March 2026
DOWNTOWN SCIENCE & ART
Now in its 11th year, IMMERSE took over ten city blocks in downtown Orlando this February, with more than 100 arts and culture groups showcasing the talent and beauty of our city
Orlando Science Center has participated in IMMERSE for the last two years The performance arts festival is a great way to reach the community by sharing visually stunning and exciting science experiments while showcasing our mission to inspire science learning for all. IMMERSE brings tens of thousands of people to Orlando for multiple days of art!
This year, the Public Programs team unleashed a colorful fire tornado after months of prototyping and testing Their
goal was to make a 15 foot tornado made of fire, spinning and raging on Orange Avenue amongst the tall buildings
The fire tornado is a classic experiment from some of our popular Digital Adventure Theater shows, but exploded into a much bigger scale By
combing methyl alcohol and other chemicals, the tornado burned a wild green and yellow color Box fans were meticulously placed around the fire, slightly off-center, to create a spinning tornado
Last year, Orlando Science Center set off multiple large “foamsplosions” – a crowd favorite at our events – during IMMERSE
OSC UPDATES OF
Catalyst Youth Volunteer, Summer Session
We’re gearing up for summer by opening applications for our Catalyst Youth Volunteer program. Teen ages 13-17 (18 if still enrolled in high school) can apply to join our team to either help in our exhibit halls or in our summer camp classrooms.
Teens ages 13-14 can apply to join our Youth Visitor Experience Team This team creates memorable learning experiences in our exhibit halls, performing science experiments, and helping with supply prep and clean-up You’ll recognize this team in their red volunteer shirts, as they also help out during the school year on the weekends.
Teens 15+ can apply for our Youth Camp Volunteer Team and help out in our summer camp classrooms. This team assists with everything from morning check-in, to lunch prep, to recess, to being teacher’s assistants for Kindergarten grades and up!
The 170+ summer teen volunteers will practice real-world skills like time management, problem solving, communication, collaboration, and other important “21 Century Skills” that are necessary for the modern workplace st
SPARKS
Dylan Bartley
Griffon Binkowski
Ella Binyam
Tyler Boley
Natalie Bonatis
Stephanie Borden
Chris Bresciani
Carissa Clay
Mary Cloer
Jill Collier
Solaris Coton
Bug Croghan
Meghan Farmer
Sharlene Figueroa
Alyssa Flores
Star Flores
Jillian Gelfand
Esha Gill
Beth Hall
Kayson Hamblen Matthews
Caprice High
Stephen Holt
Ollie Hull
Breyanna Johnson
Kirby Lee
Madeline Lewis
Sky Lindeman
Raquel MacDermant
Megan Meadows
Analiese Melendez
Yami Mendoza Gonzalez
Anna Meyer
Danielle Miller
Valentine Murphy
Jessica Myers
Annabelle Neijenhuis
Nathan Orsine
Paige Oswald
Cory Owens
Abby Palmer
Amanda Paneque
Angelisse Perez
Neli Perez Galvez
Travis Potts
Gabe Quijano
Natalie Ratzke
Amanda Ribeiro
Nicole Rivera
Benjamin Robb
Briana Rodriguez
Ivan Santana
Riley Shanahan
Paige Siegel
Cameron Silverman
Alex Simons
Elizabeth Singh
Austin Smith
Margaret Spencer
Mercedes Suttles
Haley Tremblay
Ali Walminski
Riley Winchell
BRANDON KIEF
Brandon consistently brings a friendly, can do attitude to every project, greeting staff and guests with genuine warmth and helping build a welcoming environment.
As Brandon’s nomination shared: “Brandon’s service skills are beyond exemplary… and a great example of the hard workers at OSC.”
Brandon’s problem solving abilities, attention to detail, and commitment to excellence ensures that issues, big or small, are resolved thoroughly and on time
Brandon is regularly on the museum floor improving exhibits and supporting many teams.
Thank you, Brandon!
MARCH
ENGINEERING MONTH
Plug into the exciting world of engineering, where build-it-yourself activities spark curiosity and build problem-solving skills
COMMUNITY COMMENTS
Visited from out of town and this was awesome for our 2-year-old! Staff were so nice
We were very impressed withhow well-organizedthe team was duringa very busy fieldtrip day!
Wehadsomuchfun!Itwas obviousthatsomuch thoughtwentintoyour exhibits,whatanexcellent placetovisit.
Thank you for all that you do! Our daughter has enjoyed coming to OSC since she was 6 months old and enjoys it more each time.
Thestaffisalwaysgreathere! WELOVEOSC!!
We loved Jason Latimer the magician and Nicole Stott the astronaut at Spark! Very cool event.
FISCAL MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2026
JUDY BRICKER - 24 years
May 30
JUDY BRICKER - 24 years
May 30 JUDY BRICKER - 24 years
May 30
Caleb
Johnathan
Akaylah
STEM DAY AT THE CAPITOL
Orlando Science Center brought a coalition of museums and education partners to Tallahassee for STEM Day at the Capitol last month, a showcase aimed at underscoring the role science institutions play in building our future workforce
At STEM Day, legislators engaged with hands on activities, experiments, robotics demonstrations, and interactive displays highlighting science, technology, engineering, and math education.
For more than a decade, STEM Day has connected museums, science centers, educators, and foundations with policymakers
while advocating for continued funding and support for STEM initiatives Its goal is to emphasize that collaborations among science museums, corporations, and schools are critical to developing pathways that strengthen Florida’s technological workforce
As the future brings more challenges and uncertainty, science literacy matters now more than ever. It has the power to help individuals better understand life’s problems and develop the skills necessary to
address them It’s through study and experimentation that knowledge, innovation, and prosperity are accomplished
The Science Center brought space demonstrations, digital microscopes, and LEGO building activities, along partner organizations including the Challenger Learning Center, Dinosaurs Will Always Be Awesome, FIRST Robotics, Museum of Discovery and Science, and more.
WOMEN’S HISTORY SPOTLIGHT: THE SHARK LADY
We’re celebrating Dr. Eugenie “The Shark Lady” Clark, a trailblazing marine biologist who left a lasting mark on Florida and the world of ocean science
Dr Clark was a pioneering ichthyologist known for her groundbreaking research on shark behavior, particularly her discovery that some shark species can rest on the seafloor without continuously swimming to breathe
In 1955, she founded Camp Haze Marine Laboratory in Sarasota,
which grew from a one room operation into today’s Mote Marine Laboratory Her passion for marine life took her across
the globe, where she conducted deep sea dives, identified new fish species, and worked tirelessly to improve public perceptions of sharks.
Dr. Clark’s legacy as an explorer, educator, and champion for women in science earned her a place in the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame. Her story continues to inspire the next generation of scientists, reminding us how curiosity can reshape an entire field of study
