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The Foundation

 Logo of Montreal science center foundation

OUR MISSION

Light the spark and help today’s youth explore and understand science and technology and use it to help build their future.

More than 90% of the funds raised each year by the Foundation helps finance and develop Montréal Science Centre (MSC) permanent exhibitions and its school programs. Your support helps us stir the interests of young people in science and technology and help them make it their own to pursue careers in science, research, engineering, technology and more!

Your donation makes a big difference! Donations help us:

  • Offer thousands of free Science Centre passes to school groups and organizations supporting disadvantaged youth;
  • Bring our science and tech workshops right into the classrooms of more than 1,000 students in special education groups and in schools far away from the Montréal area;
  • Develop new permanent exhibitions that offer youth the interactive science outreach experience that the Montréal Science Centre is all about.

By supporting the work of the Foundation, you are supporting our mission and helping us deliver high-impact school programs and permanent exhibitions that turn curious young minds on to science.

Thank you for supporting young minds and their access to science!

 

EVENTS AND INITIATIVES

Visuel de la campagne annuelle

Dear donors, thank you for your generosity! Thanks to your outstanding level of support, we successfully achieved the $15,000 goal we set as part of the Science Centre’s annual fundraising campaign. Thank you for helping us spark the interest of young people in science and technology.

DONATE 🤍

Photo de l'éclipse totale de soleil

The eclipse is coming! To mark this one-of-a-kind event on April 8, 2024, the Foundation is selling special eclipse glasses to allow you to view this amazing celestial event in complete safety. Glasses go on sale starting November 15 and can be purchased on site at the Science Centre. This once-in-a-lifetime event will be exciting for everyone. Don’t wait to drop in and buy your eclipse glasses!

Learn more about how the Science Centre will be an official viewing location on the afternoon of the eclipse. 

 

Women and Girls in Science of Science official visuel event

On February 10, 2024, the Montréal Science Centre inspired young women and girls to engage with science and tech with its annual Women and Girls of Science event. In keeping with the UN’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science, this event is designed to foster the equal participation of women and girls in STEM fields. 

Nearly 25 collaborators participated in this 7th edition of Women and Girls of Science with demos, workshops, and captivating talks. More than 3,300 enthusiastic visitors attended. The day was presented by Amazon Web Services in partnership with UQAM’s Faculty of Science. All proceeds went to support the Science Centre Foundation.

Heartfelt thanks to all our collaborators and to all those who contributed to the success of this inspiring event.

2023 virtual auction

The Foundation’s first virtual auction took place from October 18 to 25, 2023 and featured more than 60 lots each more varied than the next, offering everyone something unique to bid on. The entirety of the proceeds raised by this initiative allow students from less privileged schools to enjoy a Science Centre visit for free.

The Foundation thanks each and every one who donated and bid on items as part of this auction initiative.

air-hockey-banniere-ang

This fundraising event was held on August 12, 2023, in conjunction with the Hockey: Faster Than Ever exhibition. Young visitors and their families discovered the science of our national sport, and many enjoyed an exciting family air field hockey tournament.

Thank you to all the participants in this all-hockey day, to the companies who invited families, and to our event partners Tim Hortons and Soucy Baron.

 

HOW DONATIONS ARE PUT TO WORK

The Foundation directly funds the development of Science Centre’s permanent exhibitions and school programs using 90% of the funds it raises each year. Le Science Centre features four permanent exhibitions:

  • Mini Mondo offers children aged 0 to 7 a fascinating and interactive custom-sized space to explore. The exhibition is designed to teach children about protecting the environment and to learn all about the physical world.
  • Fabrik is a creative workshop space designed to challenge visitors with tasks involving invention and assembly using all sorts of objects. On their own or in teams, visitors of all ages are invited to invent gadgets and assemble them using a collection of odds and ends found in the workshop space.
  • Human invites visitors to explore how the human body has been transformed over thousands of years of evolution and understand why and how the human body changes over a lifetime.
  • Explore offers visitors a chance to discover the science behind motion, air, light, water, geometry and matter, as well as to experiment with code, in large spaces filled with wonder, discovery, and highly interactive stations.

Since its opening, the Science Centre and its team of educational specialists have worked at developing new educational programs in keeping with the cycle levels of Québec students:

  • Rock'n' Roll Marbles (Elementary, Cycle 1)

Tourbillon invites children to build marble runs with a collection fun objects. The challenge is to make the marbles travel for the longest time possible!

  • Planet of the Sense (Elementary, Cycle 1)

This workshop invites students to program Sensor, a super robot explorer, to help it discover a new habitable planet for humans.

