¡Ciencia para todos!
Saturday, October 3, 2026 | 5–8 p.m.
FREE admission | All are welcome
Celebrate science, culture and community at SCI!
Join the Science Center of Iowa for ¡Ciencia para todos!, a free evening celebrating Latino Heritage Month through science, culture and community.
Bring the whole family to explore SCI, enjoy cultural performances, experience bilingual science programming and take part in hands-on activities throughout the building. Whether it’s your first visit to SCI or you’ve explored with us many times before, we invite you to come celebrate, discover and connect.
Admission is free, and all are welcome!
Evening Highlights
Cultural Performances & Celebration
Celebrate the richness and diversity of Latino cultures through music, dance and storytelling.
5:20 p.m. | Opening Remarks & Recognition of Local Partners
We’ll kick off the evening with a warm welcome and recognition of the local organizations and community partners helping bring ¡Ciencia para todos! to life.
5:30 p.m. | Folklor Mexicano Estilo y Movimiento
Young dancers ages 4–17 will showcase traditional dances from different regions of Mexico.
6:30 p.m. | Cucho Madero
Experience melodies performed on the zampoña, a Peruvian pan flute with deep roots in the country’s history and musical traditions.
7:30 p.m. | Los Carnales
Educators and musicians Rich Salas and RJ Hernandez celebrate familia, education and cultural heritage through music, songs and storytelling.
Ciencia en Español — and English, Too!
Science is for everyone! Experience some SCI favorites with bilingual English and Spanish programming.
6 p.m. | Bilingual Story Time
Head under the stars in the Star Theater Planetarium for a special bilingual story time.
7 p.m. | Bilingual Deep Freeze
Things are about to get cold in SCI Live! Experience the science of extreme temperatures during a bilingual edition of our popular Deep Freeze program.
Explore, Create & Discover
Hands-on activities will be happening throughout SCI all evening.
Straw Mariposa
Create a colorful butterfly with flapping wings while discovering the science of simple machines and motion.
Innovation Lab: Robotics
Put your coding and problem-solving skills to work as you program robots to navigate to their destinations.
Latino Scientist Bingo
Explore SCI while discovering Latino scientists and their contributions to science. Find scientist posters throughout the exhibits, answer questions on your bingo card and enter a drawing for a free SCI family membership.
¡Ciencia para todos! Community Mural
Help create a lasting piece of ¡Ciencia para todos!
Children and families are invited to contribute to a large-scale, mixed-media mural celebrating our Latino community, creativity and the idea that science is for everyone.
The mural will feature large Ciencia Para Todos lettering decorated by youth and families using materials from SCI’s Makerspace. Add textures, shapes and objects inspired by science, technology, engineering, art and math to help bring the mural to life.
Families can also help create the colorful scene below the lettering by decorating butterflies and creating dahlias and marigolds. Together, these individual creations will become one vibrant collaborative artwork.
The finished mural will celebrate our Latino community while giving children and families an opportunity to contribute directly to a lasting piece of the ¡Ciencia para todos! project that will be displayed at SCI.
Come Hungry!
Food will be available for purchase outside SCI beginning at 5 p.m. from:
- Reyes Tamales
- Los Compadres Flaming Tacos
- Snackilandia
Why ¡Ciencia para todos!?
At the Science Center of Iowa, we believe science is for everyone. We also believe everyone should be able to walk through our doors and feel welcomed, represented and able to fully participate in the SCI experience.
¡Ciencia para todos! brings science and culture together while giving SCI an opportunity to listen and learn from our community. Feedback from families and community partners will help us continue creating experiences that are more accessible and welcoming.
That commitment extends beyond this event. With support from a Museums for America grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), SCI is beginning work to add more English and Spanish signage and exhibit information throughout the Science Center.
Making SCI bilingual is about more than translating words. It can make it easier for Spanish-speaking visitors and multigenerational families to explore exhibits, ask questions, have conversations and experience science together. This reflects the goals outlined in SCI’s grant application, which emphasizes language accessibility, community input and creating a more welcoming visitor experience.
¡Ciencia para todos! is a first step — and we want our community to be part of what comes next.
