The K-12 STEM Center follows all University guidelines for protecting students, families, teachers, and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: no events on or off campus, and staff are working remotely.​​

Project Payload has successfully empowered middle school girls from historically underrepresented populations and educationally disadvantaged and underserved communities to authentically experience science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through a real-world and tangible project. The participants increased their knowledge, skills and self-efficacy in STEM, which will increase the likelihood that they will pursue college major and careers in the STEM.

Project Payload taught the participants rocketry and satellites. The first part of the program was a successful two-week summer program and is now continuing until February 29, 2020  Twenty-seven of the original 30 underrepresented minority middle school girls designed a Cube Sat with additional support from Tata Consulting Services, the California Endowment, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman. The culmination of the effort was a successful high altitude balloon launch of a CanSat (lower earth orbit version of a CubeSat) with the support of the Magnitude.io team. Upon recovery of the satellite, the participants will analyze their data and generate a final report. 

Click here to read the blog about the launch.

Project Payload is not currently being offered this summer. For other opportunities for girls in STEM, please see our Summer Programs page, and our other STEM Camps page.