My kids attend the camps and some of the afterschool activities [at the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium]. We’ve increased the number of those programs over the last few years into areas like robotics, and my kids are very excited about that. The science center also has an annual science and engineering competition that draws kids from all around the county, and our kids participate in that every year. I think there’s no doubt that our involvement as a family supporting the science center has also enriched or generated a lot of interest in science in school for my kids. I don’t have a scientific background, and my wife doesn’t either, but our kids certainly are very keen on science and STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] in school, and I think that’s probably inspired by our support of the science center over these years.

—Matt Lorentzen, board chair, South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, West Palm Beach