The Quest Science Center’s mission is to inspire and nurture everyday exploration for lifelong engagement with science and technology. Quest, which was founded in 2018, has entered a new phase of growth and focus over the past 18 months, officials say. The organization has strengthened its financial foundation, expanded key programs, and sharpened its long-term strategy toward becoming a permanent science center for the Tri-Valley region.

“Quest is expanding its youth programming, particularly in areas tied to planetary health, engineering, and applied science learning,” according to Executive Director Michael O. Mosby. “We are deepening partnerships with local schools and industry leaders to ensure our programs align with real-world career pathways. We are also increasing the scale of our community events, reaching more families than ever before, while strengthening the operational backbone required to support long-term sustainability. Behind the scenes, we are advancing strategic planning that moves us closer to a permanent physical location.”

Access to hands-on science experiences should not depend on zip code or income, Mosby says. Quest reaches tens of thousands of participants annually without yet having a permanent building. When young people see themselves as creators, innovators, and problem-solvers, it changes trajectories. Quest helps spark that identity early, and reinforces it through sustained programming. “Beyond workforce development, this is about civic health,” Mosby notes. “Communities that value curiosity, evidence, and collaboration are stronger communities. Quest cultivates those values. Our model is nimble and community-embedded. We meet families where they are–in schools, parks, downtown spaces, and community venues. This flexibility has allowed us to grow impact while carefully building the infrastructure for permanence.”

Quest is deeply collaborative, and depends on many volunteers, interns, and industry professionals to shape its programming. Volunteering for events, becoming a corporate sponsor, sharing news about events with others, mentoring youth interns, and advocating for Quest and its mission are some of the ways to support the organization. Attending or participating in the Innovation Fair, which will be held on April 18, 2026 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, is perhaps the best opportunity to experience what Quest is all about.

What makes the Innovation Fair especially powerful is the intergenerational energy, according to Mosby. “The Innovation Fair is not a typical science fair. It is a free, high-energy, hands-on celebration of creativity, engineering, design thinking, and real-world problem solving. Students don’t just display projects, they present solutions. Families don’t just observe, they engage. Industry professionals don’t just sponsor, they mentor, judge, and inspire. The event brings together youth, educators, engineers, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders in one shared space–all centered around curiosity and possibility.”

Quest exists to create hands-on, joy-filled science experiences that bring families, educators, industry, and young people together, Mosby adds. “Science is not just content–it is connection. Through pop-up events, internships, innovation fairs, school partnerships, and community programs, we are already serving thousands of families. Every program is a step toward a future permanent science center. From volunteers and sponsors to donors and youth interns, Quest is powered by community investment. This is not ‘our’ science center–it belongs to the region. Every pop-up lab, every student project, every Innovation Fair, every volunteer hour is laying the foundation for something lasting. The question is not whether this community wants a science center–the question is how quickly we build it together.”

For more information about Quest Science Center, please visit www.quest-science.org, www.facebook.com/QuestScienceCenter, www.instagram.com/questsciencecenter, or www.linkedin.com/company/questsciencecenter.