Celebrate 60 Years with EIS!
We are over the moon that Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., California Secretary of State will be a special guest presenter at our 60th anniversary celebration! 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 tickets now at eisca.org/celebrate!
Curriculum Specialist and Instructor Jared DiPrima Returns to Alma Mater to Teach Biology
Many students will remember Jared DiPrima as their first science teacher when they participated in EIS programs. Jared – aka Mr. Jared to the students – was hired as a summer camp instructor in 2019 and later hired on as our curriculum specialist. “My favorite activity at EIS was to build terrariums with students, in order to teach them about ecosystems. I was always surprised by what we found in the EIS garden while we were out collecting plant clippings and organisms. One time we found a blind snake. It looked similar to an earthworm, but with a little flicking tongue. I loved seeing how excited the kids got about finding roly-polies, millipedes, and whatever else was hiding under the rocks outside.” – Jared
His knowledge and creative problem-solving with the EIS education team has been invaluable, especially in our Steps-2-STEM program for Lincoln Cluster Elementary Students. This year he helped guide part-time instructors and lab assistants who remember having Mr. Jared as their teacher when they were in elementary school. “A cherished memory of EIS is getting to help onboard the part-time instructors this summer. It’s so special to go through the experience of planning training materials for them, checking in on them during their first few weeks, and watching as they find their rhythm as educators. They all bring a unique set of skills and approaches to working with kids.”- Jared
Five years later, he is moving forward as a biology teacher at Hilltop High in Chula Vista – where he graduated in 2013. He went on to earn his Bachelors Degree from UC Davis and earned his teaching credentials from SDSU. It’s bittersweet to say goodbye to such a beloved instructor, but we know that the students at Hilltop High will greatly benefit from his experience. “I will miss is getting to be a part of the community at EIS. It has been a pleasure to see returning students, parents, and teachers, and to hear about how the EIS programs have impacted them. I’m hoping to stay in the loop about all the new updates in the upcoming school year!” – Jared
Thank you for being part of EIS Jared. We will miss you, but know that your impact will continue to support the youth in our community.
Summer Camp Special Guests
We had so many amazing guest presenters and STEM organizations who made summer camp extra special. We greatly appreciate their support introducing local youth to various careers and scientific advancements happening here in San Diego. Thank you to everyone who participated. Special thanks to the San Diego Foundation and the San Diego Unified School District for your generous support of camp.
Southeast San Diego high school students who are part of the Vertex Learning Lab visited EIS for a day of DNA. Thank you Lateefah Spires Brown, Head of Vertex Learning Lab and CeCe McGee, STEAM Education Specialist at Vertex for your leadership and creating a supportive environment for youth to thrive. Thank you EIS staff, Baltazar Perez and Jared DiPrima for your support.
Scientists from Johnson & Johnson visited twice during summer camp to present about their careers and teach chemistry lessons with students. Thank you Stephen Bowlin, DMPK Scientist and your amazing team!
Students learned about programming, science, and rock climbing – and asked for autographs from guest speaker Michael Sandler from UC San Diego.
Dr. Kat from General Atomics shared an engaging presentation and demonstration of fusion energy with students. The plasma ball is always a fun way to show how energy can be harnessed.
Shawn Fettel from the The San Diego River Park Foundation taught students about how to stop pollution in the San Diego watershed, and how to protect the animals who live in wetlands, rivers, and the ocean.
Chesson Sipling who is pursuing a Ph.D. from UC San Diego, gave an engaging preview of what a career in research is like and his work in astrophysics and the expansive universe.
EIS staff prepared for summer field trips with a pre-summer camp field trip to San Elijo Laguna with the Nature Collective. Thank you to the Director of Education Kristin Evans and the Education Manager Elizabeth Argyle for providing such valuable information!
XplorStem taught about botany and helped students make seed mosaics using flour, water and, salt as the base.
Fernando Melendez Vazquez, Ph.D. a marine biologist from Puerto Rico who is currently at UCSD shared a fun and active presentation about his journey to a science career. HIs game of Clap-When-I-Say-Fish was a hit with students and staff alike.
Dimitri Deyehn, Ph.D., a marine biologist at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, gave a lively presentation about the importance of protecting the oceans and respecting wildlife. Dimitri is also on the board of the Walter Munk Foundation for the Oceans – an EIS partner organization.
Thank You For Voting for EIS in the Target Circle!
We received a whopping 131,048 Target Circle votes this summer and will receive $2,802 from Target because of those votes. YOU made this happen! We are immensely grateful for your support of our programs that serve local youth who need it most. Thank you so much!
Photo: Sarah Tuakli Cooper, Executive Director (left) and Annie Petersen, Individual Giving Manager with summer camp students.
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