approval of $40 million in tax credits to support Liberty Science Center’s Project Supernova, a far-reaching and visionary planned transformation of the Center’s physical spaces and programs. Through its new Cultural Arts Facilities Expansion (CAFE) program, NJEDA funding will allow the Center to undergo an ambitious expansion designed to increase visitor attendance and engagement in key demographics, improve accessibility and sensory inclusion, and showcase cutting-edge science. The largest cultural institution in NJ, LSC is the first to receive the backing of the CAFE program. This strategic expansion, which involves both indoor and outdoor renovations and new activations, will celebrate New Jersey’s scientific heritage and broaden LSC’s appeal for New Jersey families, tourists, and visitors from New York.
Kids Corner: Playground for Goat and Human Children
River Rising Exhibition Focusing on Climate Change and the Hudson
Physics Mini Golf Course
New Premium Exhibition Gallery
River Otter Habitat
Memorial Garden
SCITECH SCITY: WHERE THE FUTURE COMES
ALIVE
A unique 30-acre business creation campus and regional innovation ecosystem to foster the growth of new companies that use science and technology for public good and to reimagine science education. The SciTech Scity campus will be officially named the Frank J. Guarini Innovation Campus, in honor of the 101-year-old former congressman who made the generous $10-million lead gift.
HEALTHCARE INNOVATION ENGINE
In 2025, SciTech Scity’s Healthcare Innovation Engine, the first statewide platform for digital health adoption in the U.S., won the World Economic Forum’s prestigious Public-Private Collaboration Award. The Engine is launching patient pilots in New Jersey with startup companies that offer digital-first approaches to improving health outcomes and health equity in ER aftercare, cardiology, adolescent mental health, opioid addiction, oncology, and maternal health. Partners include Bristol Myers Squibb, EY, RWJBarnabas Health, Nokia Bell Labs, JPMorgan Chase, Tech Council Ventures, Princeton University, New Jersey Innovation Institute at NJIT, Sheba Medical Center, NJEDA, and the state and city departments of health and human services.
EDGE WORKS
The final tranche of funding from the NJEDA should allow vertical construction to start in 2026. Edge Works, the eight-story, 120,000-square-foot business creation hub of SciTech Scity, will include the Co-Creation Center , a 40,000-square-feet conference center and tech exhibition gallery, and The Works , 60,000 square feet of R&D labs, workspaces, and co-working desks for startups and entrepreneurs plus innovation outposts (product showcases, consumer testing spaces, and skunkworks operations) for established companies and institutions that are employing science and technology to make the world a better place. Committed tenants include Bank of America, which is setting up an innovation outpost to assist startups and small businesses, and Edge Medical Ventures, an early-stage medical venture studio designed to help international healthcare startups gain traction in the US.
LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER’S INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS
Liberty Science Center is grateful to the following institutional partners for their generous support. We offer a variety of benefits and opportunities to organizations who share our vision. Please contact us at corporate@lsc.org or 201.253.1473 to learn more.
$100,000 and up
ADP
Amneal Pharmaceuticals
Bank of America
Bristol Myers Squibb
CCA / Plaza Construction
EY
Johnson & Johnson
Kenvue
Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
New Jersey Innovation Institute
Nokia Bell Labs
PSEG Foundation
PwC
RWJBarnabas Health
Sanofi
State of New Jersey
Department of Education
The Hearst Foundations
United States Economic
Development Authority
Verizon Anonymous
$50,000 - $99,999
BASF Corporation
Dalio Foundation
Esposito Construction
MUFG Bank Lt
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
PepsiCo, Inc.
ServiceNow
Verisk
Anonymous
$25,000 - $49,999
Bloomberg Philanthropies
BNP Paribas
Connell Foley LLP
Day Pitney LLP
EdgeMed Management
Glenn W. Bailey Foundation
HLW Architecture, LLC
Life360
New Jersey Cultural Trust
NJM Insurance Group
Panepinto & Related Companies
Pfizer Inc
Provident Bank
Royal Caribbean
Sims Metal
SJP Properties
Treehouse Family Foundation
World Wide Technologies
$15,000 - $24,999
Akin
Alpine Residential
American Express Foundation
AmeriHealth
Aramark Sports & Entertainment
BlueGate Partners
Boston Consulting Group
Eastern Millwork
Gilead Sciences
Hyde and Watson Foundation
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Morgan Stanley
New Jersey Division of Travel & Tourism
John and Margaret Post Foundation
SILVERMAN
$10,000 - $14,999
A&O Shearman
AIG
BD
BNY Mellon
G&S Investors & Brookfield
Properties
Goldman Sachs Gives
Jersey City Arts and Culture
Trust Fund
Jersey City Department of Health & Human Services
KLA Foundation
The KRE Group
Labcorp Charitable Foundation
Merck
MetLife
NASA / New Jersey Space
Grant Consortium
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Penguin An EMCOR Company
Prudential Financial
S&P Global
Carolyn Jane Scott
Charitable Trust
Tech Council Ventures
Thorlabs
Union City Board of Education
$5,000 - $9,999
Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Co., LLC
Colgate-Palmolive Company
Daiichi Sankyo
DKC Public Relations
Hackensack Meridian Health
Infineum USA L.P.
