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PUTNAM CHILDRENS DISCOVERY CENTER INC

CARMEL, NY · EIN 141734114 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE A52 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Micro (<$100K) · discoveryctr.org
revenue
$89K
expenses
$93K
net assets
$8K
employees
mission · from form 990

Provide Educational Services to children in a fun learning environment.

profile · synthesized from sources

Putnam Children's Discovery Center provides educational STEM and arts programs for children in a fun, hands-on learning environment. The organization runs the Tri County Science & Technology Fair for students in grades K-12 across multiple counties in New York, supports afterschool science programs, and offers sketch comedy and drama workshops. Based in Carmel, NY, it serves as a nonprofit cultural and educational hub for youth in the region.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Acting and Drama Classes
Offers courses in sketch comedy, Shakespeare exploration, and original storytelling; tailored for groups and held at client-chosen locations.
Hands On Science Afterschool Programs
STEM-focused afterschool programs offered at schools, designed to engage children in hands-on science learning and prepare them for science fairs.
Sketch Comedy Workshop
Comedy and theater program for children focusing on sketch development, improv, and performance; includes a "Best of The Best" showcase for top student-written sketches.
Tri County Science & Technology Fair
Regional science fair for students in grades K-12, featuring live events for elementary students and virtual participation for high schoolers; includes awards, judging by science professionals, and eligibility for state-level competitions.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Youth Theater Arts Education 2 activities
    • Deliver educational theater programs in Shakespeare and storytelling
      Provides educational programming in which students learn Elizabethan acting techniques and perform abridged versions of Shakespeare’s plays, as well as develop original narratives through acting games and exploration of fairy tales.
    • Provide youth sketch comedy and improvisational theater programs
      Offers sketch comedy workshops and short-format improvisational comedy programs for youth, where students engage in improvisation, theater games, character development, and collaborative writing to create original comedic scenes, culminating in public performances of student-written sketches.
  • STEM Competition and Robotics Programs 2 activities
    • Host and administer the Tri County Science & Technology Fair
      Annually organizes and hosts the Tri County Science & Technology Fair, a regional event for students in grades K-12, with live fairs for grades K-5 and virtual fairs for high school students. Top participants advance to state-level competitions such as the New York State Science Congress, and select high performers have qualified for national recognition at Broadcom MASTERS.
    • Recruit and manage volunteer judges for the science fair
      Recruits over 750 technical professionals nationwide to serve as volunteer judges for the Tri County Science & Technology Fair, ensuring expert evaluation of student projects.
  • Recognition and Awards Programs 1 activity
    • Award excellence in STEM and education at the science fair
      Presents annual awards to recognize outstanding student and school performance at the Tri County Science & Technology Fair, including the Frank Iacopelli Award for Academic Excellence in STEM, the Judge Edith Miller Excellence in Education Award for top middle school participants, and the Susan Schaell Handelman Award for schools with the highest overall average, updated in 2025 to focus on grades 4–5.
  • Hands-On STEM Education Programs 1 activity
    • Deliver Hands On Science programs in schools
      Provides hands-on science education programs for students in grades K–8 during school hours or as afterschool offerings, featuring interactive activities and take-home materials to promote family engagement and continued learning.
  • Educational Field Trips and Experiential Outings 1 activity
    • Organize international educational trips for cultural learning
      Plans and leads annual international educational trips to countries such as Israel, Greece, Antarctica, Iceland, Italy, Turkey, and Colombia, offering students immersive cultural learning experiences.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$89K
Contributions & grants$58K65%
Program service revenue$25K28%
Investment income$310%
Other revenue
expenses
Total expenses$93K
Program expenses
Admin / overhead
Fundraising
Salaries & benefits
Grants paid out
balance sheet
Total assets$10K
Cash
Investments
Liabilities
Net assets$8K
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +22.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 2
  • ALAN GOLDBERG — Director
  • MARCIA GITLITZ — Director
relationships · 24

Who they work with

  • Altria Partner — Has matched employee donations to the organization in the past
  • American Alliance of Museums Network — PUTNAM CHILDRENS DISCOVERY CENTER INC is a member organization
  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Partner — Early sponsor of the Tri-County Science & Technology Fair and a source for recruiting judges.
  • American Society for Quality (ASQ) Partner — Source for recruiting technical professionals to judge the Tri-County Science & Technology Fair.
  • Bank of America Partner — Has matched employee donations to the organization in the past
  • Broadcom MASTERS Partner — Student participants from the fair advance to compete in the Broadcom MASTERS national competition.
  • Daniel Warren Elementary Partner — School recognized as the 2026 recipient of the Janice Miller Newman Education Award for Excellence in Developing Future Scientists.
  • Encore Players Partner — Collaborative student improv group founded by Matthew Newman, associated with the Discovery Center's programming.
  • Goldman Sachs Partner — Has matched employee donations to the organization in the past
  • Hudson Valley Council of Technical Societies (HVCTS) Partner — Early sponsor of the Tri-County Science & Technology Fair and a source for recruiting judges.
  • IBM Partner — Has matched employee donations to the organization in the past
  • ING Partner — Has matched employee donations to the organization in the past
  • Merrill Lynch Partner — Has matched employee donations to the organization in the past
  • Microsoft Partner — Has matched employee donations to the organization in the past
  • Pepsi Global R&D Partner — Grand Sponsor of the 2026 Tri County Science & Technology Fair
  • Pepsi Global R&D Partner — Grand Sponsor of the 2026 Tri County Science & Technology Fair and supporter of Hands on Science Programs
  • Readers Digest Partner — Has matched employee donations to the organization in the past
  • Samueli Foundation Partner — Collaborates with the Samueli Foundation, whose prize is awarded to top-performing students from the fair.
  • Science Teachers Association of NYS Westchester Section Partner — Recognized as a supporting organization for the Tri County Science & Technology Fair
  • Science Teachers Association of New York State Partner — Collaborates with the Westchester Section of the Science Teachers Association of New York State through the legacy of Marilyn Reiner, who served as its president.
  • Susan Schaell Handelman Partner — Longtime volunteer and educator who helped initiate science programs, recruit support, and inspired the creation of an award in her name.
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific Partner — Featured sponsor supporting the Tri County Science & Technology Fair
  • Tri County Science & Technology Fair Partner — Collaborates on or supports the Tri County Science & Technology Fair.
  • Tri County Science & Technology Fair Partner — Founder and host of the Tri County Science & Technology Fair.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Award-Based Incentives for STEM Excellence
    methodology: award-based_recognition
    By recognizing student and school achievements through competitive awards, we motivate higher participation and quality in science education, because public acknowledgment and competition stimulate engagement and pride in STEM work.
  • Experiential Learning Through Hands-On Engagement
    methodology: experiential_learning
    By providing tactile, interactive science experiences, we increase student retention and interest in STEM, because direct participation makes abstract concepts concrete and memorable.
  • Inquiry-Based Learning
    methodology: inquiry-based_learning
    By engaging children in hands-on, question-driven science activities, we foster deeper understanding and critical thinking, because active investigation promotes lasting STEM comprehension and curiosity.