Science Kids
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
WE GET KIDS OUTDOORS, WHERE GREAT SCIENCE LEARNING HAPPENS.
- Income
- $243,163
- Spending
- $147,855
- Spent on programs
- 81%
- Reserves
- 17.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 93%
- Employees
- 25
- Highest pay
- $55,000, executive di
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 17.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 39% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 126% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1581% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 82 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $119,666 spent. 2024 OVERVIEW OF SCIENCE KIDS: SCIENCE KIDS IS A NONPROFIT IN SHERIDAN, WY. ESTABLISHED IN 2009, WE ARE IN OUR 16TH YEAR OF OPERATION. OUR MISSION IS TO "GET KIDS OUTDOORS, WHERE GREAT SCIENCE LEARNING HAPPENS," WITH THE ULTIMATE HOPE TO ENCOURAGE CURIOSITY AND LIFE-LONG CONNECTIONS TO SCIENCE. IN 2024, THE CORE OF SCIENCE KIDS REMAINED THE SAME - TO OFFER VIBRANT CLASSES WITHIN THE SCIENCES TO CHILDREN. THOSE CLASSES ARE AT OUR CORE. WE BELIEVE OUR MOST IMPORTANT SERVICE IS SUMMERTIME CLASSES IN THE SCIENCES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 6 AND 14. WE ARE INCREASINGLY AWARE OF THE NEED MIDDLE-SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE TO ENGAGE WITH OUTDOOR SPACES AND REIGNITE THEIR LOVE OF THE SCIENCES, AND WE HAVE ACTIVELY WORKED TO REACH THIS AGE GROUP WITH LEARNING MOMENTS. TO BRING SCIENCE LEARNING TO FAMILIES, WE ALSO MAINTAINED OUR PARTNERSHIPS TO OFFER WELL-ATTENDED SCIENCE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR 1,019 COMMUNITY MEMBERS. A KEY FOCUS THIS YEAR WAS TO MARKET ALL 11 EPISODES OF NATURE WY, OUR EDUCATIONAL SERIES CO-CREATED AND CO-OWNED WITH WYOMING PBS, TO EDUCATORS ACROSS THE STATE. NATURE WY IS A NATIONALLY AWARD-WINNING, REGIONAL-EMMY EARNING, FREE EDUCATIONAL SERIES FEATURING SCIENCE KIDS IN ACTION. OUR GOAL IS THAT THIS SERIES PROMOTES SCIENCE LEARNING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN HOMES AND CLASSROOMS IN WYOMING AND ACROSS THE NATION. THIS YEAR, WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT NATURE WY BECAME PART OF THE OFFICIAL CURRICULUM IN SHERIDAN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 2. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WORK, WE FOCUSED ON CONTINUED AND THOUGHTFUL BOARD DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS TRAINING NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND BUILDING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY WITHIN SCIENCE KIDS. FINANCIALLY, SCIENCE KIDS HAS MET OUR FUNDRAISING GOAL OF A FULL-YEAR'S WORTH OF OPERATING COSTS SAVED BY YEAR END. WE SEEK STABILITY AND LONGEVITY, WITH ENOUGH FUNDS AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO CHALLENGES AND LIMITATIONS AND STILL MEET OUR GOAL OF OFFERING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. SCIENCE KIDS BY THE NUMBERS. 27,629 PEOPLE REACHED WITH SCIENCE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES SINCE 2009 OVERALL: OUR CLASSES ARE IN HIGH DEMAND, WITH MANY CLASSES SELLING OUT. OUR EDUCATORS RETURN YEAR AFTER YEAR TO TEACH, AND WE HAVE ATTRACTED NEW EDUCATORS. OUR BOARD HAS INVESTED IN TRAINING AND IS POISED FOR GOOD WORK. OUR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS ARE HELPING TO SAFEGUARD OUR FUTURE. OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS ARE WELL ATTENDED. OUR PARTNERSHIPS ARE JOYFUL AND PRODUCTIVE. 18 SUMMERTIME CLASSES FOR OUR YOUTH 209 OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING IN SUMMERTIME CLASSES 16 SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED 36 BIOBLITZ ATTENDEES IN NATURE WY WORKSHOPS 182 ATTENDEES FOR 5 UNPLUG EVENTS 142 3RD-5TH GRADERS AND 15 EDUCATORS LEARNED WITH NATURE WY AT THE WOW EXPO 60 HIGHLAND PARK ELEMENTARY 3RD GRADERS AND 3 EDUCATORS LEARNED WITH NATURE WY 20 SHERIDAN JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS JOINED OUR FOSSIL COUNTRY KIDSF DIG IN KEMMERER, WY 350 ATTENDEES AT "CREEPY CRAWLIES" FOR THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT THE CORE OF SCIENCE KIDS IS SUMMERTIME CLASSES FOR YOUTH. 