By Mary Oliveira, CEO of Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts
It’s that week on social media again.
You know the one.
Social media feeds flooded with tiny smiling faces, cheesing hard for the camera, gripping backpacks with one hand and swinging a lunchbox in the other.
Often, wooden signs below their faces reveal the dreams they have for their future selves:
“When I Grow Up I Want To Be A…”
Dancer. Astronaut. Doctor. Baker. Marine Biologist. Teacher.
Whatever the future holds for your children, we want to help them get there with bright moments of learning and innovation here at Whitaker Center.
Where Curiosity Meets Opportunity
As your home for science and the arts in central PA, our programs are designed to spark curiosity, ignite creativity, and open doors to future careers.
Whether it’s marveling at engineering feats in DREAM BIG: Engineering Our World, exploring the basics of botany, diving into the performing arts through summer camps, discovering computer science with Girls Who Code, or learning robotics through a love of Legos, Whitaker Center nurtures children’s passions and transforms them into pathways of possibility.
Spotlight on Surgery Live!
One of our most impactful programs, Surgery Live!, provides students with a rare, firsthand look inside a live surgery. Guided by a medical professional who answers their questions in real time, students not only observe but also participate in hands-on demonstrations that give them an early glimpse into the world of modern medicine.
Thanks to the generous support of UPMC and the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation, this program has reached thousands of students across our region. Their partnership ensures we can continue delivering these once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
But it’s not just UPMC that makes this possible. It is also you, our donors, who help us open doors for children who might otherwise never dream of stepping into a surgical theater, an art studio, or a coding lab.
From Student to Surgeon
The power of these programs is best seen through the students they’ve touched.
In 2014, Abbie Hoy was a Millersburg High School student when she attended a Surgery Live! field trip. Watching a gallbladder procedure on the big screen, she discovered her calling. Today, she is Abbie Hoy, BSN, RN, CNOR, working in the Operating Room at UPMC West Shore.
“If it wasn’t for Surgery Live!, I may have never considered a career in the operating room,” Abbie shared.
Her story is just one of many. Confidence, inspiration, and career pathways are the outcomes that matter most. These moments start with the opportunities you help make possible.
A Call to Keep the Spark Alive
For more than 25 years, Whitaker Center has been inspiring students to dream bigger, reach higher, and discover their potential. As we celebrate this milestone year, we know our work is far from finished.
We are committed to keeping these programs affordable and accessible to every child in our community. We cannot do it without you.
This school year, we invite you to join us in fueling moments of wonder, curiosity, and discovery. Your gift today ensures that the next Abbie has their spark ignited and their future transformed.