The Needs

• More than half of all American adults (53%) do not know that the Earth rotates around the sun once a year.
• Nearly half of all American adults (48%) do not know what percentage of the Earth’s surface is covered by water.
• 42% don’t know whether the earliest humans lived at the same time as dinosaurs.
• Only 14% of all Americans believe that the theory of evolution is “definitely true,” ranking the U.S. second from the bottom in a survey of 34 Western nations.
• California’s economic strength has historically been based on scientific innovation. Yet the state’s 4th and 8th graders recently ranked last in the nation in science.
• Scientists have identified fewer than 5% of Earth’s species.

The Solutions

• The new facility will receive nearly 2 million visitors in its first year, and 1.4 million annually in the years to come, including 150,000 school children per year.
• Capacity for educational programs will be triple that of the old Academy.
• The new Morrison Planetarium will be a state-of-the-art digital site, constantly updated by new data and images from NASA.
• The new Steinhart Aquarium will feature 913 species of fish and animals, more than 500,000 gallons in saltwater and fresh water tanks, a living coral reef, and a four-level rainforest exhibit.
• The Campaign for the New Academy will fund a new building that is expected to receive a platinum LEED rating by the U.S. Green Building Council—the highest possible ranking.
• Academy researchers lead expeditions around the world, not only documenting unexplored regions and species, but also training young students and scientists in new areas of expertise.

Ensuring Survival

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