18 CLASSES IN THE SCIENCES: 16 IN SHERIDAN, 2 IN BUFFALO FOR AGES 6-14, WITH A DETERMINED REACH TO 12-14 YEARS OLDS. ALL SOLD OUT, WITH 12-14 YEAR OLD CLASSES SOLD AT 2/3 OF AVAILABLE SEATS TOPICS FROM AGROECOLOGY TO ZOOLOGY, WITH BOTANY, CHEMISTRY, GEOLOGY, PALEONTOLOGY, AND PHYSICS IN BETWEEN. 9 WEEKS OF SUMMERTIME CLASSES, WITH 1 TO 3 CLASSES EACH WEEK. SERVING 208 OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING. TAUGHT BY TOP-FLIGHT EDUCATORS: OUR YEAR-ROUND STAFF IS TWO, PART-TIME PEOPLE. STAFF GROWS FROM 2 TO 25 IN THE SUMMER MONTHS. MANY ARE EDUCATORS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. MANY HAVE HIGHER DEGREES IN THEIR FIELDS (MASTERS, PHD, DDS, MFA). FOR ALL CHILDREN: 16 SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO STUDENTS WITH FINANCIAL NEED OVER 1500 PROVIDED IN SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT 400 INVITATIONS ALL CHILDREN RECEIVING SUPPORT FROM THE FOOD GROUP TO APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR OUR SUMMER CLASSES WE TRIED SOMETHING NEW. SCIENCE KIDS TOOK 20 SHERIDAN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ON A 4-DAY, OVERNIGHT EDUCATIONAL ADVENTURE TO FOSSIL COUNTRY NEAR KEMMERER, WY. WITH A GRANT FROM WYOMING PBS, FUNDS MATCHED TWICE OVER, AND IN-KIND DONATIONS OF A BUS AND DRIVER FROM SHERIDAN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 2, WE WENT ON A FOSSIL DIG AND VISITED FOSSIL BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT, LEARNING ALL ABOUT WYOMING'S ANCIENT PAST 52 MILLION YEARS AGO AND MORE. THE EXPERIENCE WAS FREE, AND STUDENTS WANTED TO STAY LONGER. THAT'S SUCCESS WE CREATE A NETWORK OF SUPPORT AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CURIOUS MINDS FOR ALL AGES. 5 UNPLUG EVENTS WITH THE SHERIDAN COMMUNITY LAND TRUST 1 STATE-WIDE CONFERENCE FOR THE GOVERNORFS RIDE INITIATIVE (NATURE WY) 1 WYOMING OUTDOOR EXPO FOR 3RD TO 5TH GRADERS (NATURE WY) 4 WORKSHOPS AT THE STATE-WIDE BIOBLITZ EVENT (NATURE WY) 1 WYO RODEO COSTUME BUILDING PARTY AND PARADE FLOAT 1 POLLINATOR GARDEN PLANTED AND BEE HOUSES INSTALLED AT KENDRICK PARK 1 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NATURE WY EVENT WITH SCSD2 (BIG WIN) 1 GRANT-FUNDED LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR 20, 12-14 YEAR OLD SHERIDAN JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS AT THE KEMMERER FISH FOSSIL BEDS IN SEPTEMBER (LIFE- CHANGING) 1 CREEPY CRAWLY EVENT AT THE BRINTON MUSEUM 1 FRESH, JAZZY, REVAMPED BRAND AND WEBSITE TO INCREASE READABILITY AND INCLUSIVITY SCIENCE KIDS BELIEVES IN AMPLIFYING WHAT WE DO WITH THE HELP OF STRONG PARTNERSHIPS AND AN ENGAGED BOARD. WE STRIVE FOR PARTNERSHIPS THAT MAKE BOTH ENTITIES MORE EFFECTIVE: 14TH YEAR WITH AUDUBON ROCKIES 12TH YEAR WITH THE SHERIDAN COMMUNITY LAND TRUST 8TH YEAR WITH THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT FIELD OFFICE IN BUFFALO 7TH YEAR WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING BIODIVERSITY INSTITUTE 5TH YEAR WITH ROOTED IN WYOMING 4TH YEAR WITH WYOMING PBS 3RD YEAR WITH SHERIDAN COLLEGEFS MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY 2ND YEAR WITH THE CITY OF SHERIDAN 2ND YEAR WITH SHERIDAN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 2 1ST YEAR WITH PINEY ISLAND NATIVE PLANTS AND PINEY ISLAND CONSERVATION SERVICES WITH A BOARD OF 8, AND ACTIVE COMMITTEES, WE'RE DOING GOOD WORK TO SAFEGUARD AND GROW SCIENCE KIDS IN SMART WAYS: CAMDEN EASTERLING SWINDELL (CHAIR) SARAH FLORES (VICE CHAIR) J
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 1981.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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