We are a 501c3 nonprofit unlocking the universe of science by making complex science accessible, engaging, and meaningful for all. Welcome to The Science Haven!
We're on a mission to gift 100 telescopes to Black families, bringing the cosmos right to their backyards. Over at The Science Haven, we're turning up the heat on this stellar initiative, but we need YOUR help reaching our goal!! 1/
Meet our Executive Director, Dr. Raven Baxter! She is a molecular biologist and science educator. In her role as executive director, she focuses on democratizing science, sparking joy and curiosity, and increasing public access to science. Learn more:
Through our Stellar Dreams program, we are unlocking a universe of science for 100 kids across the USA. Here is one of our 100 telescope recipients checking out the sky! This is what it's all about. Visit to learn more about how we're breaking ground.
Hey Buffalo, NY! We're giving 100 brand name telescopes and astronomy education to 100 students. We are struggling to pull in applications from the Buffalo area. Applications are due on February 1st! Students apply by going to . PLEASE SHARE WIDELY!!
The Science Haven is dedicated to turning science dreams to science realities by providing academic and socioeconomic capital to underserved communities.
@TheScienceHaven
's executive board is led by a diverse group of leaders across science, law, and education policy.
Since sharing our ambitious goal of gifting 100 telescopes to Black families across America, we've received stories from adults whose lives have changed with a telescope. We'd love to know your story. Please comment or quote tweet to tell us how a telescope transformed your life.
Great news! The Science Haven has recently obtained 501c3 status. We are planning science communication initiatives to roll out in the next year! If you are interested in volunteering with us, please reach out via our contact page our website or send us a DM!
We CANNOT get enough of these photos from the James Webb Space Telescope. Here is a repost from
@nasa
showing a close-up of Rho Ophiuchi, the closest star forming region to Earth.
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Klaus Pontoppidan (STScI), Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
We're 5% of the way to our goal of gifting 100 telescopes to low-income Black families across the USA. It's not just about telescopes, it's about unlocking a lifetime of curiosity and discovery and scientific inquiry for dozens children and their families.
The International Space Station isn't just a hub for groundbreaking exploration, it's also a unique laboratory! This
@NASA
photo shows Astronauts Jessica Watkins and Bob Hines working on the XROOTS botany experiment, studying how plants grow in space. 🌱
#SpaceBotany
#ISS
#NASA
J'Nai Kessinger is an Afro-Indigenous food scientist and Senior Sensory & Consumer Scientist with expertise in sensory evaluation and consumer research. She's a devoted
#STEMadvocate
and inspiring community leader. We're so happy to have her on our team!
#foodscience
@Chill_Smiff
Yes!! As you know, this is where "follow the drinking gourd" came from: enslaved Africans in America were using the Big Dipper—aka the Drinking Gourd—as a guide to finding the North Star in the sky, which led them to the northern (freed) states. Thank you for this reminder.
Dr. Marshall Anthony Jr. is a
#HigherEd
scholar + Director of Research Agenda. He's a leading voice in advocating for
#equity
in
#HigherEd
and improving the socioeconomic mobility of underrepresented communities. Fun fact: he's testified before the U.S. House of Representatives.
Kristen Elmore-Garcia, Esq. is a distinguished attorney with a sharp legal acumen. As a managing partner at a nationally recognized law firm, she's gained a reputation for her thorough case analyses. Kristen is committed to serving her community as a mentor.
#mentorship
A trailblazer for equity in science education, Dr. Raven Baxter is a renowned science communicator-- and the founder of
@TheScienceHaven
. She is passionate about building science community, and nurturing inclusive science spaces.
#science
#STEM
#diversityinSTEM
#education
Connect with The Science Haven at the 2023 International Space Station Research and Development Conference! Executive Director Dr. Raven Baxter is the MC for day one. Chat with our Director of Programs, NASA astrophysicist Dr. Ronald Gamble about
#StellarDreams
and more!
#ISSRDC
Dr. Ronald S. Gamble Jr. is a theoretical astrophysicist. He researches relativistic jets, black hole rotations, and is developing new theories of general relativity. He is devoted to increasing diversity in representation of astronomers and astrophysicists.
