Mission:
The Museum of Science and Sustainability (MoSS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that inspires and educates people in their own communities in the fields of science and sustainable living.
Vision:
A world where curiosity in science and sustainability is fostered by society and where all people have access to education in science and sustainability.
Values:
- Encourage Curiosity
- Create STEM accessibility
- Practice sustainability
- Practice kindness
MoSS is to museums as bookmobiles are to libraries.
Our portable and interactive exhibits allow us to serve more people, anywhere in the state, at a lower cost than a traditional museum. MoSS’ portability has two primary benefits. First, by not occupying and maintaining a permanent, publicly accessible location, MoSS avoids of many of the costs associated with a traditional bricks and mortar museums and reduces its overall carbon footprint. Second, by being portable, MoSS is accessible to people in all parts of Arizona, from the Grand Canyon to Nogales. Due to the savings MoSS derives from remaining portable, MoSS is able to provide exhibits and access to minors (through educational institutions, after school enrichment programs, and other avenues) free of charge a majority of the time.
Our Story
In 2008, when museum founder Disa McAlister first envisioned the Museum of Science and Sustainability, she saw a way to enrich her community in Pinal County by providing education with regard to the field of environmental sustainability. Over time, she came to realize that in order to provide effective sustainability education, she would have to expand into general science because people, in general, and children in particular, lacked exposure and an understanding of how they interacted with science daily. The solution to this lack of exposure was a “portable museum” that could provide exposure to science and sustainability in the parts of Pinal County that lacked the population to support a traditional museum.
Since those early days in Pinal County, MoSS has grown, filling the science, sustainability, and science of sustainability education and awareness space with additional resources throughout Arizona. MoSS team members aspire to show children and community members how many options for sustainable living are available to them, starting from the smallest and most inexpensive ways to incorporate science and sustainability into everyday life.