Meet the 99th Certified Living Wage Employer: Sciencenter Discovery Museum

The Tompkins County Worker’s Center is delighted to announce another wonderful organization in the community certified as a Living Wage Employer. The Sciencenter, founded in 1983, grew out of passion to make science accessible to underserved youth and the Ithaca community as a whole, regardless of ability or income. Today, the Sciencenter continues upholding that passion through their mission to inspire excitement for science through interactive exhibits and programs that engage, educate, and empower.

Chris Fagan, the Chief Financial Officer and Director of Human Resources, said the reason it’s important for the Sciencenter to commit to paying at least living wage is because:

“[T]he Sciencenter is a prominent community organization rooted in creating a safe and accessible place for everyone in the community to enjoy science exploration. With that in mind, the Sciencenter felt it was important to commit to the living wage not only for our employees but also as an example for the community.”

The Sciencenter works to foster the principles of the community both externally and internally. Externally, they provide guests with opportunities for open-ended discovery and play in a safe, clean, accessible setting and gives back to the local community. The Sciencenter not only offers many different programs for kids of all ages, including preschool but they host a Summer Camp for different grade levels ranging from Kindergarten through Ninth grade. The Sciencenter is a highly valued organization because they create many opportunities that all individuals deserve, but may otherwise not get the chance to have.

Internally, the Sciencenter “provides and maintains a nurturing environment that values staff and volunteers for their talents and contributions.” As a community organization, they continuously strive for new ideas, improvement and leadership in everything they do.

The Tompkins County Worker’s Center welcomes any business or organization who would like to become a Living Wage Employer to apply to the Worker’s Center for certification to recognize their commitment to fair pay for workers. The Living Wage in Tompkins County presently is $14.34, as determined by the Alternatives Federal Credit Union Biennial Living Wage Study. If you have any questions about how your business (or employer) can get certified, contact TCWC at (607) 269-0409 or tcwrh@tcworkerscenter.org.

Megan Wheeler Hogan