The Lawrence Hall of Science
The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.
Open Daily 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Bring your students to The Lawrence, or bring our inquiry-based science programs to you.
We partner with school districts to support science learning. We offer district-wide elementary, middle, and high school programs, either virtually or in-person.
We collaborate with a range of partners to innovate in science education. Together, we go further.
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We engage people in meaningful learning, evidence-based thinking, dialogue, and action related to STEM issues with global implications.
We advance social justice through STEM learning, practice, research and policy.
We achieve impact by designing and scaling effective STEM learning models and advancing practice, research and policy.
We build and sustain mutually beneficial, deep and meaningful partnerships and collaborations that achieve shared goals, global scale and impact.
We need long-term financial health and organizational sustainability to achieve our mission.
We create an equitable, healthy, vibrant and supportive organization that enables us to thrive both individually and collectively.
The Lawrence Hall of Science inspires people with the power of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to understand the past, make meaning in the present, and shape the future. While we engage learners of all ages, we are especially focused on our work to inspire and prepare young people and the adults who support them. We advance science discovery and learning by engaging young people in equitable, engaging and effective STEM learning opportunities that value and develop scientific habits-of-mind, practices, and evidence-based thinking. We design, study, and scale materials, models, and capacities that improve learning and teaching in and out of school. We advance social justice by centering equity in our work—removing barriers, enhancing opportunity, broadening participation in and redefining science. We activate youth towards STEM learning and careers, empowering them with the confidence & competence and the will & skill to envision and create a better tomorrow. We create experiences that demonstrate that we can explore, investigate, discover, and invent our way through global challenges together—because progress and innovation happen when diverse perspectives come together.
The Lawrence Hall of Science inspires and engages through science, discovery, and learning. These efforts hold no value without honoring the diverse perspectives, knowledge, and experiences of the communities with which we aim to partner. We recognize that The Lawrence, and other educational and STEM organizations, have upheld and reinforced structures and cultures of white supremacy and patriarchy. Many marginalized groups, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, and neurodivergent individuals, have been and continue to be oppressed and neglected by scientific fields and institutions. Equity work is central to dismantling these systems and addressing their historic and continued harm. It is imperative that we, The Lawrence, as a member of the STEM community, cultivate and advance equity: in our work environment, in our programs, products, and services in our community partnerships. We make an active commitment to identify, name, and disrupt structures of inequity. We are dedicated to advancing social justice. We understand that this work is a continuous process of self-reflection and action. As leaders and learners within the global STEM community, we are eager to work together and with others in our community in discovering and cultivating new ways for Inspiring Tomorrow.
At the Lawrence Hall of Science, we think of science as a way of constructing explanatory accounts of natural phenomena and designing solutions. Our use of the term science includes science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and multi- and interdisciplinary connections between these areas. Science is a way of making meaning and achieving understanding; hence, it is a social endeavor and cultural enterprise. As such, science must embrace diverse ideas, cultures, and peoples, and it must engage in continuous and open discourse to apply discovery and innovation in an ethical manner for the common good. We recognize that the pursuit of scientific discovery, knowl- edge and innovation can be, and has been, used to perpetrate injustices and reprehensible actions against peoples and the environment. As such, we acknowledge that ongoing vigilance is required to ensure that the pursuit of scientific discovery and progress is done ethically and that scientific knowledge is only used in ways that benefit the common good.
The Lawrence is creating STEM education and engagement for diverse thinkers and doers. Four initiatives guide our efforts to put our values into actions.
Our Initiatives