Science Buddies

Science Buddies is a United States-based nonprofit educational organization and online resource platform focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning for K–12 students. The organization began in 2001 under the name Kenneth Lafferty Hess Family Charitable Foundation, established by engineer and high-technology entrepreneur Kenneth Hess. Its original purpose was to make participation in science fairs more accessible by giving students practical project-planning tools, research guidance, and access to knowledgeable mentors. Hess was motivated in part by observing his teenage daughter enjoy science-fair participation while finding that high-quality guidance was difficult to locate online. Science Buddies was designed to address that gap through a combination of structured project resources and human support. Rather than functioning only as a repository of science-fair ideas, the platform seeks to help students understand how to select a question, form a hypothesis, plan an experiment, collect and analyze evidence, and communicate results. Its materials are intended to support both independent student work and adult guidance from parents, teachers, and mentors. The organization’s resources include scientist-developed explanations, project suggestions, experimental protocols, subject-area content, project-planning tools, and advice for preparing science-fair presentations. The reference material describes the site as containing more than 15,000 pages of STEM-related content, including experiments connected with current academic research. Science Buddies also operates an online community in which science and engineering professionals volunteer advice to students. This community model is intended to connect young people with role models and to give practicing scientists a way to encourage future participation in STEM fields. Over time, Science Buddies broadened its original science-fair emphasis. The platform developed resources for classroom instruction and teacher planning, as well as materials for parents supporting informal learning at home. Its stated educational philosophy is to strengthen scientific and technological literacy so that students can become informed and engaged citizens and potentially consider careers in science and engineering. Science Buddies has collaborated with or drawn on expertise from high-technology companies, government laboratories and agencies, universities, and science-education organizations. The reference material specifically identifies relationships involving organizations such as NOAA and NASA, although it does not provide a complete list of formal partnerships. The organization has also received recognition or recommendations from educational bodies, including the American Library Association and the National Science Teachers Association’s SciLinks program. The platform makes its student and teacher resources available without charge. Its operating model is described as sponsorship underwriting, broadly comparable to public-media sponsorship: supporting organizations receive visibility while the educational materials remain free to users. Science Buddies is therefore best understood as a mission-driven digital education brand rather than a conventional commercial consumer brand. Publicly available reference material identifies Kenneth Hess as founder and lists physicist Doug Osheroff and former NASA astronaut Bernard Harris on the scientific advisory board, but does not provide a complete current executive roster or detailed financial information.

Science Buddies originated in 2001 as the Kenneth Lafferty Hess Family Charitable Foundation, founded by engineer and high-technology businessman Kenneth Hess. The organization was created in response to a practical problem: students interested in science fairs often lacked reliable, accessible online assistance. Hess believed that carefully designed digital productivity tools, combined with personal mentoring, could enable more young people to undertake meaningful science projects and develop lasting relationships with scientists and engineers. The initial concept centered on helping students navigate the science-fair process. This included finding suitable questions, learning basic scientific methods, identifying materials, organizing experiments, and presenting results. The organization’s broader educational aim was to improve science literacy and encourage students to view science and engineering as fields in which they could participate and build careers. Science Buddies subsequently developed an extensive online library of STEM material. The site’s resources include scientist-authored subject explanations, experiment ideas, project-planning assistance, and guidance for students conducting investigations based on contemporary scientific research. The organization also created an online community in which volunteer professionals advise students. This community is central to the brand’s bridge-building mission: students gain exposure to people working in scientific fields, while scientists receive a structured way to communicate with younger audiences. As the platform matured, its audience expanded beyond individual science-fair participants. Science Buddies added material intended for teachers using science projects in classrooms and for parents helping children with informal STEM learning. The organization therefore moved from a narrowly defined science-fair support service toward a broader educational resource covering project-based science learning, classroom support, and mentoring. The organization’s development has involved cooperation with educational institutions, universities, government agencies, laboratories, and technology companies. Reference material cites collaborations or connections involving agencies and institutions such as NOAA and NASA. Science Buddies has also been recommended by educational organizations, including the American Library Association and the National Science Teachers Association’s SciLinks program. Its scientific advisory board has included Nobel Prize-winning physicist Douglas Osheroff and former NASA astronaut Bernard Harris. Science Buddies provides its resources free of charge to students and teachers. Rather than relying primarily on user fees, it uses an underwriting approach in which sponsors support the service and receive sponsor visibility. This model allows the organization to preserve open access while maintaining a substantial library of educational content and mentoring resources. Public reference material does not establish a detailed chronology of later organizational changes, financial performance, or current leadership beyond the founder and advisory-board references.

• 2011

  Recognition in science-education coverage

  [3]Science Buddies: Advancing Informal Science Educationscience.org

  Science Buddies was discussed in science-education coverage associated with Science magazine, reflecting broader attention to online informal science education.

• 2001

  Foundation established

  [1]Science Buddiesen.wikipedia.org

  Kenneth Lafferty Hess established the charitable organization that became Science Buddies, initially focusing on online tools and support for students conducting science-fair projects.

• Expansion into teacher and classroom resources

  [1]Science Buddiesen.wikipedia.org

  The organization broadened its original science-fair mission by developing resources for teachers, classroom activities, and parents supporting student science projects. The reference material does not specify the year of this expansion.

A free, nonprofit, research-informed STEM education platform that connects K–12 learners with structured project tools, educators, families, and volunteer science professionals.

• Project-based STEM education · 2001

  Science-fair project resources

  A collection of free guidance for students completing science-fair investigations. Materials help learners develop questions, plan experiments, understand scientific methods, organize evidence, and prepare written or oral presentations. The resources are designed to make science-fair participation more manageable for students who may not have access to a nearby mentor or specialized academic support.

• Digital educational content

  STEM subject and experiment library

  Scientist-developed online content covering science and engineering topics, experiment concepts, project techniques, and research-informed explanations. The reference material describes the platform as having more than 15,000 pages of content, including experiments connected with current academic research. It is intended for student exploration as well as use by adults supporting STEM learning.

• Educational support resources

  Teacher and parent resources

  Guidance for teachers and parents who help students choose, conduct, and explain science projects. These resources extend the platform beyond individual science-fair participants by supporting classroom instruction, informal learning, project supervision, and age-appropriate scientific inquiry.

• Mentoring service

  Science-professional mentoring community

  An online community through which volunteer scientists and engineers advise students. The mentoring model gives learners access to professional perspectives and role models while helping working scientists engage with young people interested in STEM subjects and careers.

• 2001

  Adopted a free online science-fair support modelStrategy

  Background

  The organization was created to address the shortage of accessible, high-quality online help for students undertaking science-fair projects.

  Action taken

  It developed free digital productivity tools, educational content, and mentoring intended to support students, families, and teachers.

  Aftermath

  The initial science-fair mission later expanded into a broader STEM education platform with classroom and teacher resources.

  Source

• Used sponsorship underwriting to preserve free accessStrategy

  Background

  Science Buddies sought to make its educational materials available to students and teachers without charging users.

  Action taken

  The organization adopted an underwriting approach in which sponsors receive visibility while supporting the operation of the educational website.

  Aftermath

  The platform retained a free-access model for its student and teacher resources. No financial amounts are provided in the reference material.

  Source

1. 1Science Buddiesen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Science Buddiessciencebuddies.org
3. 3Science Buddies: Advancing Informal Science Educationscience.org