High School Academies (Open to 9th– 12th grade students)
Get a jump on college readiness by attending our accelerated, college prep academies!
Learn technical and laboratory skills that will give you the experience of working in a university science laboratory. These workshops will introduce you to university-level research, lab techniques, and data analysis - valuable skills that will make any college application stand out!
Eligibility: Students entering 9th grade in Fall 2025 and students graduating 12th grade in Spring 2025 are eligible to attend!
Registration Link Coming Soon!
Programming the Universe: Investigating Dark Matter
Cost: $150
Available Seats: 24
- June 9th-13th, 2025
Explore the mysteries of dark matter in this week-long academy. Learn Python and use Jupyter Notebooks to model, visualize, and simulate cosmic phenomena. No prior programming or astronomy experience is needed - just a curiosity for science and space. Dive into coding and data analysis while uncovering the hidden forces shaping our universe.
Get Your Start in Tech! Drones, Plan a Mission, and Code!
Cost: $60
Available Seats: 24
- June 12th-13th, 2025
Explore the world of drone technology in this hands-on, two-day workshop. Learn to fly, program missions, and perform aerial maneuvers using Python. Develop spatial thinking, process image, and video data, and apply engineering skills to solve real-world challenges. No prior experience is needed - just bring your curiosity and get ready to take off!
Physics Unseen: Cracking the Code of Waves & Motion
Cost: $150
Available Seats: 24
- June 16th-20th, 2025
Curious about physics and looking to sharpen your problem-solving skills for college? This academy takes you beyond textbooks and into real lab experiments! Learn how to measure the invisible - like the speed of light and the behavior of sound waves - using advanced tools like oscilloscopes, lasers, and function generators. Develop critical thinking, data analysis, and hands-on lab experience that will give you a head start for college physics and STEM fields. If you love science and discovery, this is the academy for you!
Ag-Tech Innovators: 3D Printing for Food Production
Cost: $30
Available Seats: 24
- June 27th, 2025 (Friday only)
This course introduces grade 9-12 students to three dynamic topics: the innovative world of 3D printing, the role of technology in modern agriculture, and rapid prototyping with Arduino through a hands-on approach. Students will learn the fundamentals of 3D printing, practice its transformative impact on manufacturing, and discover its wide-ranging applications in agriculture. They will also gain insight into the challenges and opportunities of ag-tech for farms of all sizes, understanding how accessible technological solutions can enhance farming practices and promote sustainability.
Anyone can be an agtech innovator! Supported by VISTA F3 at UC Merced and taught by Mechanical Engineers.
Data Science for Nature and Conservation
Cost: $90
Available Seats: 24
- July 8th-10th, 2025
When the environment changes, organisms can either move, adapt, or die out. We'll analyze ecological and climatic data using the open-source program R to explore how species' geographic ranges shifted as climate changed in the past, and what might happen to them with future climate change.
Friend or Foe? Microbial Interactions Around Us
Cost: $0 (Zero cost due to generous grant support!)
Available Seats: 24
- July 14th-17th, 2025 (M-TH)
Did you know that there are more microbes on Earth than there are stars in the universe? As microbiologists in training, students will use microscopes to get an in-depth view of different types of bacteria, learn how to cultivate bacterial organisms and engineer a fluorescent bacterium.
The discounted registration fee is supported by INSITE.
Math Unplugged: A Math and Programming Experience
Cost: $150
Available Seats: 24
- July 21st-25th, 2025
Discover how math shapes the world around us! In this interactive academy, students will uncover real-world patterns using mathematical concepts and apply them through coding in Python. From data analysis to problem-solving, students will develop valuable skills in both math and programming - no prior coding experience needed, just curiosity and a willingness to learn!