  • Shhh! It’s Story Time (Elementary, Cycle 2)

This workshop lets students bring an Indigenous tale to life by creating sound effects and lighting for the stage. The experience helps them explore the mysteries of sound and light.

  • M-organ’s Journey (Elementary, Cycle 2)

Students explore the amazing human body thanks to giant interactive games and discover the inner workings of the body’s systems, including digestion, respiration, and circulation.

  • Mysterious Machines (Elementary, Cycle 3)

This workshop asks students to assemble and bring a mysterious machine to life. Their activities allow them to have fun while exploring the principles behind simple machines (wheel, lever, pulley, etc.).

  • Shock Wave! (Secondary, Cycle 1)

This workshop asks students to become civil engineers and build an earthquake-resistant building. They learn about protecting those living in high seismic activity areas.

The Foundation grants youths under the age of 18 and from disadvantaged backgrounds free access to the Science Centre’s permanent exhibitions. The program is divided into two sponsorship categories:

  • School Group Sponsorship: Each year, the Foundation’s school group sponsorship program helps the Science Centre welcome thousands of youths from disadvantaged backgrounds. In keeping with its mission, the Foundation coordinates group visits from various community organizations, day camps, and hospitals.

  • Family Sponsorship: The Foundation’s family sponsorship program offers children an opportunity to get acquainted with science and technology which in turn can increase their chances of pursuing higher education. The Foundation works with organizations that support families struggling with different issues (socioeconomic, domestic violence, children living with an illness, etc.) which in turn select families to receive annual memberships to the Science Centre.

In 2018, the Foundation funded the creation of the very first travelling program aimed at disadvantaged schools from outside the Montréal region as well as special education groups unable to offer their students school outings.

The MSC on the Road program was designed to offer school group activities beyond the Science Centre’s walls, primarily to reach students with behavioural, communication, and autism spectrum disorders.

This project’s unique offer — programming formatted specifically to meet student needs — earned the Science Centre the “Télé-Québec Coup de cœur du jury” prize in 2019 from the SMQ (Société des musées du Québec), the province’s museums organization.

Offered thanks to generous contributions from the Trottier Family Foundation.

 

DONORS AND PARTNERS

 

We express our gratitude to Foundation donors and partners for their generous investments and ongoing support throughout the year 2022.

It is thanks to their support that the Foundation can continue its work in developing world-class permanent exhibitions and offering meaningful educational programs.

  • Adam Thomas
  • Agence Substance
  • Benoit Légaré
  • Boo Design
  • Canada Lands Company Limited
  • Can-Jan Inc.
  • Christian Agbobli
  • Cirque du Soleil Inc.
  • Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited
  • Colliers Project Leaders
  • Consultants techniques Technilogic Inc.
  • Claudiane Ouellet-Plamondon
  • Cybèle Robichaud
  • Dominic Gagnon
  • Fondation Frontenac - Fonds Pierre Mantha
  • Fondation de Marie-Françoise et Marc Beauchamp
  • Fondation Nooé
  • Francois Poulin
  • Groupe Écorécréo Inc.
  • Ghislaine Massicotte
  • HR2 Consultation
  • Jean-Pierre Matte
  • Jesus Gregorio Agudelo Galeano
  • John E Gumbley
  • Kaye Melliship
  • La Bande
  • La grande roue de Montréal Inc.
  • Libéo
  • Marie-Josée Biron
  • Mille Mots
  • Mofax Électrique Ltée
  • MTL Zipline
  • Nam Nguyen
  • Nathalie Carrière
  • Neil Jones
  • Neve Refrigeration
  • NIPPAYSAGE
  • Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec
  • Pascale Lehoux
  • Philippe de Montgaillard
  • Pierre-Marc Mongeau
  • Pierre Moreau
  • Pierre Paquin
  • Quantum Travaux Civils Inc.
  • Quebecor Média Inc.
  • Robert Howald
  • Samuel Cadotte
  • Sara Arsenault
  • Segma Recherche
  • Solutions-Graffiti
  • Sleeman Breweries Ltd.
  • Stefano Landi
  • TELUS
  • Trottier Family Foundation 

 

Major Partners

  • TELUS
  • Amazon Web Services
  • Energir


Partner of the Foundation

  • Volvo

Collaborative Partners

  • Explore Exhibition
    • Ubisoft Education
    • Pratt & Whitney
  • Techno Garden 
    • Dubois Agrinovation

CONTACT US

Contact us about donations and partnerships

Contact us by email

+ 1 514 838-9558

The Montréal Science Centre Foundation
333, rue de la Commune Ouest
Montréal (Québec) H2Y 2E2

Our registered charitable organization number is 88838 0722 RR 0001.