100 TELESCOPES 🔭 are on their way to us, to give to kids in grades 5-12 across the USA— all thanks to our amazing supporters!! We cannot thank you enough for joining our mission! 🚨We’re still fundraising for programming 🚨Visit to help us reach our goal!
Each of these 100 telescopes is more than just hardware—it's a ticket to the stars, an open invitation to dream big and explore the infinite wonders of the universe. Your donation can help us reach our goal and inspire brilliant minds. Let's do this! 2/
Together, we can rewrite the science narrative, creating a future where every curious mind, regardless of their background, can achieve their stellar dreams. We're 100 telescopes away from shaking up the science scene. Get on board and donate today! 3/
@TheBarrenness
@ravenscimaven
We thank you immensely for your support and cannot wait to watch 100 children and their families faces light up for the first time as they experience the night sky, magnified.
Because of the science community's dedication to the next generation of explorers, we're 30% of the way to our goal to give 100 telescopes and astronomy education to 100 low-income Black families in the USA. Please help us get to the finish line! For more:
We're on a mission to gift 100 telescopes to Black families, bringing the cosmos right to their backyards. Over at The Science Haven, we're turning up the heat on this stellar initiative, but we need YOUR help reaching our goal!! 1/
Exciting news! We've joined forces with
@CuriosityStream
in support of our
#StellarDreams
initiative. As
#SpaceWeek
begins today, we invite you to join us in this grand expedition of scientific discovery. Get ready to explore the cosmos with us! 1/
#TSHxCS
Introducing Dr. Marshall Anthony, Jr., our Director of Educational Technology at The Science Haven. A scholar and advocate for educational access, his work ensures education is accessible to everyone. His dedication inspires us all. Read about Dr. Anthony:
Do you think that the media should do a better job of explaining the science news that they are sharing? We think so, too. Be sure to follow our updates to learn more about our exciting science communication initiatives.
Our Director of Programs, Dr. Ronald Gamble oversees our special projects such as
#StellarDreams
.
@Dr_Gamble21
is a theoretical astrophysicist at NASA who studies gravity and the nature of black holes. Read more about Dr. Gamble!
Major news from
@BlackinMarSci
! They’ve been awarded a 750k award from
@PackardFdn
to further their mission to expand accessibility of the marine sciences to the Black community ♥️ CONGRATULATIONS!
They said if we were giving away 100 pairs of Jordans, that our site would crash!! Prove them wrong! Visit to apply, or visit the link in our bio! We're giving 100 telescopes to 100 students, starting in Buffalo!
#Buffalo
#BillsMafia
#BuffaloNY
Those who have previously volunteered with us for Black in Science Communication efforts are especially invited to reconvene with us for future programming and planning.
🎶Ohhh, we're halfway there!!🎵 OHH! Please share! In just three weeks, we hit 50% of our goal!! That's 50 low-income Black families
@TheScienceHaven
can give telescopes and astronomy education to! ALL of our contributions have come from ✨the community!✨
Shoutout to our Director of Programs! NASA Astrophysicist Dr. Ronald Gamble is facilitating the
#StellarDreams
education component. With the help of our expert network, we're not just gifting 100 telescopes to Black families, we're helping them get involved with citizen science!
@ravenscimaven
@TheScienceHaven
👋🏽 I’ll tap in here also! I’m the Programs Director of
@TheScienceHaven
and
@NASA
Theoretical Astrophysicist! Black Scientists only comprise of ~1% of Astronomy, this is the WHY! We want to look around and see a full spectrum of colorful faces in physics/Astronomy
#StellarDreams
Happy
#STEMNetworkingFriday
, everyone! The Science Haven wants to hear from you! Comment below and tell us a bit about yourself and what sort of opportunities you're interested in pursuing. Let's make meaningful connections together.
#ScienceHaven
🚀 Get ready to BLAST OFF with us! 🌟 Our Stellar Dreams 2024 program will be open for applications on Monday, October 16th! Are you or someone you know going to be one of the 100 lucky students (grades 5-12) who will receive their very own TELESCOPE and more? Keep reading!! 1/
After hundreds of years of speculations and theories about black holes and their nature, astronomers were finally able to capture an actual image of black hole back in 2019, proving the claims of previous generations of scientists. Science has come a long way!
We're so grateful to have your support in helping 100 families embark on a fascinating journey in exploring the cosmos. Your contributions open them up to a world that might have been otherwise inaccessible.
