A handbook for starting and running a Community Science Workshop
3. A CSW’s Contents and Layout
4. CSW “Curriculum”: Projects, Activities, Exhiblets, Specimens
6. Leadership, Operation and Development of the CSW Organization
7. Considerations for Starting a CSW
11. 2025 Snapshots of Current CSWs
| San Francisco, CA |  |
| Date of opening | 1991 |
| Director | Sonia Gandiaga |
| Full time staff | 8 |
| Part time adult staff | 3 |
| High school interns | 10 |
| Regular volunteers | 8 |
| Approximate annual budget 2025-26 | $1.2M |
| Physical locations | Mission Mission High School 3750 18th St San Francisco, CA 94114Excelsior 4458 Mission St. San Francisco, CA 94112Bayview Dr. Charles R. Drew College Preparatory Academy 50 Pomona St. San Francisco, CA 94124 |
| Other sites served | 62 schools in San Francisco |
| Mobile units | One Mobile Unit |
| Current programs | School Day STEM Field Trips STEM After School Programs Open Community Days (Tinker Tuesdays and First, Second and Third Saturdays) Mobile Programs |
| Fresno, CA |  |
| Date of opening | 1994 |
| Director | Luis Miranda and Austin Bryan |
| Full time staff | 0 |
| Part time adult staff | 5 |
| High school interns | 1 |
| Regular volunteers | 6 |
| Approximate annual budget 2025-26 | $30k |
| Physical locations | 5507 Columbia Drive South, Fresno, CA. 93706 |
| Other sites served | Fresno District Schools Laton District Schools |
| Mobile units | Fresno Mobile Science Workshop Exhiblets RV |
| Current programs | Special Events School visits |
| Watsonville, CA |  |
| Date of opening | September 1997 |
| Director | Jose Gustavo Hernandez |
| Full time staff | 1 |
| Part time adult staff | 6 |
| High school interns | 7 |
| Regular volunteers | 0 |
| Approximate annual budget 2025-26 | $200k |
| Physical locations | 120 Second St. and RIver Park Watsonville, CA 95076 |
| Other sites served | Muzio Park Callahan Park Franich Park Linscott Elementary |
| Mobile units | Mobile Science Workshop |
| Current programs | Drop-in Field trips Events Mobile Science Workshop El Nido High School |
| Watsonville currently has some programs running through a related organization called Science My Way. Data for that organization are listed below separate from that of the City of Watsonville. | |
| Watsonville, CA |  |
| Date of opening | October 2023 |
| Director | Maria del Carmen Perez |
| Full time staff | 6 |
| Part time adult staff | 10 |
| High school interns | 4 |
| Regular volunteers | 0 |
| Approximate annual budget 2025-26 | $1.2M |
| Physical locations | N/A |
| Other sites served | 24 schools in Pajaro Valley USD 5 schools in NMCUSD Franich Park Pinto Lake County Park Pajaro Park |
| Mobile units | Physics Bus The ARC |
| Current programs | After school enrichment Physics Bus parties Special events Outdoor science labs Drop-in intercession |
| Greenfield, CA |  |
| Date of opening | September 2011 |
| Director | José S. Sanchez |
| Full time staff | 3 |
| Part time adult staff | 7 |
| High school interns | 5 |
| Regular volunteers | 6 |
| Approximate annual budget 2025-26 | $550k |
| Physical locations | 599 El Camino Real Greenfield, CA 93927 |
| Other sites served | Chular Gonzales Soledad King City San Lucas San Ardo |
| Mobile units | Science Mobiles |
| Current programs | Drop-in Science Mobile (mobile science) After school enrichment (at school sites) After school enrichment (school groups visit during the after-school hours) School day enrichment (class visits to GCSW) Weekly bike repair at GCSW Mobile bike repair across South County (all sites listed above) Field trips Kits for school districts Special events: Ciclovia, Harvest Festival, National Night Out, Greenfield Fire Open House, Día de Los Muertos, Christmas in the Park, GUSD Parent Empowerment Workshop, Migrant Program Parent Conference |
