California Academy of Sciences
Rating: Excellent
Strong Points: Well organized and easy to navigate; numerous resources for scientists, non-scientists, and educators.
The California Academy of Sciences, located in San Francisco, brings science to the public through its planetarium, aquarium, and natural history museum. If you can’t make the trek to the Bay Area, the next best thing to do is check out their website. The site has numerous educational resources for teachers, including live-streamed events and programs, lesson plans, and activity packs. There’s also a primer on community science, where non-scientists help collect and catalog observations of the nature around them, and details about how the academy is promoting community science initiatives. The website also includes a wealth of information for scientists, such as descriptions of current research projects at the academy, information about fellowships and upcoming courses, and details about the academy’s various research centers. If you can’t visit California in person, be sure to at least stop by the California Academy of Sciences website.