#AstronomyForAll
#ChangeTheStatistics
🌍🚀"
BIG NEWS! We hit our first
#StellarDreams
fundraising goal! Thanks to
@Celestron
's generous donation, 100 telescopes will now reach deserving students and their families across the USA! We are so grateful for your support in making this happen!
Read more:
💫 We're seeking to work as a community to close a BIG equity gap in astronomy-- did you know that Black people make up just over 13% of the population but only 1% of astronomy? We know, that's wild! Staggering! But, together, we can make a difference. 5/
📣 Attention food scientists! 🍻 We're teaming up with a regional partner to highlight Black-owned brewing companies. If you're passionate about innovative brews and eager about
#SciComm
, we need you for an exciting project! Become a STEMbassador:
Last but not least, our final board member intro! Kristen Elmore-Garcia is an attorney and partner at The Law Offices of John Elmore in Buffalo, NY. She is a huge proponent of justice, community service and outreach. We're glad to have her on our team!
The International Space Station (ISS) is a symbol of unity in space exploration, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes. It's our shared lab for understanding the cosmos. 🚀🌍🌟 Come say hi to Team Science Haven at
#ISSRDC2023
, and learn about our
#StellarDreams
initiative!
It's
#STEMNetworkingFriday
at The Science Haven, and we want to connect with our STEM community! Introduce yourself and let us know what STEM fields or opportunities you're interested in. Share your story with us!
#TheScienceHaven
We have reached 40% of our fundraising goal for our
#StellarDreams
project, which aims to give 100 telescopes and astronomy education to Black families across America with young students interested in the skies. Almost to the finish line!
Did you catch our instagram live conversation yesterday with
@CuriosityStream
about our
#StellarDreams
initiative and all things space, science, and inspiration? Head on over to our instagram page and watch the replay!
We are thrilled to share that our ambitious inaugural initiative, Stellar Dreams, has reached 55% funding in our first month. We thank you for your support-- we're almost to the finish line!
🔭 That's not all! Along with the telescope, we're also providing astronomy education kits and programs. Our kits are packed with star charts, guides, and exciting materials to help you navigate the vastness of space right from your backyard! And our programs? Even cooler!! 3/
We have a special announcement today coming up regarding our Stellar Dreams initiative! Please stay tuned in the next hour :)
Visit to learn more about our initiative to get 100 telescopes, to 100 families, and ignite 100 dreams.
#StellarDreams
This
#STEMNetworkingFriday
at The Science Haven is all about taking time to get to know one another better. Tell us a little bit about yourself and share what kinds of opportunities you're looking for - let's build a network of STEM!
#ScienceHaven
At this time, we're 24 hours into our
#StellarDreams
Initiative and 15% of the way to our goal-- that's 15 children and families who will receive telescopes. We have 85 more families to go! Let's bridge this path to science for low-income Black families.
🌠 Stellar Dreams is more than just a program; it's an adventure! Our astronomy programs, both in-person and virtual, will host a community of young, passionate stargazers just like you. We believe in learning together, exploring together, and inspiring each other! 4/
📣 Spread the word! Share this thread with everyone you know. The more people who hear about Stellar Dreams, the more dreams we can launch into the stars! Applications open October 16th, and close December 16th! Visit to learn more, support, and apply.
Big news! 🎉 We've reached 20% of our fundraising goal for our
#StellarDreams
initiative, all thanks to you. Your generosity is helping make strides towards a more accessible and equitable science community. Here's to achieving more milestones together! 💫
🌌 Imagine gazing up at the night sky with your own telescope, discovering distant galaxies, planets, and stars! With our Stellar Dreams program, we're turning this dream into reality for 100 future astronomers! Sounds amazing, right? KEEP READING! 2/
Our application for our inaugural year of our Stellar Dreams program has closed. We received dozens of applications from students all across the Western New York area. We are delighted to give these students a gift of the stars!
We thank each and every one of our supporters helping us get 100 telescopes to 100 families across the USA. The sky is not the limit! Let's help these families dream BIG.