Leslie Allen Charitable Foundation
New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
Northeastern Chemical Association
The NRP Group
PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP
Potomac-Hudson
Environmental, Inc.
Shepherd Insurance
Sonesta Simply Suites
Jersey City
Winston & Strawn LLP
WTW
LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER’S LUMINARY SOCIETY
Liberty Science Center is grateful to the following individuals for their generous support. To help us keep world-class science learning accessible to all, visit lsc.org/luminary or contact us at individualgiving@lsc.org or 201.253.1327.
$100,000 and above
David Barry
The Paul & Phyllis Fireman
Charitable Foundation
Frank J. Guarini Foundation
Richard M. Hodosh, MD, and Lisa Brooking
Izzo Family Foundation
Bruce and Rhonda Levy
Michael and Sukey Novogratz
Laura Overdeck
Jameson Schriber / Goldman
Sachs Gives
John H. and Regina K. Scully
Gregory Tusar
Josh Weston and Family
$50,000-$99,999
The Carlin Family Foundation
Alma DeMetropolis
The Graham Family
Dr. Talia Mota and David B. Heller
Kate and Steve Howe
Chirag and Priti Patel
Jennifer Yettke and Alex Haro
Ning Yuan and Li Xu
$25,000-$49,999
Christopher and Sinead Bennett
Denis Bovin
Sheri and Ted Bronstein
Ken and Elina Burke
Jeanette Calandra and Russell
Burke
Molly Gochman
The Kannan Family
$10,000-$24,999
Jamie Dimon
Michele Holcomb
Reena and Shawn Joshi
Kim and Jonathan Kushner
Dr. Adam Lipson
Marc and Karin Pavese
Richard and Kayla Pechter
Sharon Stamm and Jerome
Zeldis
An Anonymous donor-advised fund at the Chicago Community Foundation
$5,000-$9,999
Dennis and Denise Bone
Peter and Sharon Cocoziello
Judy and Stewart Colton
Todd and Victoria Edmonds
Dr. Fabio Frisoli
Ken Goldstein
Dr. George Karnoutsos and Ms. Raquel Lewan
The Honorable Thomas H. Kean
The Kyei Family
Eileen and Leslie Quick
The Reba Family
Carlos and Eileen Rodriguez
Peggy and Gary Shilling
Anthony Skiadas and Celeste Campos
Carolyn and Bob Slaski
Dr. and Mrs. William A. Tansey III
Simon and Caroline Tillett
Grant Wentworth
Anonymous
$2,500-$4,999
John E. Abele
Sumeet and Donna Chabria
Marilyn and Edward Colangelo Memorial Fund
Sunita and Knut Holzer
Rachana Kumar and Sandeep Gogga
Lesser Family
Susan L. Levinson, PhD
Tracie and Brandon McCall
In Memory of Lucille Rathyen
Anonymous
$1,000-$2,499
Guy Abrahamson
Cathleen Ahearn
In memory of Eli Bender
Dr. Waseem Bhatti
In Loving Memory of Alice Boreico
Ann and Stan Borowiec
Bridgewood Fieldwater Foundation
Isabelle and Philip Dabbagh
Paul and Elizabeth Goody
Anuj & Falguni Gupta
Patrick and Valerie Lally
Stuart Lutz
Dr. Jessica Marinoff and Mr. Jim Charatan
Mike and Gloria Masri and Family
Jeffrey S. Morrison
Popat Family
Miles, Parker, Alison and Ron Rosenstraus
Mark Shapiro
Sinkiewicz Family
Tim Tracy
Anonymous (3)
List current as of February 6, 2026
Liberty Science Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax deductible gifts help us inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators. Support our Mission. Visit lsc.org/donate.
For more information about individual giving opportunities, call 212.253.1327 or email individualgiving@lsc.org.
For Corporate and University Partnerships: CHRISTINE ARNOLD-SCHROEDER
