Primerly field report
a public alternative program in Portland
PK–12 · Alternative · Progressive · Homeschool Hybrid
1945 SE Water Ave, Portland · OMSI Group Program Registration (register@omsi.edu, 503-797-4661)
OMSI’s Reserved Labs are small-group, hands-on science classes you can book for your co-op, typically 8–16 students per session and designed primarily for grades PreK–8 (with a few labs up to grade 12). You can schedule single sessions (1 hour, $140 per lab; offered Wed/Thu at 10:00–11:00 or 11:30–12:30) to slot directly into your weekly plans, or opt for a 5-week Reserved Lab Series (five 90-minute sessions, Wed/Thu 1:00–2:30, $1,200 for the series) if you want a deeper, course-like arc.
The catalog spans Chemistry (“Mixing it Up” strands like Environmental Chemistry, Chemical Reactions, Nature of Matter), Life Science (Squid and Cow Eye dissections; Microscope skills), Physics (Roller Coaster Physics, Paper Circuits, Marshmallow Spacesuit), Earth Science (Engineering for Earthquakes, Solar and Wind Power), Early Childhood (Be a Naturalist, Let’s Build), and more, making it easy to map to NGSS-style goals or build a co-op “science block.”
Single sessions = great for stand-alone units, lab practicums, or culminating activities (e.g., do “Roller Coaster Physics” after a forces unit). Sessions are small, guided by an OMSI educator, and include multiple experiments/demos.
5-week series = functions like a mini-course (e.g., Phenomenal Applied Physics Series for grades 5–6, Microscope Series for 2–4, Nature Series for 1–3), building skills week-over-week.
Planning notes: capacity, days/times, and specific lab titles are updated annually, co-ops should check the current-year catalog when booking. Reserved Labs do not include museum admission.
Tuition: $140 - $1,200 (2025-2026 group rate range)
Address: 1945 SE Water Ave, Portland OR 97214. Phone: 503-797-4661. Website: omsi.edu/school-community-programs.
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Seats here aren’t first-come; they’re drawn by lottery. Each circle below is a tenth of the families who applied over the last two springs and stayed in the running (didn’t take a higher-ranked school). Filled circles got a yes.
Official PPS lottery results, 2025-26 & 2026-27 combined: offers made ÷ families still in the running (offered + waitlisted); applications cancelled for a higher-ranked school excluded. pps.net › prior transfer data. Slots reset every year.