Middle School

San Diego is an amazing place and it allows us to journey from our rich coastline to the mountains and from ancient forests to the rugged desert wilderness. Join the Nat as we jump into activities focused on our own backyard wilderness. We’ll explore native plants, animals that co-exist in our urban spaces and want we can do to help with conservation in this place we call home.

Demonstrations from our materials research science & engineering laboratories, including a mini-spectrometer, demonstration of a silicon photonic crystal as a chemical sensor, silicon lenses that transform your cell phone into a microscope

The City's Ocean Monitoring Program will be discussing the health of the ocean environment off both Pt. Loma and Imperial Beach. We will have preserved marine specimens available for viewing as well as videos showing our work at sea and the animals we encounter.

We will play math games and logic puzzles with the kids

Hands-on interaction with live reptiles and arthropods.

A series of STEM related activities will be presented throughout the event. Kids will fly our drones and test their piloting skills with a mini version of our tournament. They will learn about circuits and the components by creating their own pocket LED flashlight. They will learn about 3D printing and engineering design with several hands-on activities.

The Sally Ride Science Academy offers fascinating and fun STEAM workshops for students entering grades 3 through 12. Our online and in-person workshops let students investigate coding, acting, space science, marine biology and more, as they immerse themselves in hands-on projects. Top-notch STEAM instructors incorporate real-life stories of vibrant women conducting research in each field inspiring students and making STEAM careers more accessible.

Salk scientists & staff will lead attendees through a DNA extraction from the wheat plant. Participants will be able to take home their completed experiment as a souvenir of their scientific learning. Salk scientists & staff with also be on hand to share about the amazing research happening at the Salk Institute & all of our dynamic programs available for youth & the community.

Wonderful Wetlands! Did you know that wetlands are found worldwide and are among the richest habitats, just as rich as a tropical rainforest? Meet scientists from the Tijuana Estuary, discover wetland critters, dig through a mudflat, see the kind of science wetland biologists do, and discover why wetlands are important for YOU and for wildlife