Alumni Gift Sparks $10 Million Science Center Challenge

The St. Stephen’s Board of Trustees has identified several capital improvements as proposed priorities for an ambitious comprehensive campaign that will launch in 2025, the school’s 75th anniversary year. The cornerstone project and highest capital priority is a new state-of-the-art Science Center.

An anonymous alumni donor has stepped forward with a lead gift of $5 million to jumpstart the design and planning phases of the project. St. Stephen’s has partnered with Gensler Architects, who are working closely with Science faculty, students and administrators to help inform a building design that will instill and nurture a passion for science in all students. 

The proposed Science Center is designed to provide flexibility to keep up with advances in science, technology and pedagogy. With laboratory-lecture classrooms, dedicated faculty conference spaces, student gathering and collaboration areas and gallery displays to highlight student and alumni achievements, the space will foster community and encourage students to learn through hands-on discovery and experience.

The anticipated timeline for the project is three years, with one year for design and site development and two years for construction. With strong donor support, the building could welcome students as early as the 2027-28 academic year.

To help the project gain momentum and generate community enthusiasm, this generous donor has issued a challenge to our community: to match the $5 million gift by December 31, 2024 to reach the halfway point of the overall fundraising goal. 

St. Stephen’s is grateful for the generosity and early leadership of the anonymous alumni donor and the many donors who have joined the challenge. To learn more about this exciting project, please contact April Speck-Ewer, Director of Advancement, at aspeckewer@sstx.org or 512-327-1213 x 118.