Preparing for the Next 25 Years
Who would have guessed 25 years ago that a hands-on science center in Aurora, Nebraska would now be serving over 200,000 people each year? By following the mission established by Harold “Doc” Edgerton and expanding our outreach, we have carried on Doc’s legacy of lifelong learning; instilling and nurturing in people of all ages the joy of scientific discovery and exploration through hands-on learning experiences.
Over the years, we have served hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and other individuals with our state-of-the-art STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) programs. Our focus and emphasis in STEAM studies is critically important, becoming even moreso when you consider the ever-growing importance that science and technology play in our daily lives.
We are excited to launch a capital fundraising campaign to ensure our ability to reach students with Doc’s mission and legacy well into the future. We invite you to join us in celebrating the successes of the past 25 years and to take part in our campaign as we prepare for even greater things to come in the next 25 years.
Why Now?
Due to building space limitations, we have reached full capacity. This capital campaign would be comprised of two main components:
- Critical Building Expansion & Renovation
This will include adding building space for more classes, bringing in new exhibits, and renovating Strobe Alley, where Doc’s legacy of achievement is displayed. - Grow Our Endowment
This is to ensure that the center has the necessary financial support to sustain long-term success.
| CAPITAL CAMPAIGN GOAL | $1,500,000 |
| $817,296 | Building Expansion |
| $127,704 | New Exhibits |
| $55,000 | Harold “Doc” Edgerton Strobe Alley Renovation |
| $500,000 | Endowment |
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Building Expansion & Renovation
Our building space limitations hinder our ability to serve all of the schools that are requesting to take part in STEAM program services. We have many more requests than we can currently accommodate. We believe additional space would be extremely helpful in fulfilling our mission. (View the proposed floor plan for the building addition on the back.)
At right are some of the current limitations due to lack of building space, along with potential outcomes that a new addition will provide.
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- We currently have to limit the number of students to 100 per day, which is approximately two to three schools.
- Each of the past three years, we were forced to turn down over 50 schools requesting STEAM program
services. That represents over $50,000 per year in lost revenue. - The proposed new theater would have seating for 80+ students. The current theater is limited to 50.
- The proposed additional classroom space could also be utilized as a second theater allowing us to accommodate another 50-70 students.
- This additional space would potentially allow us to accept requests from all the schools that are currently being turned away.
- An addition and renovation would expand the Explorit Zone by over 33%, allowing us to bring in more exhibits.
This expansion and renovation will have an enormous impact on the number of people we can serve each year. It will help bring in new schools, bring back other schools, as well as the general public. The proposed addition has the potential to bring in an additional $127,500 in revenue each year! This would positively impact the Edgerton Center’s bottom line and help us further grow our mission, outreach and program services.
Growing Our Endowment
The Edgerton Explorit Center’s endowment is currently at $1,689,545. The goal is to increase the current endowment to over $2,000,000. These funds will continue to help the center be a self-sufficient and sustainable organization by providing endowment investment income to help with the ongoing costs of operations and/or provide funds for unexpected, critical expenses.
Building Expansion and Renovation
Why Your Support Matters
Encouraging the love of learning in science and technology is our mission. We know that our efforts have caused students to embrace and love learning. It is our most sincere belief that the Edgerton Explorit Center is an important and worthy cause that benefits not only the students that we serve, but also our community and society as a whole!
How to Donate
Send a check and a donor form to:
Edgerton Explorit Center
208 16th St
Aurora, NE 68818