Help EIS Celebrate 60 Years of Serving San Diego!
The Elementary Institute of Science (EIS) turned 60 in 2024 and we can’t wait to celebrate with all of you! Join us on Thursday September 26th at the San Diego Central Library for an evening celebrating six decades of inspiring young minds and fostering a love for science and technology. Don’t miss out on this milestone event – mark your calendars and spread the word! Buy your tickets now at Eisca.org/Celebrate
Join In The Fun at Our August Open House!
Alumni Story: Joe Sandmeyer
Joe Sandmeyer’s interest in science was nourished at EIS when the program was in the house on the hill. Curious about what he could learn, Joe was excited to participate. Yet, when he was first introduced to EIS by his father, he was too young to attend and had to wait another year.
The hands-on activities at EIS drew him in. Self-identifying as a “nerdy kid”, Joe was inspired by EIS instructor Mr. Wilson who he fondly remembers as a teacher who was enthusiastic to see kids learning. Mr. Wilson’s classes were so popular they always had a waiting list. When Joe’s parents bought him an electronics kit, Mr. Wilson showed him how those same parts could be found from salvaging other electronics. “He had oscilloscopes, all kinds of old machines to take apart, buckets of electronic components and electromechanical parts and he seemed to know how every machine worked and how to make things from scratch.”
Joe was also impacted by the efforts of Tom Watts who he remembers as deeply passionate about equal access to education and on a mission to make a difference for youth despite many struggles to keep EIS running.
More than learning about science and technology, Joe distinctly remembers learning about the value of diversity and his own privilege of growing up in a predominately white neighborhood. At the time, EIS was the only STEM program in San Diego. “I was armed at an early age with evidence to counter racist tropes that people who looked like me were inherently better suited to certain advanced fields of study.”
After graduating from UCSD, Joe worked in computer software for education with a strong interest in how technology could benefit education. Early adaptation of educational software was slow to take hold in schools and eventually his career took him into video game development and his current position in developer relations for SaaS products used by software developers. Working in various startups, he prioritized hiring women and people of color in the first hires, knowing that a team with diverse backgrounds would be invaluable for the company.
We are so grateful for alumni taking time to share their experience at EIS. Thank you Joe!
Steps-2-STEM: Supporting Children’s Education!
In the 2023-2024 school year, Steps-2-STEM served 1,333 fourth and fifth grade students with hands-on STEM learning for all 11 elementary schools in the Lincoln Cluster. Each student received 20 hours of high quality STEM instruction over five week sessions from fall through spring.
We continue to work with our program partners to provide diverse perspectives and resources for students. San Diego Coastkeeper introduces students to water and climate science that affect the San Diego region. The VisMO project at the University of San Diego teaches students mathematical concepts and spatial relationships by creating origami (paper folding) models. The Realizing Elementary Achievements for Careers in Health (REACH) program brings students of color from UCSD School of Medicine to work directly with students in Life Science labs. They serve as role models and encourage children to develop healthy habits.
During spring break, we partnered with the Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans, to serve 50 students in Steps-2-STEM with field trips to La Jolla Shores to study oceanography and Mount Soledad to receive a birds-eye view of the regional topography. Activities included measuring waves, learning about erosion, and studying the regional water table that feeds into the ocean. Many of the students had never visited the ocean before this field trip. Additionally, students learned about career opportunities and natural resource protection related to the environment and the ocean.
We are delighted to see so many of these students return to EIS for summer camp!
We are immensely grateful for our funders who help us provide equitable learning opportunities for youth in our community. These funders include Qualcomm, Rite Aid Healthy Futures, Beyster Family Fund, ResMed Foundation, Walter J. and Betty C. Zable Foundation, Grifols Community Foundation, Farrell Family Foundation, Ameritino Foundation, Rice Family Foundation, Hologic Charitable Fund, Girard Foundation, and Vertex Foundation.
Learn more about how EIS is supporting our local elementary schools at eisca.org/step-2-stem
Have you participated in programs or volunteered at the Elementary Institute of Science?
Whether you’re still in high school, college, working or retired, we want to know what you’ve been up to and if you have thoughts about any impact EIS had on your life or career. Please send an email to our Development Assistant, Leah Oviedo at loviedo@eisca.org.
EIS alumni are invited to join our official group to reconnect and stay updated on future reunions. Facebook.com/groups/AlumniConnectEIS