Center for Inquiry West
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| Founded | 1991 |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit, science education |
| Focus | Public understanding of science, secular ethics, skepticism |
| Location |
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| Method | Research, education, outreach, and advocacy |
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Key people
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Paul Kurtz Ronald A. Lindsay Barry Karr |
| Website | Official website |
The Center for Inquiry (CFI) is a nonprofit educational organization. Its primary mission is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values. CFI has headquarters in the United States and a number of locations around the world.
Center for Inquiry focuses on two primary subject areas:
CFI is also active in promoting a scientific approach to medicine and health. The organization has been described as a think tank and as a non-governmental organization.
In January 2016, the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science announced that it was merging with the Center for Inquiry, with Robyn Blumner as the CEO of the combined organizations.
The Center for Inquiry was established in 1991 by philosopher and author Paul Kurtz. It brought together two organizations: the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) and the Council for Secular Humanism (CSH). CSICOP and CSH had previously operated in tandem but were now formally affiliated under one umbrella.
By 1995 CFI had expanded into a new headquarters in Amherst, New York, and in 1996 opened its first branch office in Los Angeles, CFI West. In the same year, CFI founded the Campus Freethought Alliance, organizing college students around its areas of interest.
By 1997 CFI had begun expanding its efforts internationally through an association with Moscow State University.
Between 2002 and 2003 CFI opened two new branches in New York City and Tampa, Florida in addition to expanding its west coast branch into a new building in Hollywood, California. Located on Hollywood Boulevard, CFI West also became home to the Steve Allen Theater, named after the former Tonight Show host and CFI supporter. In 2004, CFI continued to expand into cities across the United States with the creation of a network of community organizations called CFI Communities.
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