This summer, participants in EcoLogik Institute’s free two-week STEM camp explored Southern California’s coastal ecosystems through hands-on science, habitat restoration, wildlife observation, and creative environmental education. Hosted at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve and Silver Strand State Beach, the camp connected high school-aged girls and gender-expansive youth with STEM careers through immersive outdoor experiences, including kelp cyanotype printing, data pour paintings, birding, sea turtle telemetry, and a STEM Fair featuring local environmental organizations. The camp was developed by a team that includes women in STEM who are professional scientists working in the region. The curriculum is grounded in the real science, resource monitoring, and wildlife of the Tijuana Estuary and Silver Strand State Beach.
California State Parks supported the camp by providing place-based learning experiences that highlighted the work of interpreters and environmental scientists. Interpreters led a tour of the Reserve, introduced campers to local habitats and conservation efforts, and engaged students in vegetation monitoring, weather station ground-truthing, and minnow trapping. California State Parks environmental scientists and Reserve research staff led students in removing invasive ice plant at Silver Strand State Beach and shared their career paths in environmental science.
Through stewardship, scientific inquiry, and career exploration, the partnership gave participants a firsthand look at STEM in action while inspiring future conservation leaders.