Record $3.25M donation will launch new Tri-Cities center. How it will help students

Thanks to the largest local donation in the history of Battelle, the Tri-Cities will have a community center to spark student interest in careers in science and technology.

Battelle, a nonprofit based in Ohio, is celebrating its 60th year operating Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland for the Department of Energy by donating $3.25 million to Columbia Basin College in Pasco.

“It really came down to a chance to make a big impact and celebrate the anniversary,” Lou Von Thaer, Battelle president and chief executive officer, said at Wednesday’s ceremony in Richland “... And we don’t have enough engineers in this country. We are not doing enough to create that spark for our kids.”

The center will build on CBC’s family engagement policy to empower students, families and educators and make them aware of opportunities for careers in science, technology, education and math, including at PNNL, he said.

The money will pay for CBC to establish the Community STEM Learning Center in a largely unused building in the northwest corner of its Pasco campus, forming a triangle with the CBC planetarium and observatory.

A hands-on, immersive learning center is planned in the 4,500-square-foot building that a decade ago housed the New Horizons High School and since the high school moved across campus, it has been used for temporary programs and storage.

With the Battelle donation the building can be refurbished, supplies and equipment purchased, a director and staff hired, and create programs, courses and hands-on experiences.

CBC plans to partner with other organizations in the community to make the center a success, including other colleges and K-12 schools. PNNL and DOE will also be involved.

It will also create a community advisory board for the new center with representatives from higher education, K-12 school districts, STEM organizations and PNNL to make sure it aligns with community needs.

It is intended to serve as a hub for Mid-Columbia STEM organizations and interested businesses and industries to invest in and support local learning in the sciences and related fields.

No schedule has been set on when the center could open.

PNNL to continue involvement

“At CBC, we believe in educational access for everyone,” said Rebekah Woods, CBC president.

About 13,000 K-12 students now visit the CBC campus for programs annually, including to visit the planetarium and then tour the campus. The new STEM center will be able to expand those visits with hands-on learning activities.

About 45% of CBC students are the first generation in their family to go to college, and the community center is planned as a center that the whole family can learn about science and develop interest in pursuing STEM careers.

“Maintaining and strengthening the STEM workforce is vital to our DOE mission,” said Julie Turner, manager of the DOE Pacific Northwest Site Office in Richland, which oversees PNNL, which employs 6,400 in the Tri-Cities.

PNNL expects to have an ongoing connection to the new STEM center, with continuing DOE support for programs, such as those to help teachers bring STEM education into their classrooms, and PNNL staff helping with programs at the center, including as volunteers.

“At CBC our mission is focused on academic excellence, on engaged citizenship and lifelong learning,” said Woods. “Since 1955 we have served as a cornerstone for education and workforce development, providing local businesses and industries with the skilled graduates that they need for their businesses to thrive.”

The new center will build on that legacy, bringing innovation, technology and critical thinking opportunities directly to students, their families and educators, she said.

“We know that when we impact a student we are impacting their entire family for generations to come after them,” she said.

“As tomorrow’s workforce faces increasingly complex challenges, we know that critical thinking and creative problem solving will be such important skills for them,” she said.

During Battelle’s six decades managing PNNL, it has donated $32 million to support community organizations and staff at PNNL have volunteered 230,000 hours in the community in the last decade.

“It’s terrific to see Battelle invest in the Tri-Cities — the community where so many of our staff members live and work,” said Steven Ashby, Battelle senior vice president and director of PNNL. “The gift shows a commitment to the community and to inspiring the innovators of the future.”

This story was originally published July 9, 2025 at 4:19 PM.