Steps-2-STEM Family Day with Horton Elementary
This month we hosted a family day for parents and guardians of elementary students in our Steps-2-STEM program. They joined in on the fun of creating elephant toothpaste, dissecting owl pellets, and coding websites. The day also included learning math through origami with our partners in the VisMO program at the University of San Diego.
We greatly appreciate the opportunity for the families of our students to visit EIS and get a glimpse into the science and tech opportunities we provide.
Steps-2-STEM, like most of our programs are free thanks to generosity from individual donors, businesses, and foundations. Thank you for supporting quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and enrichment in our community.
Register Now!
Monday November 25th – Wednesday November 27th
Join us for a hands-on, tech-filled Thanksgiving adventure where boys and girls ages 6-14 will explore the exciting world of technology through interactive workshops and creative projects! At this camp, young minds will dive into a variety of activities that foster problem-solving, teamwork, and digital skills in a fun, engaging environment.
Workshop Activities & Small Projects:
- Small Robotics
- 3D design & Printing
- Drone Coding & Flying
Take-Home Projects:
- Textile exploration
- Sticker- Making
- Sewing
This camp encourages creativity, critical thinking, and introduces kids to the tools they’ll use in tomorrow’s digital world—all while having a blast!
Register at https://tinyurl.com/EISCA
Meet the 2024 Girls Take Flight Drone Pilots
We are excited to celebrate the 2024 graduates of Girls Take Flight! These young women are now certified Federal Aviation Administration drone pilots. It is no easy path to becoming a part 107 remote pilot while still in high school. Yet they did it! They spent months learning about coding, learning how to fly a drone, studying for the FAA exam, and exploring careers in aviation, engineering, and computer science. They did all this while still going to school and participating in extracurricular activities.
Thank you so much to our co-instructors Desiree Ekstein and Luxary Quintua Crisostomo (a Girls Take Flight graduate and drone pilot) for leading this cohort to such great heights.
Thank you to EIS staff Sarah Tuakli Cooper and Baltazar Perez for your support.
And of course thank you to our generous funders who make this program possible, San Diego Gas & Electric – BAE Systems – Boeing – San Diego Foundation – DAVID C COPLEY FOUNDATION – PNC Foundation – Macy’s – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems – Northrop Grumman – Alaska Airlines and The Rancho Santa Fe Women’s Fund.
Learn more about Girls Take Flight at eisca.org/fire.
Meet John Ortiz: Digital & Community Programs Coordinator
John Ortiz is the Digital & Community Programs Coordinator at EIS. We are excited to have John on our team. He brings his passion for inclusion in STEM, creativity, and interest in problem-solving to EIS.John, who is originally from New York, earned his Computer Science Degree in Video Game Programming at Bloomfield College in New Jersey. As a youth, he regularly attended Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club for baseball and Shotokan karate. One of his favorite movies is “The Sandlot” (a coming-of-age baseball comedy). His childhood hero growing up was always Jackie Chan for his creative use of environment, positive attitude, and knack for getting out of any situation.
Before EIS, John worked at Microsoft as a Gaming Expert and then as a Service Advisor. Starting in New Jersey he was in charge of hosting weekly Gaming Tournaments and VR Tech demos. While there, he took a transfer opportunity for sunny San Diego and started teaching yoga (with cats) in North Park.
His favorite part of working at EIS is the creativity allowed to complete tasks and the collaborative efforts that are involved, in which make EIS spin as a whole. He finds it inspiring to work alongside people who are genuinely just as committed to finding a solution.
In the EIS ecosystem, his favorite animals are the turtles, Bubbles, Squirt, and Matcha. Some time ago, he adopted two turtles from a friend and learned how much maintenance and care they require. He considers Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle II: Secret of the Ooze, another favorite movie. Of the movie characters, Michelangelo was his turtle of choice for his attitude, playful nature, and the color orange.
When not at EIS, John enjoys yoga, archery, and recently tap dance. A current goal of his is to create a bilingual children’s book in English and Spanish, about the day-to-day adventures of a Siamese cat named Kozy, and his owner (John).
Thank you John for joining the EIS team!
Happy Native American Heritage Month.
We are honored to serve students from all backgrounds in San Diego, including those who are Native American. Native American Heritage Month honors the history, culture, and achievements of Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and affiliated Island communities.
Join EIS on December 3rd for Giving Tuesday!
Please join us as we strengthen community with Giving Tuesday. At EIS, we believe every child should have the resources and support they need to succeed in school and thrive in life. By contributing to our campaign, you are joining the movement to increase diversity, create equity, and encourage inclusion in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and career pathways. You can feel good knowing that all funds stay locally to bolster our San Diego County community.
If you would like to volunteer on our social media team and help share the campaign, email Leah at loviedo@eisca.org.
EIS is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
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