St. Louis Aquarium Foundation

As the nonprofit partner to the St. Louis Aquarium, the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation has the bold vision of inspiring people to act to make positive changes to protect the water that sustains all living things. The St. Louis Aquarium Foundation strives for this vision through engaging individuals through access, conservation and education programs, building powerful communities for water stewardship. 

Central to our mission is a commitment to ensuring that all individuals have equal access to the educational and inspirational experiences provided by the Foundation education team. Through the generous support of donors, we are delighted to deliver "Help to Our Friends" by offering free field trips, education classes, outreach programs, and bus transportation to underserved schools and community groups in our community. Together we can continue to provide an enriching educational environment for future marine biologists, STEM educators, and conservationists!

The following are just a few ways we impacted the community in 2024:

• Served 10,000-15,000 students with free field trips and education classes!
• Served nearly 1,300 families with free Aquarium admission through our Community Partner program, which was a 50% increase compared to the prior year!
• Through our H2O Friends Program (Help to Our Friends), the Aquarium Foundation has provided free aquatic-science programs and activities for over 35,000 individuals in under-resourced communities and schools since opening!
• Our education and animal care teams were able to bring the Aquarium directly into the community. Last year, we delivered 45 outreach programs throughout the St. Louis region!
• In 2024, we expanded the number of clean up events from 6 to 9, allowing us to have a greater, positive impact in our community.
• Last year, our volunteers and staff collected over 200 bags of trash and prevented over 3,600 pounds of plastic pollution from entering the Mighty Mississippi and eventually our oceans.
• Hosted 125 campers for our summer camp, Camp Fins & Friends, where the Aquarium Foundation provided 12 youths a full-ride scholarship!