#StellarDreams
🌔✨ The
#StellarDreams
initiative is bringing the cosmos closer! With new telescope donations, they'll trace the wonders of the night sky. Each observation is a new world to discover. Here's to their journey of stargazing and learning! 🌌🔭
This is just a small part of the Carina Nebula, a beautiful star forming region off in the distant sky, as seen by
@NASA
's Webb Telescope. The 1 year anniversary of Webb's images just passed, and we've seen STELLAR outputs from the telescope. Gift a scope:
We have some exciting science communication initiatives cooking up at The Science Haven! Be sure to follow us and share this page with your favorite scicommers in the making, so that you can stay up to date with our latest news.
Each of the 100 recipients of a
#StellarDreams
telescope will get an annual subscription to Curiosity Stream, including Curiosity’s deep library of space content. And, 20% of new annual subscriptions generated through our collaboration will go to the
#StellarDreams
initiative! 2/
Hear from The Science Haven's Executive Director about some of the inspiration behind founding and leading our organization. If you missed our live iG chat with
@CuriosityStream
, be sure to check it out on our pages!
#StellarDreams
The Andromeda galaxy, at 2.5 million light-years, it's the most distant thing most of us humans can see with the unaided eye. Also, the galaxy WE are in (the Milky Way) will merge with Andromeda in about 5 billion years! Imagine seeing this through a telescope!
Join us in advancing science equity today! Be one of the first 365 supporters of The Science Haven and have your name featured on our website. Donate now:
#ScienceEquity
#SupportTheScienceHaven
A little goes a long way for our little ones and young adults! We are thrilled to be in service to a brighter science future for all. Science shines brighter when we all take part. Check out our
#StellarDreams
initiative!
Join theoretical astrophysicist
@Dr_Gamble21
& molecular biologist
@RavenSciMaven
TOMORROW at 3pm ET on IG LIVE for a discussion about space,
@TheScienceHaven
's
#StellarDreams
Initiative, and much more! Comment here to be notified as soon as the IG LIVE begins! ⬇️⬇️
Beyonce said, if you like it then you should've put a ring on it... well, Saturn came with its own rings! Here is a repost from 🪐 Here is a repost from
@NASA
: The James Webb Space Telescope's first near look at Saturn.
@rubyslippahs
@thebiologistisn
This is such an inspiring testimony to the importance of giving kids a chance to look closer at the stars! We're trying to gather some testimonials to share on our site to emphasize the importance of getting 100 telescopes to families. Would you be okay with contributing a quote?
Thank you Katherine, for supporting
#StellarDreams
and sharing your thoughtful input on why our cause is important. We agree -- opportunity is not equally distributed. The Science Haven's mission promotes equity in science- it takes a village!
@scgQuasar
Dr. Gallagher, THANK YOU for your contribution-- we are so excited to see the children and their families faces light up when they use it for the first time. We are even more excited to get them involved in citizen science research using their telescopes. You're the best!
Use the code DREAMS at when you sign up for an annual Curiosity Stream subscription or use the QR code below, for 20% of your annual subscription to go to our
#StellarDreams
initiative. Happy
#SpaceWeek
!
@DuchessCle
@ravenscimaven
We're gifting beginner-friendly telescopes that will be adequate to view plenty of celestial bodies in the night sky. If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to us via our contact form, and we're happy to follow up there!
The sky isn't the limit to what we can explore. Our
#StellarDreams
initiative aims to get 100 Black families a beginner-friendly telescope and astronomy education to plant wonderful seeds of curiosity for our amazing universe. Learn more:
We think that you deserve to ace your basic science quiz. That's why we're working on initiatives that make science understandable and accessible to all. Join us at The Science Haven. Visit our website at today.
@bridgetmcgann
@ravenscimaven
That sounds like a fantastic summer family project. A telescope would certainly add plenty of excitement and wonder to a child's summer.
Happy
#STEMNetworkingFriday
, fellow STEMists! Reach out to us with your introductions so we can learn more about each other and open up opportunities for collaboration in the science community! Let's get those ideas flowing - what do you have in store?
#ScienceHaven
@shereelgreer
WOW! Thank you for sharing, this is incredible. Would it be possible for us to share this, or any other words you may have, as a testimonial on our website? We want to help people who don't understand the value of a telescope how impactful it can be for a child and their parents.
Thank you Mr. C for sharing your experience. Using a telescope for the first time is an unforgettable childhood memory for those who are lucky enough to experience it. This is very inspiring!