The Sisters Science Club, founded in 2011, has pursued the following mission:

To create and maintain a community culture where the study of science is visible, valued and celebrated. We believe students learn science by doing science, by examining core ideas in life sciences, physical sciences, earth and space science, engineering and technology. The Sisters Science Club supports these beliefs with practical and innovative contributions to our schools and to our community.

The Sisters Science Club is the only educational organization in Sisters focused on science. The club comprises approximately 450 members, working through volunteers and member donations to support the innovative ideas and continuing education of science teachers and community.

A committee of volunteers drawn from the community and the schools manages the activities of the club, which include the Frontiers in Science lecture series. Scientists and other experts have lectured on a wide variety of topics, including particle physics, volcanoes, earthquakes, forestry, genetics, cancer and nutrition. The evening lectures generally fill The Belfry, a landmark Sisters venue; since 2011, total attendance runs to more than 6,500. As the reputation of the lecture series has grown, attendees now come to Sisters on the fourth Tuesdays during the fall, winter and spring months from throughout Deschutes County, including Bend, Terrebone, Tumalo, Redmond, Eagle Crest and Sunriver.

Lecturers frequently visit local classrooms to engage with students directly. This provides a unique opportunity for K-12 students to meet with working scientists; with the assistance of the Sisters science teachers and administratorsxs, it has been a very successful partnership.

The Sisters Science Club also founded, funded and supported the creation of a high school greenhouse; helped initiate programs in flight science, Environment-Community-Self (SMS ECoS), culinary arts, and the Seed-to-Table Healthy Living Program; donated a planetarium sky dome and 3-D printer to the high school; and has awarded scholarships to graduates for excellence in science. The flight science and Seed-To-Table programs are now independent non- profit groups. We also fund field trips such as the annual student visit to Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. We send teachers to state and national conferences for professional development, and we created an annual district-wide Science Fair that fills the high school with exhibits, experiments and hands-on activities every March.

In early 2020, the Sisters Science Club incorporated as a charitable non-profit organization. We anticipate no major changes in our Frontiers in Science series, and we hope to continue to support education in our schools. The annual Science Fair had been put on hold during the pandemic, but we are working toward securing its future.