Step Into the Story: The Fleet's 2025 Impact Report

The past year at the Fleet Science Center has been one of growth, transformation, and impact. From launching new programs to sustaining and improving longstanding ones, breaking ground on the first major renovation of the building since the 1990s, and everything in between, the Fleet has worked with purpose to bring science to every corner of San Diego County.

But these efforts are part of something bigger.

They are part of a larger story: the story of how science shows up in the lives of people across San Diego, and how the Fleet helps make those moments possible. Our 2025 Impact Report tells that story, highlighting the programs, events, and experiences that have facilitated meaningful connections to STEM throughout the year.

We invite you to step into the story with us and get to know the people impacted, explore the experiences created, and witness the role science plays in shaping our city.

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From June 2024 through July 2025, the Fleet served 424,124 people at the Balboa Park building and beyond. We reached 146,893 students and youth across San Diego and made our way to 99.9% of ZIP codes throughout the county.

But what do those numbers really mean?

They represent hundreds of thousands of moments of curiosity, of connection, and exploration. They represent first encounters with STEM, deeper exploration, and lasting inspiration.

Often, these moments start at the Fleet Science Center itself. This year, visitors explored unique exhibits like Pause | Play, where they recaptured the nostalgia of play, and Survival of the Slowest, where they learned about nature’s smallest, slowest, and most resilient members. In the Heikoff Giant Dome IMAX® Theater, audiences soared with the Blue Angels and swam with blue whales in epic, larger-than-life adventures. And for students from 372 schools, a field trip to the Fleet meant a day of excitement, hands-on learning, and access to resources that extend far beyond a single visit.

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While our building certainly serves as a hub for science, our impact extends far beyond our own walls. In the community, the Fleet has collaborated with individuals, organizations, and community leaders to bring science directly to neighborhoods. Through longstanding programs like Fleet on the Go and Family Science Nights, community members and families engaged in meaningful STEM experiences in familiar, local spaces. New initiatives opened unique opportunities for discovery, like Art for Planetary Health’s Creative Catalyst Workshop Series, which equipped local artists and creatives with tools to help them navigate professional opportunities, or our Science Meets Art Mixers under the same umbrella program, which ignited collaboration at the often-overlooked intersection of STEM and art.

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For San Diego youth, a journey with science may begin with one single encounter, but is fostered through meaningful, sustained educational engagement. Monthly science clubs at the Fleet cultivated enthusiasm in children from ages three all the way through eighth grade through hands-on STEM engagement. Over 1,200 youth participated in the Fleet’s STEM camps, engaging in over 18,632 total hours of science-rich experiences throughout the year. Programs like SciTech and BE WiSE (Better Education for Women in Science and Engineering) engaged young women from grades 4 through 12 in unique, year-round learning experiences dedicated to building STEM identity.

“The girls are much more invested in science topics since they have done hands-on challenges in SciTech. It has brought a real sense of community and belonging among the girls who have participated,” says a representative from Bayside STEAM Academy, a participating school in the 2024-25 SciTech season.

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And at the Fleet, we know that science has no age limit.  While we foster STEM interest in the youth of San Diego, we also ensure plenty of engagement opportunities for San Diego adults.

At San Diego Comic-Con, the Fleet hosted two panels that explored the intersections of science and pop culture to engage crowds in meaningful, unique science content. In San Diego institutions, the Fleet held Science Communication Trainings dedicated to equipping STEM scholars and professionals with the tools necessary to effectively communicate with various audiences.

At bars across the county, Two Scientists Walk Into a Bar® bridged the gap between scientists and community members, igniting casual conversation over drinks and increasing community access to STEM knowledge. This year, the Fleet took the program cross-country, hosting an event in Chicago, building partnerships in Missouri and Nebraska, and expanding the Fleet’s impact far beyond San Diego County.

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Even as the Fleet’s reach continues to expand, our impact remains deeply rooted here in San Diego. For adults, youth, Fleet visitors, and every member of the San Diego community, the Fleet is proud to have created hundreds of thousands of connections to science.

We know science is not just a single moment. It is not one exhibit, one interaction, one memory. It is a life-long, community-wide experience, established in classrooms, built in neighborhoods, and cultivated through connection. We are proud to be an instrument of that experience for all of San Diego County and are excited to share that story with you in our 2025 Impact Report. We invite you to explore the full report and discover the many ways the Fleet continues to connect all of San Diego to the power of science.