Black History Month: John Brooks Slaughter
The Elementary Institute of Science (EIS) deeply appreciates the opportunity to celebrate Black History Month and introduce you to John Brooks Slaughter, an engineer and trailblazer with close ties to EIS.
John Brooks Slaughter was one of our first instructors and an EIS parent, bringing his knowledge of engineering and spirit of resilience to students. He worked as an engineer at General Dynamics and later at Naval Electronics Laboratory Center in San Diego.
In 1980, he became director of the National Science Foundation as the first African American to fill the role. He was also the first African American president of Occidental College and the first African American chancellor of the University of Maryland. He earned his B.S. in electrical engineering at Kansas State University, his M.S. in engineering from UCLA and his Ph.D. in engineering science from UC San Diego.
EIS began in 1964 during the Civil Rights movement and has served our community for 60 years with the support of a diverse community, especially African Americans. We are grateful for the many founding members and contributions to EIS from the Black community in San Diego and beyond. Black history is as inseparable from EIS as it is from American History.
Learn more about John Brooks Slaughter in the following article and video.
Article: A Fearless First: https://new.nsf.gov/science-matters/john-b-slaughter-fearless-first
Video: Conversations with Engineering Pioneers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUgn6N57tfw
Family Fun Day and February Open House!
- Try fun science experiments and activities for children and adults
- Meet our STEM experts and participate in hands-on activities in ecology, physics chemistry, and more STEM labs
- Community partners and youth serving organizations
- Learn about our camps, afterschool, and Saturday STEM programs
When: Saturday, February 15, 2024, 1:00-4:00 pm
Where: 608 51st Street San Diego, CA 92114
Parking: Please use available street parking or the Malcolm X Library parking.
Cost: Free event.
Enjoy light food and refreshments.
Horton Elementary Family Day
EIS was thrilled to host another Family Science Day with parents from Horton Elementary School. The parents joined their children in 5 different labs. They designed landforms and created their own maps, learned computer skills, created their own Morse code for communication, learned about different body systems, and used a game of Jenga to show how human impact can disrupt the food chain.
Thank you to all the parents who were able to attend. We hope to see you again.
If you weren’t able to attend, please mark your calendars for Saturday, February 15th from 1:00 to 4:00 PM for our Family Fun Day and Open House.
OUT OF THIS WORLD – SPRING CAMP 2025
March 31 – April 4, 2025
Explore other worlds this spring break!
Learn all about outer space and the science of our solar system. Your future scientists, engineers, and artists will enjoy science experiments, games, arts and crafts, and more!
Eligibility: Grades 2 – 8 (Ages 7 – 13)
Duration: 5 days
Hours: 9:00am-4:00pm
Price: $300 per student*
*Sibling and military discounts are available.
Kick off Event: Girls Take Flight 2025
Join us for an exciting and inspiring session where you’ll discover how our program empowers high school girls to soar in the world of unmanned aerial system (aka drone) technology. Meet female drone pilots and STEM professionals, explore the possibilities of drone careers, and learn how you can earn your FAA remote pilot certification while gaining hands-on experience with drones. This event is your gateway to a future in the ever-expanding world of unmanned aerial systems.
Eligibility: Female Identifying students currently in 10th and 11th Grade
Event Address: 608 51st Street San Diego CA 92114
Parking: Use available street parking or the Malcolm X Library parking
When: February 15th, 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm
SciTech Tuesdays – February 18th!
On February 18th, join BAE Systems Engineers for a fun get-together to see how you can turn your love for tech, gaming, and gadgets into designing real-world superhero-level solutions!
Saturday April 26th: NASA STEM Fest at EIS
Explore space careers with hands-on activities at the EIS Space Careers – STEM Festival with NASA. Local elementary and middle school students (and their families) can dive into 15 awesome activities, all inspired by careers at NASA.
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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