| Ithaca, NY |  |
| Date of opening | October 2017 |
| Director | Erik Herman, Liv Vincent |
| Full time staff | 2 |
| Part time adult staff | 1 |
| High school interns | 0 |
| Regular volunteers | 2 |
| Approximate annual budget 2025-26 | $150k |
| Physical locations | 210 Hancock St. Suite #1 Ithaca, NY 14850 |
| Other sites served | Beverly J. Martin Elementary Enfield Elementary Groton Elementary Fall Creek Elementary |
| Mobile units | Ithaca Physics Bus |
| Current programs | Drop-in at Free Science Workshop Ithaca Physics Bus Class visits to elementary schools Pre-K-5th Field Trips Exhiblet Design & Build Physics Fun in Fifth Special events: Ithaca Festival Parade, Grassroots Festival, Ithaca Community, Truck Show, Streets Alive |
| Pittsburgh, PA |  |
| Date of opening | November 2020 |
| Director | Claire Fox |
| Full time staff | 1 |
| Part time adult staff | 3 |
| High school interns | 2 |
| Regular volunteers | 9 |
| Approximate annual budget 2025-26 | $160k |
| Physical locations | Pittsburgh Community Science Workshop (Northside) 1901 Brighton Rd Pittsburgh PA 15219Rox Lab Science Workshop 531 Chartiers Ave McKees Rocks PA 15136 |
| Other sites served | Various public and charter schools The Pittsburgh Project Schenley Heights Community Development Project Project Destiny Neighborhood Learning Alliance Various library branches, churches, community groups, parks |
| Mobile units | Science Bus |
| Current programs | Drop-in program at both Workshops School labs & project based learning grades K-8 Weekly after-school enrichment at partnering sites Science bus outreach |
| Salinas, CA |  |
| Date of opening | August 2021 |
| Director | Isaura Arreguin |
| Full time staff | 3 |
| Part time adult staff | 2 |
| High school interns | 4 |
| Regular volunteers | 8 |
| Approximate annual budget 2025-26 | $350k |
| Physical locations | Rancho Cielo High School 710 Old Stage Road Salinas, CA 93908 |
| Other sites served | Cesar Chavez Library, Alisal Various schools |
| Mobile units | Salinas Science Workshop on Wheels (SS WoW) a converted city bus |
| Current programs | Drop-in at Cesar Chavez Library SS WoW to elementary schools Class visits to elementary schools Hands-on kits to various programs Field trips Special events: Car show, Dia de los Niños, Ciclovia |
| Martinez, CA |  |
| Date of opening | July 2014 |
| Director | Ellen Concepcion |
| Full time staff | 1 |
| Part time adult staff | 12 |
| High school interns | 9 |
| Regular volunteers | 5 |
| Approximate annual budget 2025-26 | $375k |
| Physical locations (list) | Contra Costa Boys & Girls Club 1301 Alhambra Ave Martinez, CA 94553 |
| Other sites served (list) | John Muir Elementary John Swett ElementaryLas Juntas ElementaryChrist the King SchoolSt. Basil Catholic SchoolRodeo Hills ElementaryCarquinez Middle SchoolMUSD Community Garden / Martinez Junior High School |
| Mobile units (list if more than one) | N/A |
| Current programs (list) | In school Science Workshops After-school Science Workshops In-school field trips and assemblies Eco-Kids Summer Workshops In school Garden Workshops Afterschool Garden Workshops Earth Ambassador Green Teams |
| Santa Cruz, CA |  |
| Date of opening | August 2025 |
| Director | Sal Lua |
| Full time staff | 1 |
| Part time adult staff | 1 |
| High school interns | 2 |
| Regular volunteers | 3 |
| Approximate annual budget 2025-26 | $50k |
| Physical locations | Barrios Unidos 1817 Soquel Ave Santa Cruz, CA 95062 |
| Other sites served | Costanoa High Monarch Community Elementary School The Ark Independent Studies |
| Mobile units | N/A |
| Current Programs | Drop in School visits High school build challenge Job readiness internships |