OVERVIEW Spearheaded by the Museum of Science and Industry, Science Chicago was a collaboration of more than 140 public and private institutions that came together from September 2008 through August 2009 to present the world’s largest science celebration.

Designed to awaken the inner scientist in each and every one of us, thousands of dynamic activities provided hands-on learning, spurred thoughtful debate, enhanced classroom learning, and built enthusiasm for the pursuit of cutting-edge science while establishing the critical value of science and math education.

Since its launch, Science Chicago served over 300,000 teachers, families, children and individuals through real-life science programming and online experiences on multiple platforms including sciencechicago.com, sciencechicagoblog.com and social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube). Through diverse and engaging programming; partnerships with universities, national laboratories, research facilities, industries, corporations, museums, cultural institutions and community organizations; a comprehensive marketing campaign; and robust Web 2.0 components, the impact of Science Chicago was positive and far-reaching.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this initiative is the unprecedented reach of its programming. The Science Chicago timeline provides highlights of exciting behind-the-scenes tours, programs that explored the intersection of art and science, provocative and inspiring conversations with researchers, scientists and engineers, and the traveling science festival called LabFest!