Oakland middle schoolers immerse themselves in STEM at SLAC summer camp

For the 9th year in a row, the CORE Science Institute brought underrepresented youth to SLAC in Menlo Park for a weeklong summer science program.

Twenty-one students from Ile Omode School in Oakland participated. The fun-filled summer camp aims to cultivate a sense of belonging in science and engineering, especially among historically underrepresented youth.

The weeklong program included lab tours and hands-on science projects and gave students plenty of opportunities to engage with lab staff, experience how to be like scientists and engineers, and learn about the different careers that support SLAC’s scientific mission.

CSI, a non-profit entity founded by SLAC’s Committee for Outreach, Recruitment and Engagement (CORE) employee resource group, promotes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enrichment programs among youth in the Bay Area. Its main goal is to grow SLAC’s community outreach endeavors, focus on increasing exposure to STEM fields amongst historically underrepresented groups and give the students involved a better understanding of what a career as a professional scientist and engineer entails. Learn more about CSI here.

The week concluded with some Juneteenth activities (pictured below).

All photos by Jacqueline Ramseyer Orrell/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory